High-tech buyers and sellers begin their annual pilgrimage today to Asia's biggest Computer Show -- Computex Taipei 2001 -- at the Taipei World Trade Center.
Organizers are promising the trek will be worthwhile.
With 1,070 local and international companies lined up to to display their products, the week-long event lasting through Friday is the biggest in Taiwan on record.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
The global slowdown and its impact on Taiwan's technology-driven export economy is expected to generate stiff competition at this year's event with buyers negotiating hard for the best quality and price.
This year's show will have a new injection of energy from the Taipei Computer Association (TCA), who for the first time are joint sponsors of Computex with the government-backed China External Trade Development Council (CETRA).
"Because of the downturn in the global economy and high-tech markets, Taiwanese companies are more willing to join the Computex Taipei show ... to reduce the high cost of exhibiting overseas," said Raff Liu (
According to the head of CMC Magnetics Corp (
The number of exhibitors this year is 32 more than last year, with local high-tech powerhouses Acer Inc (
This year 133 companies in industries ranging from PC systems and motherboards to add-on cards and hand-held gizmos will be flogging their wares at the show, compared to 121 companies last year, while 125 companies from the telcom industry, compared to 117 companies last year will attend.
As for buyers, the Computer Association head says there will be approximately 30,000 buyers in house for the computer show, a 32 percent jump from the 22,800 posted last year.
Based on those attendence figures, Computex 2001 is expected to bring in total orders valued at nearly US$10 billion, through either sales transactions on the spot or orders, according to the association.
Since many major international buyers like Compaq and IBM procure Taiwan-made computer products through their international procurement offices, the computer show aims to attract small buyers -- including rising numbers from China.
Japan was the largest source of buyers in terms of purchase value for Computex 2000, while Hong Kong, including buyers from China, ranked fourth, the Association reported.
Having built up its global reputation for some 20 years running, Computex Taipei is a full-fledged member of the international computer show club, ranking as one of the top three globally with CeBIT in Germany and Comdex in Las Vegas. Poised to compete directly with Computex is CeBIT Asia -- set to make its debut this August in Shanghai, challenging Computex Taipei's position as the largest IT show in Asia.
The Taipei Computer Association chief said that China is a major challenge. "The challenge that we are facing is the recent movement of some IT Taiwanese manufacturers to China," Liu said.
"Since some Taiwanese manufacturers have already built factories in China, we worry that they will invite foreign buyers to visit their booths in China, thus affecting the number of Computex participants."
But Computex 2001 is battling hard to not only ballyhoo everything and anything to do with computers, but also pump a wide variety of new cutting-edge technologies. "With the coming of the post PC era, a lot of IA related products will also be exhibited this year, for example PDAs, I-Phone, Smart-Phone, Thin Client ... some equipped with Bluetooth technology," said Liu.
"In addition an important peer-to-peer transmission interface for IA products -- IEEE 1394 -- will be exhibited in the Taiwan 1394 Product Pavilion," Liu said.
A variety of other popular telecom-related product technologies are also expected to be in full force at the show.
Meanwhile, in a new strategic move by the Taiwanese government, several delegations of Chinese IT companies and government officials have been invited to join this year's event.
Delegates from China in attendance will include Liu Li, director of China's Economic Information Center from the State Economic and Trade Commiss-ion, Zhang Daming, director of China International Electronic Commerce Center, Yang Yuan Qing of Legend Group, Yin Yi-ping, director of China Telecom's Telecommunication Department, Yang Yu Hang, director Great Wall Broadband Network Service Co Ltd, Ma Wei Hua, head of China Merchants Bank and Liu Da Long, director of China Financial Certificate Authority, among others.
The delegations will meet with Taiwan high-tech entrepreneurs and hold discussions on various topics related to the future development of the cross-strait high-tech industry.
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