台湾PVI收购philips epaper
PVI acquires e-paper unit from Philips
Calvin Shao, Taipei; Emily Chuang, DigiTimes.com [Friday 13 May 2005]
Prime View International (PVI), a Taiwan-based panel maker specializing in smaller-sized panel production, recently announced it will acquire Royal Philips Electronics’ electrophoretic display business, with PVI starting volume production of e-paper products in the fourth quarter of 2005, according to Scott Liu, vice chairman of PVI.
Under the agreement, Philips will transfer its equipment, manufacturing, technology and customers, as well as intellectual property (IP) rights, PVI stated.
PVI has not specified the purchase amount, but according to Liu, PVI expects the acquisition to generate sales of NT$200-300 million this year, and the company aims to have the segment account for about 25% of its revenues in two or three years.
Electrophoretic displays, also known as electronic paper, feature ultra-low power consumption, high brightness despite having no backlight modules and wide-viewing angles. The displays are most suitable for portable devices such as PDAs, mobile phones and electronic books, according to Philips’ website.
According to Liu, PVI has successfully tested electrophoretic displays made using a 6-inch panel and the company is scheduled to volume produce products for Sony starting from the fourth quarter. Sony was a major customer of the Philips unit, with the Japanese firm introducing its Librie e-book based on the technology last year.
PVI also recently entered into a strategic relationship with US-based Qualcomm MEMS Technologies (QMT) to help develop commercial applications for QMT's iMod display technology, which is based on a micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS).
PVI suffered a loss of NT$207 million in the first quarter mainly due to a massive ASP (average selling prices) drop in car-use panel production. However, the company expects its shipments to grow 50% this quarter from last quarter and 30% from last year.
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20050510A7036.html
