Not only have flourishing developments of social media changed how people communicate with each other but they have also made social media a key marketing channel that companies rely on to grow their business. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the practice of keeping person-to-person contact to a minimum accelerated the popularity of social media, making them a major communication channel for commercial activities. Small and midsize businesses (SMB) or farmers lack the resources to keep up with the rapid emergence of different types of social media. They are often unable to respond to consumer inquiries in time and end up losing business. In view of this, many developers are endeavoring on commercial chat platforms that integrate multiple social media.According to Eslitec co-founder and CEO Yu-Han Hsu, social media have become a major communication channel today. Even farmers that may not be tech-savvy have begun to market their produce via social media. However, farmers and SMBs generally do not have the human resources and budget for social media marketing. They usually give priority to their work and can only respond to consumer inquiries or process orders when they have time to spare. Unfortunately, speed is everything in customer service in this day and age. Consumers will go to another vendor if they can't get their questions answered in an instant. To help address this challenge, Eslitec has introduced MantaGO, an AI chatbot that enables companies to respond to consumer inquiries effortlessly and seize every revenue opportunity.Integrating five major social media, MantaGO enables users to build an AI chatbot in 30 minutesStarting out its business with a project from Taiwan's Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation, Eslitec has accumulated a wealth of experience and technological strength in developing agriculture data integration platforms and helping farmers make flexible use of digital tools. Eslitec is committed to developing top-quality software applications. It ensures every element of its product R&D is agile and rigorous, including design, development, market survey, and user experience, while guaranteeing the usability and quality of its products. It creates value for farmers and SMBs by resolving their pain points amid the social commerce surge. Its MantaGO integrates five major platforms including LINE, FB, IG, Google, and Live Chat, and offers smart AI chatbot capabilities to help users effortlessly harness the power of marketing technology. Hsu remarked that most of the time, consumers ask similar questions. For example, they often inquire about the availability and price of a product or the business hours and location of a store. An AI chatbot is ideal for answering such repetitive and trivial questions and thus easing the burden on SMBs and farmers. Featuring an intuitive user interface, MantaGO provides three ways for users to build their own AI chatbot. For example, by importing a Q&A database or applying a template, users can build an AI chatbot in just 30 minutes. Eslitec also offers one-to-one customization services to help users who are not digitally fluent make use of MantaGO.MantaGO is being used by more than 800 companies spanning across e-commerce, tourism, consultation, and government sectors. For example, Farm Life, an educational farm in operation for longer than a decade, uses MantaGO to respond to all sorts of questions that are repetitive so that first-time visitors can easily get access to farm information.Actively targeting Japan, Thailand, Korea, and Vietnam, Eslitec leverages AWS JIC to boost its generative AI strengthTo ensure it offers the most stable and reliable services to customers across sectors and borders, MantaGO uses Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) and Amazon API Gateway from Amazon Web Services (AWS). On top of that, Eslitec leverages the generative AI resources made available through the Startup Terrace Kaohsiung AWS JIC program to continue developing and enhancing its products and services based on generative AI and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) technologies. This will enable Eslitec to stay ahead of the competition.According to Hsu, MantaGO focuses on LINE Chats so Eslitec's overseas expansion will first target countries where LINE is popular, starting with Japan and Thailand in 2024, followed by Korea and Vietnam in 2025.The Eslitec teamPhoto: Eslitec

Taiwan is a food lover's paradise where dining out is an essential part in the lifestyle in Taiwan. This has driven significant growth in Taiwan's food service industry, which includes from Michelin-starred restaurants and franchise chains to independent restaurants to breakfast shops. Despite their market position, many restaurants in Taiwan struggle to fill job vacancies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant number of skilled food service workers changed careers, creating ongoing labor shortages that persist even as the pay increases. The situation gives rise to the burgeoning development of food service technology. This challenge has driven many restaurant operators to turn to food service technology, both to reduce the burden on their staff and to elevate customer experience.According to DotDot Global CEO Ting Hsieh, labor costs represent around 40% of total operating expenses, with 60% of that cost directed toward food preparation, and another 30% to 40% toward tasks such as order-taking, payment handling, and packaging. Food service technology helps restaurants reduce these costs significantly. For example, a breakfast shop using these technologies can save between NT$30,000 to NT$50,000 per month. DotDot Global's latest solution, DDPay, is a comprehensive payment platform that supports mobile and credit card transactions for small restaurants, allowing them to enhance customer experience, reduce costs, and boost revenue.Empowering Small Restaurants in the Mobile Payment WaveEstablished in 2019, DotDot Global is dedicated to developing AIoT solutions, food service and retail applications, as well as smart fintech platforms. The company is proficient in synergizing innovative technology and information services to support small to mid-size restaurants or retail stores, large-scale franchises, commercial districts, food courts, and campus cafeterias with business operations and marketing campaigns. DotDot Global's offerings range from online ordering systems, in-store networks, payment service systems, and queue and reward management systems. Its solutions are being used in over 15,000 food service locations and 100 smart service sites, processing transactions that exceed NT$30 million. This volume makes DotDot Global the largest food and retail service platform in Taiwan and the only startup capable of offering a complete suite of food service technology solutions.Hsieh noted that DotDot Global's first solution, Quickclick, is a self-order system based on LINE that enables customers to place orders themselves, easing staff workload and reducing error rates. Furthermore, after a customer orders through Quickclick, they are automatically enrolled as a member of the restaurant, allowing the business to expand its customer base without human intervention, thereby saving 30% on labor costs. DotDot Global's latest solution, DDPay, takes this further by supporting both cash and non-cash payments, reducing cashier workload, and alleviating labor shortages while also lowering labor costs by an additional 10%. Most importantly, DDPay enables small restaurants, which might otherwise struggle to secure credit card approval, to accept both mobile and credit card payments.DotDot Global has successfully assisted numerous restaurant brands, including YuLoong, MKK Ramen, and Emperor Foods.DotDot Global Expands Globally Through Public Cloud InnovationAs part of its services, DotDot Global provides AIoT solutions leveraging AWS IoT Core from Amazon Web Services (AWS). This enables DotDot Global to monitor POS devices worldwide, as well as to roll out software updates or new features that improve the user experience. By joining the Startup Terrace Kaohsiung AWS JIC program, DotDot Global aims to leverage AWS's generative AI resources to develop premium digital marketing tools for food service providers.Hsieh explains that many Taiwan-based food service providers are eyeing overseas markets. They often prefer locally-sourced POS devices for easier support and maintenance. The key strength of DotDot Global's food service data platform is its compatibility across various brands and systems. Through strong partnerships with global POS suppliers and AWS resources, DotDot Global supports Taiwanese food service providers as they expand into international markets. Additionally, to address the need for skilled marketing professionals, DotDot Global plans to develop an AI copywriting tool using AWS generative AI services. This tool will generate marketing content that boosts foot traffic and strengthens customer engagement, helping businesses maintain a competitive edge in the market.DDPay – A Payment System Tailored for Small and Mid-Size StoresPhoto: DotDot Global

Although AI has become a powerful tool helping companies gain a competitive advantage, advances in AI technology are also making AI-generated attacks such as Deepfake rapidly mature, posing significant threats to identity verification and cybersecurity. According to a research report, Deepfake incidents surged tenfold from 2022 to 2023. The world today faces an unprecedented cybersecurity challenge. For example, in a Deepfake scam, a finance worker at an international corporation's Hong Kong office was tricked into transferring US$25 million to cybercriminals.According to Yvonne Lin, Head of Marketing at Authme, there are in general two types of Deepfake attacks. With the first type, the fraudster sets up a mobile phone or PC in front of a webcam and displays a Deepfake image or video. The person on the other side of the video call will unlikely be able to tell the difference. The second type is video replacement. The fraudster hacks into the intermediate network layer and intercepts and replaces the image or video in transmission so the person on the other side sees a Deepfake. More and more developers and researchers are making efforts to counteract Deepfake attacks. Authme's face recognition techniques enable real-time detection of Deepfake-generated images, safeguarding companies across various sectors against Deepfake scams.AI liveness detection achieves 99.7% accuracyTwo of Authme's founders were once white hat hackers. They also started a cryptocurrency exchange together. From their experience, they found all sorts of pain points with traditional identity verification techniques. This drove them to establish Authme in 2019 with an aim to address the challenges in digital identity verification for companies. During the early-stage development of Authme, the founders participated in a great number of digital identity policy discussions. They also worked with former Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang to fix vulnerabilities in government platforms. For the team's enthusiasm and industry-leading technology, Authme has been recognized and trusted by government agencies and financial institutions over the past three years.Lin noted that Authme's face recognition includes AI-based face comparison and liveness detection. All it needs is a simple selfie to complete identity verification, effectively preventing identity theft and enhancing account security. Authme's face comparison is NIST FRVT 1:1 certified, achieving a 99.7% recognition rate in the VISA-BORDER scenario. Its passive liveness detection is ISO-30107 certified. Utilizing AI liveness detection to analyze biometric features including skin texture, facial depth, and blood flow, Authme's solution achieves a 99.7% accuracy in detecting whether it's a real person in front of the camera or not, thereby spotting a Deepfake video or image shown in front of a webcam.Authme was founded to support the finance sector that sets a high standard for and attaches great importance to identity verification. For its unparalleled technologies, Authme's solutions have been adopted by multiple financial institutions. On the basis of a great number of successful use cases in the finance sector, Authme's solutions have further been adopted by cryptocurrency exchanges and vehicle rental companies.To improve its customer service quality, Authme uses Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) from Amazon Web Services (AWS) to boost the performance of its face recognition solution. On top of that, it adopts the AWS Cloud Hardware Security Module (AWS CloudHSM) for data encryption. Moreover, AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) is utilized to securely control access to AWS resources, ensuring that only authorized users and services have the minimum required permissions to access specific resources. This helps minimize potential risks if accounts are compromised. Furthermore, Authme leverages AWS CloudTrail, a service that records API calls and related events, to log every activity that occurs in the system, allowing for real-time tracking and instant detection of any suspicious access attempts, thereby effectively controlling risks.Leveraging generative AI, Authme forays into Asian marketsAuthme founders grew up in Kaohsiung but Authme's operation has largely focused on northern Taiwan since its establishment. When they learned of the Startup Terrace Kaohsiung AWS Joint Innovation Center (JIC) program, they immediately decided to join in hopes of strengthening connections with companies based in southern Taiwan and tapping into more business opportunities through the project. Moreover, Authme is also actively expanding into Japan, Indonesia, and other countries in Asia. As part of its overseas expansion efforts, Authme looks to make its products available through AWS Marketplace, a curated digital catalog that makes it easy for customers to find, buy, deploy, and manage the third-party software they need to build solutions and run their business.According to Lin, aside from its AI face recognition solution, Authme also offers an AI OCR ID document verification solution that supports the recognition of text in multiple languages, punctuation marks, and common mathematical symbols within just 1 second. Trained on a dataset of over 30,000 Chinese characters, it achieves a remarkable 99% accuracy in recognizing Chinese text. Authme is endeavoring to incorporate generative AI into its OCR ID document verification solution to increase the accuracy rate for text recognition of various languages as a way to boost its international competitiveness.It is noteworthy that as remote work has become the norm, global cybersecurity incidents such as identity theft have been on the rise. In view of this, in 2024, Authme launched its Zero Trust solution, including single sign-on (SSO) and multifactor authentication (MFA) schemes. It is a secure and high-performance identity verification solution for companies, allowing employees to securely and seamlessly access corporate resources and focus attention on tasks that are critical to business operations.Authme's AI liveness detection accurately identifies the face in front of the camera as being fake in a simulated Deepfake attackCredit: Authme

Generative AI has captured the world's attention. It has become a powerful tool that companies use to drive digital transformation, thereby boosting operational efficiency and enhancing customer experience. For example, when companies use generative AI to strengthen their customer service systems, their systems can instantly understand and respond to customer inquiries while being able to predict and satisfy potential customer needs. Most companies undertake AI development based on open-source large language models (LLM) coupled with sector-specific data for training and inferencing. This approach has inherent cybersecurity risks and challenges that cannot be overlooked.In view of this, governments around the world have been working to institute AI regulations over recent years. For example, the EU issued the Ethics Guidelines For Trustworthy AI in 2019, setting key ethical requirements that AI systems should follow. In 2021, the EU proposed the AI Act. In 2022, the U.S. released the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights and Canada proposed the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act, both aimed to establish core principles for AI development and ensure AI systems' trustworthiness. In June 2024, Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission published the Guidelines for the Application of AI in the Financial Industry for financial institutions to follow when they utilize AI.According to OneDegree Global Senior Partnership Manager Frank Liao, there are two types of AI risks. The first is cybersecurity risks. As AI becomes part of the data structure, the system is exposed to new types of cyber threats, such as prompt injection and jailbreak. These types of attacks manipulate prompts to elicit specific output from LLMs. When companies integrate AI into their systems for processing sensitive data, hackers can exploit these attacks to gain unauthorized access to the system, potentially leading to leaks of sensitive or confidential data.The second is compliance. As generative AI becomes more and more powerful, companies are increasingly relying on AI for decision making and content creation. This gives rise to concerns over whether AI-enabled decision making and content creation are fair, human-centric, and lawful. OneDegree Global's Cymetrics Vulcan, an LLM verification platform designed to assess AI models for vulnerabilities and compliance with responsible AI standards, effectively helps companies address these risks. Its fully automated verification capability shortens AI red teaming which would usually take 200 hours to just three hours. With Cymetrics Vulcan, companies can ensure their AI systems are protected from cyber threats and compliant with AI regulations before they bring the systems online and this is achieved at a lower cost and in a shorter timeframe.OneDegree Global utilizes Amazon Bedrock as the core to probe into the risks of customers' AI models.As a pioneer in insurance technology, OneDegree Global provides present-day core solutions for insurance companies, brokerage firms, and applications/platforms. It aims to meet emerging market needs to drive innovations, provide all-round protection for consumers, and create revenue streams for insurance companies. In response to rising cyber threats, OneDegree Global helps insurance companies incorporate cybersecurity measures across every element of their process from underwriting to information security audits. Cymetrics is the cybersecurity arm of OneDegree Global. Apart from being ISO27001 and ISO27017 certified, the Cymetrics team has also obtained ISO 42001 Lead Auditor Certification.Frank pointed out that although AI ethics has been a focus of attention in recent years and AI system developers are adding cybersecurity measures in their LLMs, LLM hallucinations are not uncommon. Not only could LLMs generate inaccurate or fictitious outputs, but they could also be vulnerable to prompt manipulation, resulting in data leakage or ethical violations. If this occurs on an application service a company offers, it could damage the company's reputation and business, and worse yet, there could be legal consequences.The Cymetrics LLM verification platform from OneDegree Global helps companies assess the risks of their AI systems in terms of security, privacy, safety, and fairness, ensuring their systems comply with responsible AI standards. Leveraging comprehensive tests and advanced LLM attack techniques, the platform is able to uncover potential risks in customers' AI systems. OneDegree Global gathers the AI system risk assessment data and performs analysis using its generative AI services built on Amazon Bedrock - a fully managed service from Amazon Web Services (AWS) that makes high-performing foundation models (FMs) from leading AI companies. Based on the analysis results, OneDegree Global further provides suggestions on remedies and improvements.OneDegree Global's automated assessment process appeals to Taishin International BankA unique feature of OneDegree Global's LLM verification platform is that its complete set of automated assessment measures can reduce the time it takes to conduct a full assessment from 200 hours to three hours. This allowed OneDegree Global to win a proof-of-concept (PoC) deal with Taishin International Bank. When Taishin was planning its AI financial service system "Taishin Brain," it selected OneDegree Global's AI system assessment service to ensure compliance with Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission's Guidelines for the Application of AI in the Financial Industry. This endeavor made Taishin the first bank in Taiwan to build a responsible AI system.As part of its business expansion efforts, OneDegree Global joined the Startup Terrace Kaohsiung AWS Joint Innovation Center (JIC) program in 2024. Tapping into AWS JIC resources, OneDegree Global hopes to commercialize more of its innovative solutions and connect with more customers across different industries, thereby building up its presence in the global marketplace.Frank noted that in view of frequent cybersecurity incidents, companies are growingly paying attention to the protection of data. They are well aware that traditional tools such as firewalls are of no help in the detection of and protection against cyber threats to generative AI applications. OneDegree Global's biggest advantage is that it can customize a solution for LLM cybersecurity risk assessment to suit different industry characteristics and requirements. Following its participation in the Startup Terrace Kaohsiung AWS JIC program, it has attended multiple match-making events which enabled it to get in touch with potential customers in the finance, manufacturing, and semiconductor sectors. This is believed to benefit the company's long-term development.OneDegree Global plans to expand its LLM cybersecurity risk assessment business from Taiwan to other Asia Pacific countries and the Middle East, where AI applications are growing rapidly across finance, healthcare, and government sectors. As these countries place more and more emphasis on AI-driven innovations and have increasing needs for robust information security solutions that comply with regulations, they offer immense market opportunities. To take it a step further, OneDegree Global will also foray into Europe as part of its all-out efforts to capture AI opportunities.OneDegree Global launches its AI compliance and security verification solution Cymetrics VulcanPhoto: OneDegree

Blockchain technology has fundamentally transformed how digital transactions and smart contracts operate across multiple industries. While initially known for cryptocurrencies, blockchain's impact now extends far beyond, revolutionizing everything from supply chain management to healthcare. The technology's transparency and security features have made it particularly valuable in sectors requiring trustless verification.The integration of blockchain in various sectors showcases its versatility. For instance, in healthcare, blockchain secures patient records while maintaining privacy. In finance, it's revolutionizing traditional banking systems through decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. The gaming industry, including online casinos, represents just one fascinating application of this technology.Understanding blockchain gaming architectureThe fundamental architecture of blockchain gaming demonstrates the technology's broader capabilities. When users interact with features like a crypto casino no-deposit bonus, they're engaging with sophisticated smart contracts that showcase blockchain's ability to automate complex processes. The blockchain technology market continues to expand rapidly across various industries. These systems employ advanced cryptographic algorithms for generating verifiable random outcomes, applicable in various industries requiring transparent randomization.The technical infrastructure supporting blockchain gaming involves multiple interconnected components working in harmony. At its core, the system utilizes distributed ledger technology (DLT) to maintain an immutable record of all transactions and game outcomes. This architecture incorporates consensus mechanisms like Proof-of-Stake (PoS) or Proof-of-Work (PoW), ensuring that all network participants agree on the state of the game. The implementation of sidechains and state channels has significantly improved scalability, allowing for faster transaction processing and reduced network congestion.Security measures, protocols, and smart contract automationBlockchain's security architecture represents a breakthrough in digital trust systems. The technology employs multiple layers of encryption and verification, making it highly resistant to tampering. Blockchain networks maintain exceptional security through their distributed nature and cryptographic protocols. This robust security framework has made blockchain particularly attractive for industries handling sensitive data, from financial services to government applications.Advanced cryptographic techniques form the backbone of blockchain security protocols. These include elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) for digital signatures, hash functions for data integrity verification, and zero-knowledge proofs for privacy-preserving transactions. The implementation of multi-signature wallets adds an extra layer of security, requiring multiple parties to authorize transactions. Additionally, time-locked smart contracts and automated security audits help prevent potential vulnerabilities from being exploited.Smart contracts represent one of blockchain's most transformative features. These self-executing contracts handle complex operations automatically, significantly reducing processing times compared to traditional systems. Oracle networks ensure real-time accuracy of external data feeds, making these contracts reliable for various applications, from supply chain management to automated financial services.Future technological developmentsThe evolution of blockchain technology continues to accelerate. Cross-chain compatibility is becoming increasingly important, enabling different blockchain networks to interact seamlessly. Layer-2 scaling solutions are addressing performance challenges, while integration with artificial intelligence is opening new possibilities in predictive analytics and automated decision-making. The implementation of quantum-resistant cryptography will further enhance security across all blockchain applications in the coming years.The impact of blockchain technology extends far beyond its initial applications, transforming how we approach digital trust and automation. While gaming and online casinos represent one innovative use case, the technology's broader implications for business, healthcare, and finance continue to expand. As development continues, we can expect to see even more groundbreaking applications of this revolutionary technology.Blockchain technology represents a fundamental shift in how digital systems operate, offering unprecedented levels of security, transparency, and automation. Its applications continue to grow across industries, from finance to healthcare, demonstrating its versatility and potential to reshape various sectors. The ongoing development of blockchain solutions promises to bring even more innovations to the digital landscape, making it an increasingly integral part of our technological infrastructure.

In today's flourishing e-commerce landscape, consumers are accustomed to comparing products and their prices across various shopping websites on their computers or mobile phones, which in turn drives rapid growth of the e-commerce industry. Commonly used search engines such as Google and Bing are not optimized for online merchandise search so their search results are often not up to user expectations. Users end up going to major shopping websites to search for products themselves, spending a lot of time and effort. BigGo, specializing in online merchandise search, offers a search engine purpose-built for online merchandise search. Featuring an enormous product dataset and real-time data refresh, it has become the go-to place where consumers check historical prices and compare product prices. Not only is BigGo a top-choice partner to most Taiwan-based e-commerce operators, but it has also successfully expanded into Japan and Southeast Asia. According to BigGo founder and CEO Dewei Yen (Kevin), general-purpose search engines like Google and Bing have problems such as massive datasets, insufficient crawl depth, and inaccurate search results. For example, when doing a search by image using these search engines, users will mostly find photographs of internet celebrities in their outfits or social media posts with no information on the items that users are looking for. In contrast, BigGo's vertical search engine is specifically built for merchandise search. Its BIRSE image search narrows the search scope to shopping website URLs and merchandise prices and directly displays the item's historical prices to users. Moreover, with access to merchandise information regularly updated by e-commerce operators, BigGo ensures that the latest merchandise data is presented to users. Actively developing two new services using generative AIFounded in 2016, the BigGo price comparison website is now an all-in-one shopping assistant that consumers cannot do without. In addition to price comparison across e-commerce platforms, BigGo has recently added more services including BIRSE image search, social media comment check, price monitoring and product description generator. Like many search engines, BigGo also used natural language processing (NLP) to build its services helping users compare merchandise information as well as prices and check historical prices as well as cashback across leading e-commerce platforms. Kevin noted that after years of development, NLP can be considered the predecessor of a large language model (LLM). Amid rapid AI advances, BigGo develops all its services based on AI. In particular, its BIRSE image search and product description generator are developed using generative AI. For example, built on top of BIRSE image search coupled with LLM, the product description generator creates text content for images that e-commerce operators provide. One of its most compelling features is that it analyzes the product in the image, suggests a suitable market price, and automatically generates production descriptions about the material, style, brand, specs, features, and use scenarios, helping e-commerce operators bring merchandise online with much less time and effort. In consideration of system maintenance cost and service scope, BigGo chose to adopt cloud service when it first decided to incorporate generative AI. After comparing the technology and support service of various cloud service providers, BigGo selected Amazon Bedrock - a fully managed service from Amazon Web Services (AWS) that makes high-performing foundation models (FMs) from leading AI companies. With Amazon Bedrock, BigGo was able to bring its image search engine, product description generator, BigGo News, and other services online without a glitch.BigGo News searches for news stories on the Internet and then selects some of them for the LLM to research using multiple search engines to capture more up-to-date and supplemental information (called AI Search). It makes AI write news articles like a journalist. Furthermore, AI Search also analyzes key opinion leaders' (KOL) unboxing reviews and social media comments. All these are aimed at delivering clear and easy-to-understand merchandise information to users, enabling a more efficient and pleasant shopping experience.Enthusiastically participating in the Startup Terrace Kaohsiung AWS JIC program, BigGo secures more partnership opportunitiesBeing used more than 35 million times per month, BigGo has become a top partner to many e-commerce operators, including Shopee, Momo, Rakuten, ETMall, and Yahoo Shopping. Its latest product description generator piques e-commerce operators' interest. Some of them have begun to use the tool on a trial basis. Referred by AWS, BigGo has joined the Startup Terrace Kaohsiung AWS Joint Innovation Center (JIC) program, aiming to increase brand and service visibility while gaining access to additional resources and enhancing its technological capability. According to Kevin, headquartered in Kaohsiung, BigGo does not have a lot of opportunities to network with other companies. Through BigGo's participation in the AWS JIC program, he hopes to connect with potential partners and increase partnership opportunities. More importantly, he hopes the endeavor will help boost the company's competitiveness and market influence. As a matter of fact, its participation in several match-making events has successfully bridged BigGo with e-commerce platforms including 91APP, Senao International, PChome, and myfone.Results of BIRSE image search using a tassel bag image

In the modern world of business, particularly those now operating in online, digitized environments, the word "free" can have multiple definitions depending on the context in which it is used. If something is free, it is generally understood to mean that there is no financial cost to the consumer. Often these days, however, that is only half of the truth.Over the past decade, the 'freemium' model has become the dominant model for many emerging businesses while it often feels as though ads are becoming ubiquitous across the spectrum of services now available to us. Considering this, let's take a closer look at what it means for something to be "free" today. Why are businesses choosing modern payment models over their traditional counterparts and importantly, how does this benefit the consumer?What can "free" mean?Depending on the product or service you are using, one of the following definitions of "free" may be used:Completely free – as the name suggests these products have no financial cost at all, with no hidden charges in the terms and conditions or a requirement to pay for additional features. Much of the open-source software available to download on your computer incurs no charge at all. Well-known examples would be Linux operating software, free casino games available on Canadian online platforms as well as web browsers like Google Chrome.Freemium – this model offers consumers a free basic version of the product or service with the full premium package available for an additional fee. The concept works due to the fact that the free version often provides a worthwhile product, putting the choice in the hands of the customer whether they want to pay for additional features. Many iPhone apps and online services use this model including Dropbox, LinkedIn, and UberEATS.Ad-supported – in this case, the product or service on offer is free to users, with the caveat that adverts fund whatever is on offer. While this gives consumers the ability to experience the full features available, they must accept being exposed to ads and often provide data to help companies target their ads more effectively. Social media services such as Facebook and X are great examples of ad-supported products. Some companies also offer an ad-free version of their product for an additional fee, incorporating aspects of the freemium model.Free-2-play (F2P) – a hugely popular model in the gaming industry, the free-2-play model shares similarities with freemium products, offering consumers the ability to download their game free of charge. Companies monetize these games through optional in-game microtransactions which often enhance the player experience. Many of today's most popular games like League of Legends and Fortnite now utilize this model.Limited time trials – commonly used by emerging companies trying to attract new customers, limited time trials are another popular "free" model utilized by companies. After the free trial ends, customers then have to pay the service fee, usually in the form of a monthly subscription. Streaming services like Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime all use this model with the hope that viewers will continue to use their service for a fee.For companies...So why don't companies simply charge consumers a fee for their services, what are the benefits of employing "free" models like the ones discussed above?Attracting more customers By offering a free service, companies can attract a significantly larger customer base than they would by offering a paid service. Everybody likes something when it's free, and so companies utilize this consumer mindset by offering their product with no upfront cost. As customer engagement increases, then so too does brand awareness in what becomes a positive cycle for the business.Revenue generation Despite the concept of "free" many of the models discussed here lead to impressive revenue generation for the companies involved. For example, the F2P model in the gaming industry has shown to be more lucrative than traditional upfront payment methods, with several leading franchises now transitioning to the "free" model in search of higher revenues.The chance to upsell Offering free services to customers provides the perfect opportunity to upsell the premium features available on their paid services. It is common for consumers to become hooked on a product and begin to see the value in paying for the premium product. Spotify is a perfect example, with many people enjoying the ability to play their favorite music, but the chance to do so ad-free seems worth the extra cost.For users... It's not just businesses that benefit from "free" models. There are several ways in which the consumer experience is also improved.No upfront cost No initial financial commitment lowers the barrier to accessing new products and services, giving many consumers the chance to try things they might not be able to if there was an upfront cost.Puts the choice in the hands of the user Ultimately, offering premium services for a fee puts the choice in the hands of the customer. If they feel the product is worth the extra cost, then they may decide to pay the fee to access the full package. If they don't feel financially able to do so, then they can continue with the free model.Competition from free-play models improves quality The popularity of "free" models has also impacted consumers in an indirect way. Due to the competition between companies, free services are becoming more and more common and to encourage customers to use their service, more of the premium features are being made available on the free version. This is improving the general quality of the free product, without the consumer spending a penny.It is clear that the meaning of "free" is certainly more complex than it seems at first glance. As the way companies operate continues to evolve, so too does the way they monetize their products and services. In many ways, companies are responding to shifting consumer preferences with many people preferring to have the power to decide when to pay for something. Expect to see the concept of "free" continue to morph as our world moves forward.

Thanks to burgeoning logistics developments on top of continuing advances in refrigeration technology, consumers today can have perishable goods such as fresh produce that are temperature sensitive delivered from the store or processing plant to their home. Especially during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, cold chain logistics played an important role in ensuring vaccine quality was preserved during transportation and thereby safeguarding people's health. According to the Cold Chain Logistics Market Reports published by Precedence Research, the global cold chain logistics market size is expected to reach US$ 470 billion by 2027 but about 15% of the goods are damaged mainly due to poor temperature control. In view of this, many developers are working on cold chain temperature monitoring solutions in an effort to increase the reliability and stability of cold chain logistics. Their endeavors are driving rapid growth in this market segment. The global cold chain temperature monitoring market size already topped US$28.9 billion in 2023. According to Gocochain co-founder and CEO David Chien, cold chain logistics has a long history. Traditionally, after temperature-sensitive cargo arrives at the destination, workers collect the temperature recorders from the crates and then insert them into computers to read the data for subsequent analysis and sorting. With the cumbersome approach, it will usually be days until the temperature changes of the cargo during transportation are available, making temperature monitoring just a formality. With Gocochain's latest cold chain data logging solution, users can access cargo temperature data via an app on their mobile phones. Significantly reducing the effort to download and sort data, Gocochain's solution marks a new milestone for cold chain logistics. Replacing manual processes with automation, Gocochain helps users stay on top of cargo temperature changesEstablished in 2023, Gocochain aims to resolve pain points in traditional cold chain temperature monitoring. Its all-in-one cold chain temperature monitoring solution includes a slim easy-to-use temperature data logger — CoTag, a mobile app, and a cloud dashboard for real-time temperature data monitoring to ensure cargo quality during transportation. CoTag features one-touch activation, automatic settings, and diverse applications. Not only can users configure multiple CoTag devices with a single click, but they can also track cargo temperature changes from the origin to the destination. Gocochain offers single-use and multi-use CoTag devices for users in different industries to choose based on their application scenario. Chien said in brief Gocochain's solution turns the traditional cold chain temperature monitoring job into an automated process. After CoTag devices are activated and placed in the crates, workers at the destination only need to read the data on their mobile app to see the temperature changes during transportation. The data are also uploaded to the cloud dashboard to allow real-time access by central office managers. In the case of any temperature abnormality, they can make an instant decision to recall the products and also make improvements to the delivery process to prevent reoccurrences. Gocochain's unique solution has been adopted by Taiwan-based suppliers such as Fang Jing Marketing Cooperative. According to Gocochain, its all-in-one cold chain temperature monitoring solution utilizes multiple services provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). These include AWS IoT Core, which enables reliable and secure connections to billions of IoT devices; AWS Lambda, a serverless compute service; and Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), an object storage service offering industry-leading scalability, data availability, security, and performance. Leveraging these AWS services enables Gocochain to provide the stability, reliability, and instantaneity of its services.Participation in Startup Terrace Kaohsiung AWS Joint Innovation Center (JIC) program helps Gocochain expand into Southeast AsiaGocochain chose to develop its all-in-one cold chain logistics solution leveraging AWS services right from the beginning of its business. On top of that, it plans to utilize generative AI to develop a chatbot in multiple languages for its users. Not only will the chatbot service provide users better search suggestions but it will also help Gocochain expand its footprint in the global marketplace.Chien remarked that Gocochain's overseas expansion efforts will focus on Southeast Asia for the time being. It has entered into partnership deals with foreign distributors to jointly target the cold chain temperature monitoring market in the region. Apart from this, Gocochain is set to launch an upgraded version of its real-time monitoring solution at year-end 2024. With this upgrade, when CoTag devices pass nodes on transportation routes or in transportation vehicles where dedicated gateways are installed, they will upload data logs to the cloud dashboard to allow managers to constantly stay aware of cargo temperature changes as a way to ensure cargo quality.Gocochain's cloud dashboard enables users to instantly visualize temperature data.Photo: Gocochain

With the major trends of smart technology and energy conservation, the commercial lighting market is evolving rapidly, particularly in dimming control, where many innovative ideas are emerging. Denny Hu, Vice President of MEAN WELL (Guangzhou), pointed out that while the core function of lighting remains to illuminate, the demand for how to illuminate and how to manage lighting systems has gradually surfaced. In particular, smart control has become the primary trend in commercial lighting technology today. At the 2024 Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition), MEAN WELL will showcase its comprehensive solutions in the lighting sector.Photo: The new compact indoor LED power supplies from MEAN WELL - XLN and XLC series feature dual insulation and Class II/2 design, suitable for indoor lighting or commercial lighting equipment.Credit: Mean WellHu stated that MEAN WELL's highlight at this event will be the new generation of LED drivers in the XLN/XLC series, which fully reflects the company's precise understanding of market needs. The XLN series features a cable-output design with fully potted, waterproof construction, meeting the IP67 waterproof standard. The XLC series, on the other hand, adopts a terminal-output design with tool-free terminals, allowing operators to insert bare wires directly into the terminal slots without the need for tools like screwdrivers, greatly simplifying the installation process.The XLN and XLC series suit indoor and commercial lighting applications, meeting high luminous efficiency and safety standards. Their compact design suits them well-suited for digital lighting and smart lighting control applications. They support a full voltage input range of 100–305V AC and come with comprehensive safety certifications. In terms of standards, the XLN/XLC series supports various wired and wireless dimming control standards, including 3-in-1 (0–10V/PWM/resistance), DALI-2, KNX, and Matter, facilitating seamless integration with smart control solutions. The minimum dimming brightness level can reach 0.1%, ensuring high-quality, comfortable dimming effects. The newly added NFC setting lets users quickly adjust output current levels via a mobile app, enhancing product flexibility and convenience.Hu noted that MEAN WELL has been deeply involved in the LED lighting industry for many years, evolving from a provider of standalone LED drivers to offering one-stop smart lighting system solutions. For example, in the DALI system solutions, MEAN WELL has launched the distinctive DALI-2 digital lighting master controller DLC-02, which can be integrated with DALI-2-certified peripheral products. The DALI models of the XLN and XLC series are perfectly paired with the DLC-02, enabling smart and user-friendly adjustments across various scenarios.In addition to the new XLN/XLC series products, MEAN WELL will also showcase many popular LED driver series and high-voltage centralized DC power supply solutions, including the XLG, ELG, HLG, HVG, XBG, and ERP metal-case LED drivers, as well as the PWM, LPF, and SLD series plastic-case LED drivers. MEAN WELL's solutions are based on the DC house concept regarding high-voltage centralized power supplies. Tony Hsieh, Section Manager of MEAN WELL's Technical Service Center explained that DC house is an innovative architectural concept designed to enhance energy efficiency and integrate renewable energy. It employs a high-voltage centralized DC power system, integrating rooftop solar panels and battery storage. This solution can directly supply DC power for LED lighting, home appliances, and electric vehicle charging, reducing power conversion losses while integrating with smart building automation systems for efficient energy management.Photo: DC centralized bus lighting solutions.Credit: Mean WellHe further noted that high-voltage centralized power supplies can significantly simplify system architectures, enhance reliability, and improve energy conversion efficiency. This makes it highly suitable for companies aiming to promote energy-saving and carbon reduction. MEAN WELL's high-voltage centralized power solutions are already in use at the Suzhou MEAN WELL Smart Park, with plans for broader adoption in new factories and overseas offices in the future. Additionally, the solution has strong development potential for large outdoor environments such as tunnel and bridge lighting. Although these applications are still in the conceptual phase, MEAN WELL is actively exploring their feasibility.In addition to individual products, the lighting fair will also showcase MEAN WELL's one-stop lighting solutions, which the company has focused on in recent years. These solutions integrate LED drivers, control switches, panels, and MEAN WELL's independently developed smart lighting software, enabling a quick response to customer needs. Hsieh emphasized that the company's software team continues to optimize and upgrade to ensure that customers receive the latest and most suitable lighting control features. Moreover, this combination of hardware and software can reduce energy consumption by 20–30%, meeting customers' energy-saving requirements.The Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) will showcase MEAN WELL's comprehensive approach and innovative capabilities in the lighting sector. From the new generation of LED drivers to cutting-edge high-voltage centralized power products and one-stop lighting solutions, MEAN WELL demonstrates its accurate understanding and proactive response to industry trends. Hu concluded by stating that as the commercial lighting market continues to move toward smart technology and energy efficiency, MEAN WELL will further expand its technological R&D, offering users an exceptional lighting experience through innovative, efficient, and reliable products and services.Follow MEAN WELL's Virtual Expo, LinkedIn account, and YouTube channel for the latest product information if you cannot visit the 2023 Hong Kong International Lighting Fair Autumn Edition.

In the era of globalization and digital change, working together across different fields of technology has become a key factor in driving innovation and growth in the industry. Emerging technologies such as generative AI, 5G/6G, industrial IoT, and precision medicine are accelerating industry upgrades and reshaping global supply chains and market dynamics.To facilitate more collaboration and innovation, the Industrial Development Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs hosted the 2024 Global Technology Matchmaking Event on October 18, during the Taiwan Innotech Expo (TIE). With the theme 'Collaborate to Innovate,' the event gathered experts from Canada, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and Laos for technology exchanges and business negotiations, exploring the opportunities for cross-disciplinary cooperation.Toshihiro Kishihara, the founder of an accelerator, Startup GoGo / GxPartner from Japan, shared his successful experiences promoting technology matchmaking in Fukuoka in a keynote speech. Startup GoGo hosts a large-scale event every year, to connect local Fukuoka businesses with the global market, foster collaboration, and drive innovations. Startup GoGo's partners include major companies across various sectors, such as Nishi-Nippon Railroad, Fukuoka Bank, QTnet, Kyushu Electric Power, and Fukuoka Financial Group. They're expecting to establish deep cooperative relationships with Taiwanese companies in the future.In the panel discussion section, Wei-Lin Wang, Chief Strategy Officer of the Technology Transfer and Law Center at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), served as the moderator. Panelists were experts from Southeast Asia, representing various sectors including industry, government, academia, and research, with expertise in finance, venture capital, technological innovation, and energy. Focused on "Enhancing Business Value through Cross-Domain Technology Collaboration and Commercialization," they engaged in an in-depth discussion.Yasuhisa Yamaguchi, Executive Vice President of FG Venture Business Partners, Ltd., shared the critical role of venture capital in driving technology commercialization and discussed how cross-border collaboration can enhance corporate value. Clarence Tan, Founder & CEO of Origgin Ventures Pte. Ltd., emphasized the benefits of international technology collaboration for the growth of startups. Sansanee Huabsomboon, Deputy Executive Director of Thailand's National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), highlighted how the government encourages industrial upgrades and cross-disciplinary collaboration through policy and resource integration. Akbar Yudha Putera, Vice President of Information Technology at PT Pertamina Hulu Energi, provided insights from the energy sector, sharing how the industry is creating new business opportunities through cross-disciplinary technology collaboration in response to global climate change and sustainability needs.In the technology pitches and matchmaking segment of the event, teams from various countries showcased their latest cutting-edge technologies, including ECUTEC and FleXARs from Thailand, Quinas Technology from the UK, Newsight Imaging from Israel, LEOTEK from Taiwan, Ookuma Diamond Device and nextEDGE from Japan, CORMETECH and Polaris Electro-Optics from the US, and LAMMC from Lithuania. The presentations of their achievements attracted significant interest from major domestic corporations and venture capital firms and brought treasure opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration and technology commercialization.Technological innovation has emerged as a key driver of cross-industry collaboration in the rapidly evolving global market. This event served as a vital platform for international connections, highlighting Taiwan's pivotal role and influence on the global stage.Credit: ITRI