Have you ever noticed when using ATMs that gradually you also use them to transfer and pay bills as well. There are immense changes in today's fast paced world. While you've already got used to many new technologies such as digital signage in front of cinemas, surveillance cameras on the streets, and smart cards for transit, you might not know that a quiet revolution, led by smart technology, has been taking place and slowly changing our lives, pushing us toward a better future.
Imagine the future
So what kind of future awaits us. Well, let's enter into a world of the imagination. In your future house, you'll seldom use an air conditioner remote control because the system will automatically adjust indoor temperatures via smart sensors which are hidden within the walls. You will also be able to control interior ambience such as lighting, audio and heating via the control panel through a single touch screen or even voice activated interface.
When you are driving your electric car, you will find the city you now live in is a very green place with fresher air, because the sunlight and wind have become major energy resources. Smart grids have already been built and provide the infrastructure with optimal allocation of energy resources.
Driving on roads, the best route to your destination has been set in advance, allowing you to travel in comfort. Even if there are hold ups or accidents, the vehicle's computer can provide alternative routes and calculate the exact travel times for you.
If you need to go to the hospital for medical treatment, you won't need to stay in the waiting area after registration. Instead, you can go to the lobby to drink a fruit juice or read newspapers and the system will inform you when it is your turn to see the doctor. And if you have to apply for admission, some of your treatment can be performed at the bedside.
Nurses can take your blood pressure or change dressings via Mobile Medical Carts. Meanwhile, the doctor will consult his tablet PC which is connected to the back-end system to call up your medical records instantly.
The changes described above are not in the far, or even near future, they are already here, and will increasingly appear in our lives through advanced smarter technology.
Intelligent technology changing lifestyles
But is there any difference between past and present technology? What is its future direction? The answer to both questions is the same - Intelligence. One of the main features of previous technology was independent "single function" operation. For example, cellphones were just used to communicate by voice but now smart phones can take pictures, access the Internet, play video and music as well as many other functions. For fleet management, monitoring systems inside vehicles can automatically avoid transit problems and secure the safety of goods with the implementation of image control software. With the help from GPS satellites and smart tracking technology, fleet owners can calculate a truck's location and send data to the back-end system to facilitate fleet management control. In the past, a monitoring system only provided a passive "watch" function, but now with "intelligent control" features, the system can process data from pre or post-events to provide accurate responses that can prevent unwanted incidents. This kind of Intelligence is being gradually applied to all kinds of equipment. Intelligent applications integrate existing technologies with a careful assessment of customer needs to design a system that can act and respond independently.
Ubiquitous Embedded Systems
According to a UK IEE definition, an embedded systemis "fully embedded within a controlled device, designed for specific applications and has a dedicated computer system". Embedded systems are ideally suited for enabling "Intelligent Planet" applications as devices are everywhere such as mobile phones, GPS devices, digital signage, KIOSKs, as well as systems embedded in manufacturing or medical equipment for specific purposes. They have become an important cornerstone to support the operation of modern society.
In the beginning, embedded systems evolved from the architecture of PCs, and they focused on general-purpose applications due to the limitations of PC technology and the immaturity of the Internet. But with the advance of PC technology and intense competition, embedded devices began to dominate vertical markets and many special-purpose devices appeared in the construction, in-vehicle, medical, and other vertical fields. Now, embedded devices have become an integral part of modern life with their wide deployment making alternative technologies difficult to follow.
Building an Intelligent Planet via a five-year plan
As a leader in the industrial computer industry, Advantech never places limits on itself and always looks beyond the industrial manufacturing sector. With the maturity of embedded technology, Advantech took the lead to engage in diverse fields over many years. Nowadays, a ubiquitous embedded landscape is gradually emerging and this not only creates blue ocean market opportunities but also pushes Intelligent applications into all our lives.
Based on the company's core vision of "Enabling an Intelligent Planet", Advantech has a clear business development strategy by strengthening internal R & D capabilities and aggregating application experiences in different fields. These approaches quickly leverage Advantech's market advantage and give power to their products into intelligent applications in a range of vertical markets.
A new wave of automation solutions enables intelligent platforms to flourish in many areas, and as IoT is gaining momentum this will lead to a quiet revolution that will drive the future growth of Advantech.
In response to this quiet intelligent revolution, Advantech initiated four strategies to promote the company's growth, including the niche SBU Cluster Growth Model to expand Strategic Business Units (SBU), Geo-Region Reconstruction to restructure and integrate resources, GIE 2.0 (Globally Integrated Enterprise) to create dedicated business groups and teams, and AOnline to expand theglobal base for Advantech's distribution.
Through these four strategies, Advantech will deepen market penetration in a range of vertical markets, and more closely integrate the frontline business units and product groups to provide optimal product solutions as well as achieving maximum synergy. No matter what Advantech does, all plans focus on the core concept of "Intelligence" and extend embedded technology to each vertical market so as to create an enhanced vision of the "Intelligent Planet".
With the increase in embedded applications, more smarter intelligent devices are gradually being implemented into all kinds of equipment.
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