Business and Finance

Q&A: Bitmark, the Startup Ensuring Freedom over Digital Data

Think you own the data you create in the digital environment? Think again.

The News Lens
Date: 2017/05/15
By: Olivia Yang

People nowadays are constantly posting on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and all

Photo Credit: Bitmark

kinds of social media platforms. But who owns the data generated on these platforms? Or on a larger scope, who has ownership over data created in the digital environment?

Taiwan-based startup Bitmark believes there is currently an unbalanced relationship between companies and individuals in the digital environment. People don’t realize there is an ambiguity in ownership over data, and therefore losing opportunities to create wealth through their digital assets.

Bitmark is aiming to change this.

“I want you to have freedom over your data. This means is you can choose. Do you want to protect it? Or do you want to sell it? It’s your choice. You’re in control,” says Sean Moss-Pultz, CEO of Bitmark. “Until the individual can own data, there won’t be much wealth created.”    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan needs to form own CERT alliance to beef up cybersecurity

Cybersecurity expert suggests Taiwan should form its own CERT alliances to better address malware attacks

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/05/15
By: Judy Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Reporter

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)–To better address modern day cybersecurity attacks, such as

Michael Smith, CTO of Security, Asia-Pacific and Japan, at Akamai Technologies.(By Taiwan News)

Mirai botnet DDoS attacks and the ransomware WannaCry that recently swept over the globe, cybersecurity expert Michael Smith from Akamai Technologies suggested Taiwan should integrate all of its computer emergency response teams (CERTs) into a large alliance on Monday.

Although, ideally membership in Asia Pacific CERT group would be the best fit for Taiwan to tackle the complexity of modern day cybersecurity issues, pressure from Chinese government has made it difficult for Taiwan to obtain membership as a nation in any international organization, noted Smith at the Outlook of Fintech Supervisory and Cybersecurity Forum press conference.

Each country and regions’ CERT focus will be slightly different from another, the U.S. CERT focus varies widely from that of Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]

Government to form national investment company in six months

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/05/15
By: Chen Cheng-wei and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, May 15 (CNA) A national investment company will be set up if an initial NT$2

(CNA file photo)

billion (US$66.48 million) fund designed to support Taiwan’s startups in the Internet of Things (IoT) sector can be raised from the private sector in the next six months, said Chen Tain-jy (陳添枝), head of the Cabinet’s National Development Council (NDC).

The company is part of the “three-carriage” strategy proposed by Chen soon after he assumed his post a year ago to stimulate the economy by encouraging private sector investment.

The two other carriages are creating an industrial innovation and transformation fund to encourage companies to invest in structural transformation and promoting investment in five innovative industries, including green energy, biomedicine, intelligent machinery, national defense and “Asia Silicon Valley.”   [FULL  STORY]

Exchange rates drag on Inventec profits

BITE-SIZED:Reports that Inventec are to assemble Apple Inc’s planned ‘smart’ home device — an AI voice-controlled assistant — have been dismissed as ‘market speculation’

Taipei Times
Date: May 16, 2017
By: Lauly Li / Staff reporter

Inventec Corp (英業達) yesterday reported that net income last quarter fell to its lowest level since the fourth quarter of 2012, dragged down by foreign exchange losses of NT$1.2 billion (US$39.79 million).

Net profit plummeted 44.87 percent to NT$678 million, from NT$1.23 billion a year earlier, and was 61.69 percent lower than the prior quarter’s NT$1.77 billion, Inventec data showed.

“The New Taiwan dollar sharply appreciated 6 percent in the first quarter, which put immense pressure on Inventec’s profitability,” chief financial officer Yu Chin-pao (游進寶) told an investors’ conference at the firm’s headquarters in Taipei.

Inventec’s loss-making solar power business continued to erode earnings generated from the company’s information and communications technology segment, Yu said.
[FULL  STORY]

Automakers eye Indonesia market

Taipei Times
Date: May 15, 2017
By: Staff writer, with CNA in Jakarta

Automakers in Taiwan and Japan have entered into talks aimed at teaming up to tap the Indonesian market, Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA, 外貿協會) Chairman James Huang (黃志芳) said in Jakarta.

Huang, who is heading a delegation of Taiwanese enterprises at the Taipei Expo in the Indonesian capital, said that China Motor Corp (CMC, 中華汽車), which markets vehicles under the Mitsubishi brand, is in talks with Mitsubishi Motor Corp of Japan to jointly produce auto parts for the Indonesian market.

The CMC and Mitsubishi plan is one of more than 20 projects which have been under negotiations for more than one year that would enable Taiwanese firms to work with their Japanese counterparts to target ASEAN member nations, Huang said.

In addition to the auto industry, Huang said that the proposed cooperation programs covered other industries, but he declined to disclose further details.   [FULL  STORY]

Average age of first-time mothers in Taiwan rises to 30.7

The latest figures revealed a total of 207,600 babies were born in Taiwan in 2016, down from 5,493 of the previous year…

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/05/14
By: Wendy Lee , Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Women in Taiwan are waiting longer to have their first child,

(By Taiwan News)

as the average age of first time mothers has risen to new heights, according to the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) figures.

The latest figures revealed a total of 207,600 babies were born in Taiwan in 2016, down from 5,493 of the previous year, or a 2.6 percent decrease, while the average age of first-time mothers increased by 2.2 years over the past ten years to 30.7.

In 2016, Taiwanese women aged between 30 and 34 gave birth to more babies than any other age groups, with 39.85 percent of the total annual births that year were to women in this age group, while 23.51 percent of births were to mothers aged between 25 and 29, and 23.25 percent were to women aged between 35 and 39.

The figures showed the average age of mothers at first birth in 2016 increased 0.16 years to 30.7 from the previous year, while 58.3 percent of the first-time mothers were aged 30 or over, representing a 21.3 percent increase from the 2007 figures.
[FULL  STORY]

Fuel prices at CPC pumps remain unchanged

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/05/14
By: Chiu Po-sheng and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, May 14 (CNA) State-owned oil refiner CPC Corp. Taiwan announced on Sunday that it will leave gasoline and diesel prices unchanged because changes in crude oil prices over the past week have been insufficient to warrant an adjustment.

As a result, fuel prices at CPC gas stations will remain NT$20.9 per liter for super diesel, NT$23.4 per liter for 92 octane unleaded, NT$24.9 per liter for 95 octane unleaded and NT$26.9 per liter for 98 octane unleaded this week, the company said.

The company adjusts its fuel prices once a week based on a calculation mechanism that takes into account changes in a weighted oil price formula comprising 70 percent Dubai crude, 30 percent Brent and the value of the Taiwan dollar against the U.S. dollar.    [FULL  STORY]

Standard Chartered boss lauds Taiwan

OPPORTUNITIES:Jose Vinals was upbeat on loan opportunities to Taiwan’s small and medium-sized enterprises as they respond to the ‘new southbound policy’

Taipei Times
Date: May 15, 2017
By: Ted Chen / Staff reporter

Taiwan remains an important market for Standard Chartered PLC, newly appointed chairman Jose Vinals said during a visit to the company’s flagship digital branch in Taipei on Friday last week, the first by a top executive from the firm in five years.

Among the 78 markets where the Asia-focused British bank operates, Taiwan last year ranked among the top 10 performers in retail banking, and among the top three in wealth management, Vinals said.

The company is also to continue investments in financial technology (fintech) to improve cost optimization, he said.

As the evolution of fintech brings sweeping changes to the financial services sector, the majority of disruptive innovations have been in retail banking, Vinals said.

Fintech innovations allow for greater cost reductions and improved efficiency through automation, while also elevating risk control capabilities and facilitating delivery of products and services, Vinals said.    [FULL  STORY]

MOST preps trainees for Silicon Valley talent cultivation project

The LEAP initiative will foster domestic innovation by helping top local talents establish professional networks in the U.S.

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/05/12
By: Taiwan Today, Agencies

The Ministry of Science and Technology kicked off May 10 a three-day training camp

MOST Minister Chen Liang-gee (third right) kick off a three-day training camp for LEAP participants May 10 in Taoyuan City. (Photo courtesy of MOST)

for participants in its Learn, Explore, Aspire, Pioneer project, a talent cultivation initiative offering 50 Taiwan doctorate holders the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge industrial technology R&D in Silicon Valley for one year.

Designed to prepare participants ahead of their August departure for the U.S., the training camp comprises case study presentations, exchange activities with Silicon Valley professionals and seminars by tech industry experts. Invited speakers include Bruce Chen, founder and CEO of payment platform INSTO; Jesse Chen, co-founder of startup investment firm Maton Venture; and Luba Tang, founder and CEO of software solutions developer Skymizer Inc.    [FULL  STORY]

Brokerage raises target price on Hon Hai on Q1 results, dividend

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/05/12
By: Jalen Chung and Frances Huang

Taipei, May 13 (CAN) A European brokerage has raised its target price for shares of Taiwan-based manufacturing giant Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (鴻海) after the company reported a better than expected profit margin for the first quarter.

The foreign brokerage also was upbeat about Hon Hai’s proposal to issue the highest-ever cash dividend per share in the company’s history for 2016.

In a research note released Friday, the brokerage raised its target price for Hon Hai shares to NT$112.50 (US$3.73) from NT$110.00 while leaving its “buy” recommendation for the stock unchanged.    [FULL  STORY]