Microcontrollers boost local distribution business in China
Oct 2007 ?EDN
By: Amy Wang
China's vaunted independent design houses are shifting direction, churning out turnkey solutions instead of just designs. The move puts them squarely in the original design manufacturer (ODM) camp and, for the first time, in direct competition with Taiwan's ODMs. (more...)

Chinese manufacturing not ready for prime time
Sept 2007 ?Electronic News
By: Amy Wang
Universal Instruments (UI) has scrapped its manufacturing operation in Shenzhen, China, based upon persistent quality complaints from customers of its precision instruments. The company has since turned the facility into an assembly center to serve its global market.The move comes as U.S. companies begin voicing concerns about Chinese manufacturing. Unlike Mattel, the giant toy maker that recently recalled products made in China, UI did not outsource its manufacturing. But even under its own banner, UI ran into problems. (more...)

China's design houses are dying
Aug 2007 ?EDN
By: Amy Wang
Design houses still play a highly visible¡ªif shrinking¡ªrole between Chinese OEMs and their suppliers and distributors. They provide design options to OEMs, and they purchase semiconductors and components from suppliers and distributors. In that role, they have been especially important to suppliers and distributors, because they make decisions about which components designers should include. (more...)

Report from China: Labor costs rise; jobs shift to remote areas
July 2007 ?EDN
By: Amy Wang
Some companies are shifting their manufacturing operations to less-developed cities in China to rein in costs. What the effect will be on China's overall economic structure remains uncertain. (more...)

China Report: Capacity reserve challenges small fabless companies
July 2007 ?Electronic News
By: Amy Wang
Semiconductor manufacturing is booming in China, but small indigenous fabless companies are turning to foundries outside of China to get their chips manufactured. (more...)

China design houses change direction
July 2007 ?Electronic Business
By: Amy Wang
China's vaunted independent design houses are shifting direction, churning out turnkey solutions instead of just designs. The move puts them squarely in the original design manufacturer (ODM) camp and, for the first time, in direct competition with Taiwan's ODMs. (more...)

Expanding EMS' reach
Sept 2006 ?Electronic Business
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Decoding China RoHs
Jan 2007 ?Electronics Supply & Manufacturing
By: Amy Wang
China is making progress toward promotion of its version of the European Union's Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances directive, which will take effect March 1.China's RoHS, officially known as The Administration on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Industry, is expected to be implemented through the development of nine standards. Those standards will cover issues involving product design, development, manufacturing and the sale of products. (more...)

Good medicine
July 2006 ?Electronics Supply & Manufacturing
By: Amy Wang
Royal Philips Electronics NV might be best known as a global consumer powerhouse with a hand in everything from lighting to kitchen appliances to semiconductors. But the Dutch company's strategy for growth in China goes beyond coffee makers and electronic components; it draws heavily on the burgeoning demand for medical equipment. (more...)

COC speaks at EDS2006 Las Vegas
May 2006 –Las Vegas
China Outlook Consulting recently spoke at EDS 2006 Las Vegas about China’s electronics distribution landscape. Amy Wang, Vice President of China Outlook Consulting presented an overview of China's electronics industry, covering market trends and government initiatives, but concentrated on the emergence in China of local distributors, who provide access to an untapped base of Chinese OEMs, including the 'sweet spot' of high-growth mid-tier companies. (more...)

Toward world-class
April 2006 ?Electronics Supply & Manufacturing
By: Amy Wang
It was 1953 when Chairman Mao Zedong introduced China's first five-year plan, setting the course for the industrialization of the most populous nation on earth under the heavy guiding hand of the central government. Last month, Premier Wen Jiabao announced the 11th five-year plan to the National People's Congress in Beijing. Whereas Mao and his successors stepped on the gas, often with both feet, Wen is tapping the brakes(more...)

COC co-organized 2006 Global IC market analysis & forecast summit in Shenzhen (April 29, 2006)
April 2006 –Shenzhen
China Outlook Consulting (COC) successfully co-organized the Global IC Market Analysis & Forecast Summit with China ECNet, China Electronics Purchasing Association and China Electronics Application Corporation on April 13, 2006 at Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong province. Keynote speakers were from iSuppli, Gartner, In-Stat, COC, CCID, Pday, Deutche Bank Securities and Shanghai Fengbao Electronics Technology Co. Being a niche local Chinese distributor, Shanghai Fengbao showed a new business model of effectively serving the industry by providing better design services to Chinese OEM/ODM companies. More than 160 industrial professionals participated in this summit.(more...)

Government as a catalyst for growth
April 2006 ?Electronics Supply & Manufacturing
By: Amy Wang
One of the Chinese government's primary objectives in its 11th five-year plan is to transform the country's technology sector from a low-cost, low-margin manufacturing source to a developer of world-class, higher-value-add products. While it doesn't dictate to industry as heavy-handedly as it did in the past, the government still exerts significant influence over sectors of the economy through policies and initiatives. (more...)

China’s medical Rx
March 2006 ?Electronics Supply & Manufacturing
By: Amy Wang
It may have reported a mere $10 million in annual sales last year, but Edan Instruments Inc. is just warming up. If things go according to plan, the Chinese medical-equipment manufacturer will capture additional international business that could keep it on a double-digit growth path for years to come.(more...)

Chinese distributor is undergoing growth spurt
February 2006 ?Electronics Engineering Times
By: Amy Wang
Early adolescence. That's the state of China's domestic electronic components distribution business. But a number of savvy companies are going through a growth spurt that could pose a challenge to the status quo.(more...)

The Next Wave
January 2006 ?Electronics Supply & Manufacturing
By: Amy Wang
There's a boom going on in China, and it's not just in cheap manufacturing. Over the last few years, the country has emerged as a location for product design serving both Western and Asian customers, especially South Korean electronics companies. While the focus has been on international companies setting up their own design centers in China, an emerging local industry is paralleling the growth of captive operations.(more...)

Soft launch for China RoHs in July
December 2005 ?Electronics Supply & Manufacturing
By: Bruce Rayner, Amy Wang
Shanghai, China - China is making progress toward introduction of its version of the European Union s RoHS directive but the timeline for eliminating the use of hazardous materials will lag Europe's.(more...)

COC Co-organized the 2005 EMS Summit in Shanghai (Nov 27,2005)
November 2005
China Outlook Consulting Inc co-organized the 2005 EMS China Summit in Shanghai, with China’s Ministry of Information Industry (MII), Associations of China Electronics Enterprises, China Electronic Appliance Corporation, SMTA, China Electronic Exhibition and Information Communication and IT Institute of China Electronics. Amy Wang, vice president of COC presented on the changing Chinese EMS business and talked about the emerging outsourcing trends of mid-volume and mid-mix (M+M) products in China, the influence of this change on Chinese EMS providers and how they can prepare themselves especially how to walk in their strength in order to get new orders. Other keynote speakers were from Vtech, NCR, Celestica and Technology Forecast and officials from the MII. Bruce Rayner, editorial director at Electronics Supply and Manufacturing chaired the panel discussions(more...)

Partially Leaded, Partially Unleaded
October 2005 ?Electronic News
By: Amy Wang
Lead-free is taking hold in China’s electronics manufacturing, while a broader set of “green?regulations are being studied at the national level. The recent Nepcon South/EMT South China, which took place last month, provided a glimpse into how China’s electronics manufacturers are embracing the new regulations. (more...)

China Outlook Consulting presents at CARDS ASIA
October 2005 ?EMSNow
China Outlook Consulting Inc. recently spoke at CARTS Asia 2005 in Taibei World Trade Center, Taibei, Taiwan Amy Wang, vice president of COC gave a speech on how to market components through Chinese distributors. Sponsored by Electronic Components, Assemblies and Materials Association (ECA) and Taiwan Electrical & Electronic Manufacturers Association (TEEMA), CARTS Asia is an event for Asian electronic components industry that provides the components engineer and designer with current data and information on capacitors, resistors and other passive components. This event was from Oct 11-Oct 15, along with Taitronics Autumn 2005. (more...)

Going Global Becomes Next Mantra For China
June 2005 ?Electronic News/China Electronics Report
By: Amy Wang
China’s Ministry of Information Industry is encouraging domestic electronics companies to go global, part of an ambitious bid to trim the country’s excess manufacturing capacity while boosting the amount of technical innovation necessary to compete in a global market.The message stands in sharp contrast with previous statements of direction issued by the central government, which in the past encouraged a build-up of capacity to modernize the domestic economy. (more...)

Growing pains
June 2005 - Electronics Supply & Manufacturing
By: Michael Liu
Having transformed from distributor to contract manufacturer, Kongyue now faces new hurdles as a value-added services provider. (more...)

The scope of electronics outsourcing in China
June 2005--EMSNow
According to Michael Liu of China Outlook, China's domestic markets are, in some cases, over-supplied with the basic product lines, and Chinese companies can face allegations of "dumping" when excess inventories are disposed of in global markets. The solution is contracting design and manufacturing services with Japanese, European, and U.S. OEMs as well as with direct consumer outlets. (more...)

Will China and Japan lead photonics lead-free?
June 2005--Laser Focus World
According to ­Michael Liu of China Outlook Consulting (Calgary, Canada), the Chinese government is working on directives that match or exceed the E.U.’s demands, and all manufacturers in China and those selling into China will be forced to make adjustments. The government is outlining steps to compliance and releasing lists of products (20 at a time) that must comply-companies producing these products then have one year to meet the new requirements. (more...)

Outsourcing in China--Providers, Issues, Strategies, & Opportunities
April 2005--EMSNow Webinar
Michael J. Liu is co-founder and president of China Outlook Consulting Inc, a niche consulting firm to provide China focused marketing research and business ... (more...)

Re-aiming Arrow
April 2005--Electronic Business
Michael Liu, president of China Outlook Consulting, in Shenzhen, says Chinese manufacturers are especially eager for product design help. ... (more...)

Driven By Design
April 2005 - Electronics Supply & Manufacturing
By: Michael Liu
One of China's top-tier distributors, Secom Telecom invested in design services early on and is now reaping the benefits. But future growth depends on how well it can battle fierce international competition.(more...)

Konka tries again
March 2005 - Electronics Supply & Manufacturing
By: Michael Liu
They started out as contractors serving foreign companies that were seeking a cheaper labor market. Over the last decade, however, China's indigenous electronics companies have evolved to a point where they now sell their own products into Western markets.(more...)

China accelerates green program.
March 2005- Electronics Supply & Manufacturing
By: Amy Wang
The European Union may be getting all the attention for its environmental regulations, but China could just beat the EU to the punch.(more...)

The 2nd China Electronics Purchasing Forum -- Focusing on Distribution Business in China Electronics Supply Chain. Coming soon!
April 13,2005.
The 2nd China Electronics Purchasing Forum, sponsored and organized by China Electronics Purchasing Association (CEPA), ChinaECNet and China Outlook Consulting Inc. will be held in April 13, 2005 in Shenzhen. It will take place in conjunction with the 2005 China Electronic Purchasing Association (CEPA) Annual Conference and China Electronics Fair Shenzhen 2005.(more...)

News analysis: Lenovo's initiation begins
Dec 27 2004 - Electronics Supply & Manufacturing
By: Amy Wang
How well Lenovo does in its efforts to integrate the former IBM unit and become a global business will be largely determined by how quickly and effectively it integrates the two companies' supply chain(more...)

Sept 2004--China ECnet Newsletter
... to sell directly to OEM and EMS (electronics manufacturing services) buyers in China," says Michael Liu, chief analyst at China Outlook Consulting... (more...)

Partnering for Success and Survival
June 15 2004 - Wireless Asia (P.34)
By: Amy Wang
New strategy of China's handset makers

ODM Options
May 2004 - Electronics Supply & Manufacturing
By: Michael Liu
China is evolving the ODM model along three lines: as subsidiaries of large OEM parents; as enhanced electronics manufacturing services providers offering system design services; and as a combination of system manufacturer/designer and semiconductor design house. (more...)

Presentation at EDS in Las Vegas
Tuesday, May 4, 2004, 2:00 PM
The Impact of China on the Supply Chain
Michael Liu & Bruce Rayner, Electronics Supply & Manufacturing
Paris Hotel, Versailles 4 Room
For details, please go to: http://www.edsc.org/con_Events.asp

Is 3G the end for Little Smart?
April 15, 2004 - Telecom Asia
By: Michael Liu
China Telecom and China Netcom plan to slow down investment in PAS technology once they get their 3G licenses, but don’t write off Little Smart just yet -- it’s still a viable and potentially integrateable value-add (more...)

Migration path for China's 3G
March 15, 2004 - Wireless Asia
By: Michael Liu
China's MII is managing 3G technology tests to determine its migration path to 3G - and figure out how to work TD-SCDMA into the mix without disrupting plans by its cellcos for W-CDMA and cdma2000 (more...)

Little Smart handset market heats up
March 15, 2004 - Wireless Asia
By: Michael Liu
Little Smart targets the high-end (more...)

DVT's out of the box in China
Oct.20,2003 - Electronics Engineering Times (P.77)
By: Michael Liu
China's Digital TV-C standard story

China Market Opportunity for International Semiconductor Vendors
Presented by Michael Liu
EETimes Asia
July 17, 2003 / 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM (PT)
http://webevents.broadcast.com/cmp/wcs/detail.asp?event_id=7149

Unicom gives CDMA 1X Satety Spin
July 29, 2003 - Electronic Engineering Times
Michael Liu
Financial Times China quotes China Unicom's head of group marketing as saying that safety concerns would be a driving force behind sales of CDMA services. http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20030729S0021