Business News
Epson and CHILIN to Jointly Supply e-Paper Components for Industrial Applications
Thursday 21. October 2010 - Seiko Epson Corporation ("Epson", TSE: 6724) and CHI LIN Technology Co., Ltd. ("CHILIN"), a leading Taiwanese supplier of flat-panel display solutions, today announced they had come to an agreement to jointly supply essential components for e-paper used in industrial applications.
Although consumer applications such as e-books are currently the mainstream, many observers believe that demand for e-paper-based products for industrial applications*1 in such segments as retail, logistics, advertising and healthcare will show significant growth going forward. Epson and CHILIN believe that demand will focus on compact, energy-efficient e-paper displays.
Epson is the number one*2 supplier of e-paper display controller ICs for E Ink’s industry-leading e-paper, and is widely acclaimed for its high-performance products.
CHILIN is renowned for its abundant lineup of low power e-paper displays and for a fine track record in proposing display solutions that meet the various needs of its customers.
To provide e-paper components that are both compact and energy efficient to promising growth markets, the two companies will select from their respective lineups the optimum combination of ICs (Epson) and e-paper displays (CHILIN), and offer them to customers as a set.
By using a combination of Epson and CHILIN e-paper components, customers in the industrial segment will be able to facilitate the rapid and efficient development of e-paper-based products for various applications.
Epson’s role
Epson will supply ICs suited to controlling e-paper displays manufactured by CHILIN aimed at customers planning e-paper products for industrial applications. In addition to strengthening its sales network for such products, Epson will utilize its many years of expertise in developing semiconductors to develop compact, energy-efficient microcomputer ICs optimized for controlling compact e-paper displays.
CHILIN’s role
CHILIN plans to offer a rich lineup of compact, low power e-paper displays suitable for a wide range of industrial applications. CHILIN’s proposals to customers will also include Epson ICs optimized for controlling its e-paper displays.
By working together to provide e-paper components and technical support, the two companies plan to solve issues*2 facing the industrial segment, and further contribute to the spread of e-paper.
*1 For example, by using highly readable paper-like e-paper displays for electronic price tags, retailers can retain the displayed contents even after the power source is switched off and easily input and output data, resulting in cost savings.
*2 According to Epson estimate based on a 2009 research company report on e-paper shipments, and on Epson shipments of display controller ICs in 2009.