New SmartPhone

Taiwan : The Mio 8380, MiTAC's first WindowsR Powered Smartphone developed and designed by MiTAC International Corp , was introduced to the public in Taiwan at a product launch held in June.

Industry heavyweights including Evans Tu, CEO & President of Synnex Technology International Corp., Mark Johnston, Director of Intel's Communications Products Sales Division for the Asia-Pacific Region, Eunice Chiou, General Manager of Microsoft Taiwan Corporation, and Eddie Wu, Senior Director OEM Department of Microsoft Taiwan Corporation were present to lend their support to the launch of MiTAC's first WindowsR Powered Smartphone, giving extra momentum to the Mio 8380 as it makes its market debut. Additionally, Chunghwa Telecom, Far Eastone Communications, and other telecom operators were represented at the launch by top-level executives, further testifying to the high level of interest MiTAC's new phone is being accorded in many quarters of the industry.

A MiTAC spokesperson stated, "As the global Internet infrastructure as well as digital broadband and wireless networks mature, MiTAC is extremely optimistic that the wireless Internet access market will take off. In the past year, MiTAC has devoted itself to promoting services that integrate M-Commerce (Mobile Commerce) and M-Life (Mobile Life), while at the same time launching its own Mio DigiWalker-branded Pocket PC devices. As a sequel to these Pocket PC products, MiTAC is introducing its very latest product: its first smartphone, the Mio 8380. The release of the Mio 8380 not only demonstrates MiTAC's determination and commitment to expanding its business to encompass telecommunications, but also makes MiTAC just the second manufacturer in the world to deliver a smartphone to the market.

MiTAC has worked closely with Microsoft and Intel on the development of handheld devices, as all three have recognized the market potential of wireless Internet access. After MiTAC's successful launch last year of its Pocket PC products, this year's introduction of the Mio 8380 represents a further tangible result of the three companies' joint efforts.

As for sales channels, MiTAC has decided to work again with Taiwan's leading channel vendor, Synnex Technology International Corp., which will serve as the Taiwan sales agent for MiTAC's Mio 8380 smartphone. Synnex's President Evans Tu pointed out, "People may believe that since Synnex and MiTAC are affiliated companies, it is inevitable that the two would cooperate in selling the Mio 8380. But in fact, from the point of view of a channel vendor, or even a distributor, the more critical point is whether the product itself is good enough. Does it add to the overall strength of the comprehensive product lines that we have built up? After intense discussion and assessments, the answer in the case of the Mio 8380 was a most emphatic yes." The joint efforts of MiTAC and Synnex will build on the excellent results the two achieved with MiTAC's Pocket PC products. As they work together to claim a share of the smartphone market, they will be able to take advantage of Synnex's more than 8,000 distribution points throughout Taiwan, as well as the Synnex Service Network, the island's most extensive such network. Customers will be able to take advantage of convenient purchasing, and a two-year warranty with thirty-minute repairs.

MiTAC Group President Francis Tsai stated, "In order to provide even better M-Commerce and M-Life services to users in the corporate and consumer markets so that they can gain a true sense of the Mio brand message, 'Mobile Intelligence On-line', MiTAC will pursue strategic cooperation with vendors in a variety of fields. MiTAC will be waging a brand battle unlike any that has come before, establishing a stronger position for our Mio DigiWalker wireless communication product series and hitting a new sales peak."

The Mio 8380 brings together a wealth of powerful advantages in a single device. Utilizing the Microsoft WindowsR Powered Smartphone 2002 software platform and an IntelR XScale? CPU, it brings together all the important functionality needed for a full-fledged digital lifestyle. Users can take advantage of the familiar Windows interface in performing such tasks as mobile voice communications, e-mail and document management and exchange, and downloads of digital AV entertainment such as music videos and films-vastly improving on the only partial digitalization that is available on current phones. The Mio 8380 is in fact a full-fledged computer in mobile phone form, able to support document management, sending and receiving of e-mail, and Web browsing. It represents the key to an integrated high-tech lifestyle environment, giving users the means to access all the wonders of mobile wireless connectivity.

Note : MiTAC's M-Commerce and M-Life concepts
M-Commerce (Mobile Commerce) and M-Life (Mobile Life) are terms describing future digital lifestyles. M-Commerce will satisfy the most pressing needs of businesspeople-for immediate access and updating of information. For example, managers will be able to send and receive full versions of corporate documents; salespeople will be able handle orders, inventory queries, and price lists; and workers in the transportation and tourism industries will have access to the newest maps and traffic conditions. M-Life will make available everything from the most basic-news of the latest sales promotions, lifestyle information-as well as the frills that no one will want to miss-multimedia transmissions, music video downloads, mobile movie viewing, and more. Through the linkage of the Internet and powerful back-end servers, handheld devices that provide wireless network access (for example, the Mio DigiWalker products) can be used to realize an all-new kind of lifestyle drawing on the full power of digital technology. With this in mind, MiTAC is not only aggressively pushing its 'Mobile Intelligence On-line' brand message and the products that go with it, but it will also use cooperative ventures with companies in a variety of industries to integrate software, hardware, and various application services to fulfill its goal of being an M-Commerce and M-Life integrated services provider.