系統化模組在物聯網的應用之探討 －以加拿大商英傳信科技為例

Abstract

本研究是以加拿大上市公司英傳信科技為例，去探討如何沿用傳統的系統化模組在全新的物聯網領域產業的成功案例，試著以目前該產業的現況、個案企業的經營模式、以及產品發展策略等等，利用SWOT競爭策略分析，五力分析與探討產業的鑽石模型的基礎理論等等相關文獻來探討，瞭解該公司還有產業的競爭態勢，並且歸納出個案成功的模式與方法。 系統化模組本來是被使用在很多工業電腦的應用，而硬體跟軟體的架構也非常的簡單就是傳統的英特爾加微軟的系統。但是自從網路的普及化造成的物聯網蓬勃發展，系統化模組也被沿用在很多物聯網的產品。因為物聯網的產品跟工業電腦的應用在屬性上很雷同，比如說，產品的獨特性，產品的相對少的出貨數量，系統的穩定性要求，使用者本身的技術能力還有硬體訴求。這些都促進了系統化模組在物聯網的廣泛應用。這個系統化模組也讓共享經濟在整個產品製造的產業鏈有效的分配最適合的工作給最適合的人來做。同時，也縮短了產品發展的時間跟減少了困難度讓更多人可以很快的發展自己的產品。 我本人有機會在一家加拿大商英傳信公司任職亞洲區銷售總監，藉由販售系統化模組，系統化整機板子和設計服務給不同類型的客戶，了解到不同的商業模式，不同的系統集合架構，還有每個不同的客戶在物聯網領域不同的需求。同時，我也了解到這個公司如何跟供應商維持良好的關係還有跟競爭者斡旋；如何更有效的帶出系統化模組的差異性；也了解到這個公司的願景。 系統化模組雖然在硬體成本會比較高，但是如果把整個系統的設計費算進來的話，其實如果量不大的話，反而會是一個更符合經濟效益的方式。也之所以這樣，系統化模組還是在物聯網的產業有立足之地，也有幾個同類型的廠商在一直開發新產品，這些都會在論文中更詳細的去探討。

This thesis discusses about transforming the traditional System-on-Module model from the industrial PC markets into the new Internet of Things space. It also studies the change of platform combination from Windows+Intel to Linux/Android+ARM. This is to take advantage of the lightweight Operating System with a power efficiency ARM architecture. In addition, most of the IoT companies have smaller volume and less engineering resource, hence it’s not economical for them to invest heavily on the upfront hardware cost and engineering work to make a hardware. This provides a perfect opportunity for System-on-Module makers who manufacture a standard module with an operating system like Linux or Android already running on it. One can just take this module and follow the pin assignments on the interface to make a corresponding simple carrier/peripheral board and connect to other outputs (USB, Ethernet, panel, speaker and etc.) depending on the device requirements. This saves the upfront design work to study the SOC datasheets and design the PCBA board from scratch. Development time is being shortened and heavy engineering cost is being relieved for small IoT device makers to launch a product as early as possible since the market is getting more and more competitive and time is very crucial. This thesis also looks into the industry where SOM is being used for IoT devices, focusing on migration from using SOM in the industrial PC space to IoT, the SWOT analysis of the SOM model and future prospects of the SOM industry using the Porter’s National Diamond model. In addition, this thesis looks into a real example of a Canadian Company, Intrinsyc, who is selling the SOM and SBC mainly for the IoT space. The business model of the company is being studied and evaluated using the SWOT and Porter Five’s forces models.