我國網路IC產業之發展方向研究

Abstract

近年來興起Internet風潮，電腦網路產業蓬勃發展，多媒體影、音資料在網路上傳遞盛行，網路頻寬愈顯不足。電腦區域網路產品-高速乙太網路，拜Internet之賜，加上具備價格競爭優勢，得以迅速發展。 本研究針對乙太網路、高速乙太網路與超高速乙太網路的網路IC設計業做研究，藉由瞭解電腦網路產業的市場現況與產品趨勢，以及網路IC產業的競爭與技術趨勢，探討我國網路IC設計產業的發展方向，以提供我國網路IC設計業者參考。 網路技術日新月異，產品替換速度快，我國網路IC設計廠商在技術層次上與國外大廠仍有差距，只能在技術層次較低或技術已成熟的產品發展。由於此類產品製造者多，競爭激烈，產品利潤越來越低；此外由於缺乏品牌知名度，難以在全球市場行銷。 就區域網路產業而言，美國居全球第一，台灣則居第二。台灣有晶圓代工、封裝、測試，一連貫完整的IC製造體系支援，以及健全的電腦產業。目前正值乙太網路與高速乙太網路世代交替之際，台灣網路IC設計廠商應提升技術能力，掌握關鍵技術，與系統廠商策略聯盟，有效掌握其產品需求與市場情報，以發展利基產品。

Due to the popularity of Internet, and the frequent exchange of video and audio contents through networks, the demand for local area network bandwidth becomes ever urgent. Among the different architectures of Local Area Networks, the high speed Ethernet is capturing the largest market share because of its high performance price ratio. This research focuses on the Ethernet, the Fast Ethernet , and the Gigabit Ethernet as examples to analyze the SWOT of the network IC design industry in Taiwan. The purposes were to understand the current market status, the product opportunities, the competition, and the technology development trends. The findings of this research can provide improvement directions for Taiwan's network IC design industry. LAN technologies progress rapidly, while LAN products also evolve quickly in the market. Taiwan's network IC design technology can support only low-end and mature LAN products. The profit margin is shrinking, owing to keen competition. The US has the largest LAN industry, in the world, Taiwan is fortunate to be the second largest. The existance of a complete line of IC manufacturing industry which, include weifer manufacturing foundry, packaging, testing etc. and the world's largest PC manufacturing base, are the competitive edge of Taiwan's network IC design industry. The worldwide LAN market is in the midst of transition from the Ethernet LAN to the High Speed Ethernet LAN. It is high opportunity for taiwan's network IC design companies to establish alliances.