Industry news

IC design houses ALi and Pixart Imaging both expect the roll-outs of their new products to drive their overall business growth in 2016.

ALi, which specializes in set-top box (STB) chipset solutions, expressed optimism about demand for high-definition STB chips which the company will be promoting in 2016. ALi will also launch customized solutions designed specifically for emerging markets, the company said.

As for Pixart, the digital imaging IC design company expects products for gaming mice and heartbeat measurement sensors to drive its 2016 growth.

In other news, ALi announced consolidated revenues of NT$952 million (US$29 million) for the third quarter of 2015, up about 45% sequentially, thanks mainly to a seasonal pick-up in demand from retail channels. Furthermore, sales generated from the pay-TV STB sector also showed a better performance compared to the previous quarter, the company said.

Along with the revenue increase, ALi's third-quarter gross margin climbed 4pp on quarter to 43% in the third quarter. However, rising operating expenses resulted in operating losses of NT$39 million during the quarter, the company disclosed.

Nevertheless, foreign exchange gains enabled ALi to return to profitability in the third quarter. The company swung to net profits of NT$31 million from losses of NT$135 million in the prior quarter. EPS for the third quarter came to NT$0.11.