For this year's TAITRONICS in October, E-LEAD will exhibit both car electronics and consumer electronics products. As a highlight of the company's display in the trade fair, E-LEAD will launch a new two-din car stereo system that has a very unconventional interface that is tailored to SD cards /USB as well as a very affordable built-in navigation system.

'We want auto makers to feel that they can afford to put this system into their lower- and medium-level cars. We try our most to lower the cost but add more values for auto makers,' said Mark Su, Vice President, Marketing Division of E-LEAD.

In the area of consumer electronics, E-LEAD will showcase the EL-120-B001 Lazy Pad, which is a Bluetooth 3-in-1 input device that combines mouse, touchpad and keyboard. The Lazy Pad supports Bluetooth and USB interface. It has built-in 500mAh battery offering up to 8 hours of use. And it is very portable and easy to store. E-LEAD will also display EL-120-KB01, a Lazy Pad keyboard and mouse combo, which features dual interface, USB (with wire) and Bluetooth (wireless), keyboard and mouse integration, 20 self define hotkeys. The device can control computer easily and extremely relaxed, and has space saving design and unique design.

Su said E-LEAD is increasing its activities in consumer electronics. Explaining the company's recent emphasis on consumer electronics, Su said, 'The number of E-LEAD's customers in car electronics didn't dwindle, and despite new orders from Chinese auto makers, the company's total sales volume in car electronics went down due to the shrinking demands in car markets. Therefore, we are trying to make up our loss in car electronics sales from the consumer electronics. That's why we are increasing business activities in consumer electronics, which is easier to mobilize and promote because of the much lower unit prices compared with those of car electronics.' 

'Our revenue mainly comes from car electronics. Now it's about 80% from car electronics and 20% from consumer electronics. It used to be the opposite years ago. But because of the downturn, which hit auto industry pretty hard, we are putting in more effort to promote our consumer electronics. That's why we also exhibited PC peripherals at COMPUTEX TAIPEI in June. Some of our PC peripheral products have generated good responses from the trade show, which we expect to turn into orders,' Su said.

Despite the business adjustment E-LEAD is making, Su said E-LEAD has maintained the same amount of R&D to keep rolling out innovative products and remain competitive. According to Su, E-Lead has more than 100 R&D employees. Like many other Taiwan-based manufacturers, E-lead is also faced with strong competition from its Chinese counterparts, which Su said produce lower quality products with lower prices. However, Su said Chinese manufacturers have raised the quality of their products, but at the same time also raised the product prices.

'Throughout the years, E-Lead's ability to change quickly has helped it meet many challenges. Innovation, for instance, has enabled E-Lead to change quickly,' said Su. As a manifestation of the company's innovative capabilities, there is an amazing display of dozens of, maybe more than a hundred, patent certificates, which E-LEAD has acquired over the years, along both sides of a corridor in E-LEAD's headquarters in central Taiwan.

<B>About E-LEAD</B>

In 1983, E-LEAD was founded in Changhua in central Taiwan. At its initial stage of development, the company was mainly devoted to the research, development, and manufacturing of the components of audio and image products. In 1993, E-LEAD set foot in car multimedia and communication products. After more than 20 years' development, the products developed by E-LEAD have now covered navigation system, car multimedia, car communications, car electronics, IA and consumer electronics.

E-Lead has factories in Thailand and China. The Thailand subsidiary is responsible for the Asia-Pacific market, and its customers include Honda, Toyota, Hundai, and Nissan. The two factories in China are responsible for the China market. E-LEAD's factory in Changhua responds to Taiwan market and all the exporting needs.