First International Computer, Inc. (FIC) was founded in 1980, and is a world leader in the design and manufacture of motherboards, notebooks, and PC systems for volume sales to many of the most famous names in the international computer industry. An affiliate of the Formosa Plastics Group, Taiwan's largest industrial conglomerate, FIC achieved annual revenues of over US$1.1 billion in 1996 and employs over 4500 people worldwide. In addition to its mainboard, PC system and notebook product lines, FIC manufactures a diverse range of high-quality add-on cards, monitors, multimedia peripherals, and scanners, and also operates a state-of-the-art I/C Testing and Packaging facility in Taiwan's prestigious Science Based Industrial Park. FIC is also engaged in the provision of factory and banking automation services as well as the development of state of the art communications and multimedia solutions. FIC has built up a global manufacturing, logistics and support network comprising over twenty facilities strategically located in all major markets. FIC operates eleven factories and final configuration centers worldwide, including its ISO-9000 certified main manufacturing sites in Linkou and Pingzhen in Taiwan, and Shenzhen and Shanghai in China, and local final assembly centers in Fremont, California, Austin, Texas, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Sydney, Australia. In addition, the company has branch offices in Japan, France, Spain and the Czech Republic, and a worldwide distribution and reseller network that spans over 100 countries. FIC's global network is linked with a sophisticated Global Management Information System that enables the company to efficiently plan order fulfillment on a worldwide basis and respond swiftly to changes in customer requirements by providing real-time information on the materials, inventory, and production status of each facility. Communications with customers and suppliers are facilitated by FIC's EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) system, which allows customers to track the status of their orders and helps reduce costs and speed up production cycles. FIC's factories are highly-automated and feature the most advanced equipment and processes, including full SMT assembly lines, automated insertion and soldering, and automatic burn-in rooms. In line with FIC's commitment to the environment, they all utilize advanced hydro-cleaning systems that eliminate the use of ozone-depleting CFCs. FIC, with a current production capacity of 650,000 motherboards each month, is already Taiwan's and one of the world's largest motherboard manufacturers. It also has a monthly capacity of 80,000 notebooks, 150,000 systems, 100,00 monitors, and 30,000 scanners. FIC's final configuration centers provide a comprehensive range of local final system integration, software loading, warehousing, and just-in-time delivery services for customers in all major markets. By integrating key components such as the processor and the DRAM, the centers deliver customized products that meet the particular requirements of each local market while at the same time reducing customer component sourcing costs. One of the keys to FIC's success is its commitment to constant innovation in new product design and development. FIC operates state-of-the-art research facilities in Taiwan, staffed by one of the most experienced teams in the industry. As PCs approach and begin to surpass the performance of minicomputers, engineers from FIC's systems integration division work closely with the R&D team, bringing their years of experience in the high power 100+ MIPS environment. FIC's prowess in R&D has brought the company worldwide recognition in OEM/ODM motherboard, systems and notebook production. Senior Vice President Ernest Chen explains, "Innovation in system boards and system design is one of the primary strategies that have brought FIC to the forefront of the industry. We've made it a point to provide our customers with much more than the simple 'plain vanilla' motherboards that proliferate in the market. FIC has developed a sophisticated vertical integration program that embraces all aspects of its manufacturing operations to guarantee high quality and maximum cost-effectiveness as well as to achieve its goal of zero-defect production. Under this program, quality control starts even before the base materials for PCBs arrive at its factories. Petrochemicals for PCB production originate from FPG, one of the world's largest producers. Sister company Nan Ya Plastics, manufacturer of the Copper-Clad Laminate (CCL) base and PCBs for FIC, enforces a stringent QC program in order for the best possible products to leave its plant. Besides utilizing in-house CCL, FIC pays particular attention to the selection of additional components as well as their respective suppliers. All incoming components undergo a strict quality control procedure before being released for use in production. To guarantee maximum reliability and performance, FIC implements a strict 19-point procedure for introducing new products. The result of FIC's insistence on the best research and the most advanced manufacturing processes is a complete range of personal and notebook computers, motherboards, and peripherals, utilizing the latest advances in cutting-edge technology. In line with FIC's commitment to remain at the forefront of the motherboard industry, the company has developed a comprehensive range of Pentium, and Pentium II processor-based system boards that includes a wide selection of platforms in a variety of configurations to meet the differing needs of customers. One of the latest additions to FIC's 1stMainboard Series of high performance Pentium II processor based motherboards. Designed to optimize Intel's PentiumR II processor, the ATX-sized KL-6011 debutes the Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) - the new standard in high performance 3D graphics, making it the ideal choice for system integrators who want to build powerful multimedia systems for the future. Based on the newly-announced Intel 440LX PCIset, the KL-6011 supports Intel's LANDesk Client Manager Software and enhances system manageability through FIC's patent pending ISMPR (Intelligent System Management & Protection), which monitors the system hardware reports any discrepancies to a system administrator. Other platforms include the PA-2012, an ATX board featuring the new VIA Apollo 590VP3 chipset, the first Socket 7 motherboard on the market to feature AGP graphics support. The PA-2012 includes support for up to 1MB cache, Ultra DMA/33, ACPI, DMI, Hardware Monitoring, USB, and ECC memory. In addition FIC will also be showing a wide variety of Baby AT and ATX mainboards built around the Intel 430TX and VIA VP2 and VPX chipsets.