China will dominate future technology standards

JUST IN CASE you hadn't noticed, China is making great strides in the high tech industry. This is probably because it's got a long term plan and isn't hidebound by quarterly results like US firms are.

Now Deloitte claims in a report that Chinese high tech standards will decide how things pan out in the technology, media and telecomms sector in the future.

Because it is or will be the top consumer of tech products, says the report, it's in a strong position to influence standards not just in its own but in global markets too.

You probably remember it's already flexed its muscles by trying to impose its own encryption standards on firms like Intel and Broadcom.

Deloitte said that China can offer a lower cost substitute to existing standards, establish standards in the home market and then export it, and join international coalitions using the size of the domestic market to persuade others.

Those plans are already unfolding, the report said. "Technology vendors that misjudge the impact of China's standards revolution could find themselves at a significant disadvantage, with their position in the market over taken or encroached upon," said Charles Yen, a Deloitte China representative.

The areas of encroachment include operating systems, RFID technology, DVD, audo and video codecs, satellite positioning systems and cellular networks.

The report doesn't specifically mention semiconductors but as the INQUIRER has consistently reported, China is rapidly developing its own chip infrastructure, with foundries bidding for the crowns formerly held by TSMC and UMC. µ