FSP Group and where they currently stand
I met with Wayne Wang and Jacky Wu first, to discuss the company as a whole, its strategy for retail, their current product line and the basics of the R&D process for a new PSU product.
Sporting R&D teams in Virginia Tech, Harbin, L.A., Taoyuan, Shanghai and Shenzhen, each is helping research and develop the technologies helping FSP currently grow their PSU business faster than the market itself is.
A combined total of more than 300 engineers work across those R&D labs around the world, each sharing their developed technology with the other in the pursuit of better ways to make a supply. Wayne was keen to point out that FSP Group works as well as it does because the company puts investment in its people before anything else, including investment in technology.
One begets the other, so they say, and without the strong people the company claims it wouldn't have what it has. Always good to hear! It's claimed (and it seems) that the personnel investment and the tech sharing that happens between the R&D teams is what FSP are relying on to take them to the top of the PC retail space. With a new team coming on tap as we speak just to service that market, we wouldn't bet on it not happening over time, if FSP stay focussed.
They're number 3 in the desktop PC market right now, sat behind Lite-On and Delta (in a combination of all desktop sales from OEM to retail), and they're quite happy with that. They don't mind Delta and Lite-On scrapping over tiny margins to move serious volume, rather they'll take 3rd place from a combination of a very solid OEM business while they build up their retail presence and go after a market with much higher margins, and one that's entirely more receptive to innovation and quality than the OEM space is.
So their stance and intent is clear, and they're looking for their people, technology and R&D, and focus on different markets to take them where they want to be.
They use the upcoming Booster X3 VGA Power product as an example of how shared technology between the R&D teams has created a great product.
The 'topology' for the Booster X3 comes from their LCD TV business, developed by the team that looks after that product segment. Think about it for a second. Booster X3 requires a PSU core that's small enough to fix in a 5.25 inch PC drive bay and needs very little cooling, that still delivers over 300W peak power.
FSP Group have had a small-core 300W PSU for some time, one that's passively cooled, which is perfect for deployment in Booster X3. Using some of their most power efficient technology, the Booster X3 can make that 300W at 90% efficiency, loosing very little as heat (~30W if the sums work). More on Booster X3 later.
Let's chat about their R&D process for a modern PC PSU.
