Two-way car alarms

	Mainland China's Hangzhou Maycar offers model MC-RF588, a remote car controller that features an operating distance exceeding 1km.

The latest selections come with color touchscreens, central locking, remote starters and immobilizers.

China suppliers of keyless entry systems and remote starters are taking convenience and security up a notch, with efforts geared toward integrated aftermarket models and handsfree OE solutions. Bent on sustaining profitability in the aftermarket, makers are bolstering R&D on upscale designs packed with driver-assistance and security add-ons.

To facilitate basic vehicle operations, remote trunk release, window roll-up/down, wiper control and engine warm-up features are being incorporated. Some releases are also configured to support GPS, which enables vehicle location tracking.

For advanced theft protection, companies incorporate alarm, central locking and immobilizer functions. In addition, the latest models can perform remote arming and disarming and emit an audible warning if the doors are not closed properly.

Competition in the aftermarket, however, is cutthroat, prompting some large suppliers to explore growth opportunities in the less-saturated OE segment. With remote keyless entry now a standard feature in most vehicles, these companies are opting to collaborate with automobile assemblers on handsfree designs.

Such passive systems are activated when drivers carrying an ID device come in proximity to the car, eliminating the need to push a button on a remote transmitter. Authentication is based on a bidirectional IFF sequence.

Fewer than 10 makers in China are currently pursuing this high-end line. Half are located in Guangdong province, including Steelmate Co. Ltd, which began producing PKE in 2005 and has even obtained domestic patents. PKE systems from China range from $30 to $100. These usually come with a 6mm-thick chip card. Features include rolling code, window roll-up, automatic arm/disarm, open-door warning, engine immobilization and battery backup.

Cost and technological concerns, however, are hindering small and midsize suppliers from venturing into PKE. Remote-controlled devices, as such, still dominate the keyless entry selection. Operating on a 315, 360 or 433MHz frequency, models are positioned mostly in the low end and midrange.

Versions below $8 adopt a hopping or fixed code. The chip is procured domestically or from Taiwan suppliers.

Designs that reach $15 have hopping or rolling code capability and are fitted with EU- or US-made chips. Among the common providers are NXP of the Netherlands and Texas Instruments of the US.

	The PKE car alarm system from mainland China's Steelmate uses a slim transmitter that supports keyless arming and rearming.

Suppliers are riding on the convergence and PKE trends to keep exports on a growth track. Sales in the line have been rising 20 to 30 percent annually in the past three years. The economic crisis in key markets, however, is threatening to slow business down. This comes as the industry is export-oriented, with approximately 80 percent of output sent abroad.

The majority of shipments are under OEM and ODM contracts, although some leading players engage in OBM. The primary export venue continues to be the aftermarket, with retailers and distributors topping the client list.

Geographically, the US and the EU remain the biggest importers of China-made keyless entry systems and remote starters. But as the financial crisis is stifling demand in both areas, some companies are boosting shipments to South America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

China’s more than 100 suppliers of keyless entry systems and remote starters turn out an estimated 10 million sets annually. Most companies have fewer than 10 years of manufacturing experience. They offer a range of vehicle safety and security devices, with keyless entry and remote starters accounting for 5 to 30 percent of output.

Production is concentrated in Guangdong, with factories located mainly in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhongshan cities. Some Taiwan suppliers have also established plants in the province, focusing on high-end models.

Vehicle security suppliers in Taiwan are improving their 2-way car alarm products to cater to both the OE and aftermarket segments.

To add value, RFID technology is applied in high-end releases, increasing the number of secondary features.

The latest products now have automatic arm/disarm, open-door warning, engine immobilizer, keyless entry and remote starter functions.

Most 2-way car alarms come with a remote control and pager. These are popular in the OE and aftermarket segments, while basic car alarms with 1-way communication are OE staples.

The majority of Taiwan makers are export-oriented. Eastern Europe, North America, East Asia and Southeast Asia are among their biggest customers. The falling demand for new cars in these areas, however, is forcing suppliers to explore other markets with high growth potential such as mainland China, Russia and India.

Most makers based on the island are small and midsize companies. Some of these operate factories on the mainland to keep manufacturing costs down and offer competitive pricing.

Suppliers are improving design capability by hiring more R&D personnel with extensive work experience. Tesor Plus Corp.’s more than 70 design engineers account for approximately 20 percent of its total workforce.

The maker offers a range of car alarms. Its premium products come with color OLED or TFT-LCD panels. These have flexible configurations and allow users to download animations and images that can be set as wallpapers.

Tesor’s series of car alarms with color displays also supports a multilanguage user interface, light and audio alarms, and text and voice guidance.

The company’s latest model FF263 is a 2-way car alarm featuring an RFID remote starter. Designed for the OE market, the product has a touchscreen color LCD/LED that displays animated icons.

Tesor has been manufacturing car security systems since 1988. Its focus is on wireless models and patented designs that comply with TS 16949 requirements. It operates two ISO 9001:2000 factories, one of which is located in Zhejiang province on the mainland.