BT: Trek has a new patent and the backing of a 'big brother'

Published September 14, 2010

Trek has a new patent and the backing of a 'big brother'


By VEN SREENIVASAN



EXECUTION is sometimes more important than invention. And few companies would be more aware of this than technology specialist Trek 2000 International.



Almost a decade ago, the little- known company with just 70 staff invented the ThumbDrive - the device that effectively ended the floppy disk era.

After designing the product in 1999, Trek filed patents for intellectual property (IP) protection in over 50 countries and territories worldwide. It then bravely embarked on plans to produce and distribute the product worldwide in 2000.

But what this ambitious little 'mighty mouse' did not realise was that the world can be a hostile place for small companies, no matter how innovative they are. No sooner had it embarked on its mission to launch the ThumbDrive than it found itself face-to-face with some global 'big boys' of the industry, who challenged its IP rights. Within a few months, ThumbDrive-like products were flooding the market. It was, in the crudest terms, a case of 'if you don't like it, sue me'.

After spending several million dollars trying - in vain - to protect and enforce its IP rights, Trek came to the stark realisation that it was fighting a losing battle. It was not just a lost cause; it was also a case of lost opportunities.

The bruising experience made Trek realise that filing for IP protection alone is not enough when there are 'big boys' - or big bullies - out there who can either swallow you up or squeeze you out of the game. Even a mighty mouse can be trampled by huge elephants in the room.

Fast-forward 10 years, and Trek appears to have learned some crucial lessons - the biggest of all being that a small company with valuable technology needs to be 'protected' by a big partner.

This lesson is particularly timely as Trek goes to market with another potential world-beating product: the FluCard.

This wafer-thin SD-type card, barely bigger than a large toenail, essentially enables smart phones, smart cameras, personal computers, printers and any other electronic device with a smart card, to communicate with one another. In short, it's a micro processor that enables smart devices to 'talk' to one another, transfer data and share information - wirelessly and without any physical connection. The FluCard can effectively substitute SD cards in smart devices.

Trek has already rushed through the requisite patent protection papers for the FluCard, just as it did for its ThumbDrive. The product is due to be launched in stages during the coming months.

But this time, the company has a 'big brother' to look after its interests - in case some big bullies come back for another bite. The partner is Japan's Toshiba Corporation, which now owns 17.8 per cent of Trek.

Trek plans to license the FluCard to Toshiba, which will manufacture it through its OEM networks worldwide. Toshiba will also police the IP protection. Meanwhile, licensing revenue and royalties will accrue to the Singapore company. Trek will also collect a portion of the revenue from the cards, which will be priced at US$50 apiece initially, though prices are likely to slide to around US$30.

The partnership with Toshiba is critical as the Japanese giant is a seasoned hand in the SD card market, controlling 45 per cent of the 1.3 billion cards produced each year. It could do the same with the FluCard.

Toshiba - and Trek - are initially chasing the smart digital camera segment. Some 130 million of these cameras are made and sold worldwide every year. And at least a third are expected to come with the FluCard within three years. If this happens, industry insiders estimate a potential revenue of US$200 million a year for Trek by 2013. And at least 20 per cent of this could go straight to its bottom line.

Not bad for a small company which has made barely US$6 million.

As DMG & Partners Research - the only investment house to cover the company - noted last week: 'Once the FluCard starts gaining recognition, the stock will take a life of its own.'

DMG has an internal target of 55 cents for the counter. But judging by the stock's performance last week, the market may already have woken up to Trek's potential.

Of course, all this also makes Trek an attractive investment for some of the bigger boys, if not an outright takeover target.

Trek, ranked Best Managed Small Company in Singapore by AsiaMoney, has learned an important lesson: technology gets you only so far. You also need a 'big brother' to be the custodian of that technology in the global marketplace.