"If we want to provide services for the majority in the aging society, which is the elderly, we must take the physiological changes that come with age into consideration. In the early days, MABOW focused on the development of set-top boxes for televisions, hoping to add video functions to the TV so that the elderly could receive or make video calls with just one button. It would be a warm and thoughtful design, but the question was, who would buy it? The elderly have always been frugal, and if they don't buy it themselves, then who will? The market is always cruel, and the crowdfunding initiative launched in 2015 indirectly told us the answer.”

It's hard to forget the way MABOW's founder, Gu Wei-yang (顧偉揚), described the importance of video communication for family connections, and I couldn't bear to argue while he repeatedly emphasized that "seeing each other in person is more precious than any gift." What came to mind was that, in Taiwan's milieu, sometimes missing each other is more effective in maintaining relationships. However, I decided to accompany him and give this project a try since the common elements designed for the elderly, such as "big screen," "adequate volume," and "button keyboard," have been considered, and the growth of the elderly population is also evident. The challenge should be who pays the bill and how to pay it.

"Our interface is simple but the services are diverse." We began to reference cable TV service providers who also offer set-top boxes and observed how channels catering to the elderly audience have remained popular. We established that "companionship" is an important need for the elderly, and in the future of low birth rates and global mobility, companionship will not only be limited to family but also require socialization. Therefore, we adjusted our services from hardware facilities to software services. As for the functions provided by the original set-top box, we hope to integrate them into the cable TV set-top box to promote a service revolution of two-way communication provided by cable TV systems.

After sufficient discussion with colleagues, Mabow Technology made the decision to move to Taichung City in order to provide comprehensive care and companionship for seniors. Taichung has the most talented professionals in the fields of social work and elderly care in Taiwan. With policy support from the governments of Hsinchu City, Taichung City, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Mabow's expertise in interactive services for seniors has been recognized. In the field of home care for the elderly, big-screen video calls are more effective than home visits and have much human touch than phone calls. Mabow has successfully partnered with the four major cable TV networks, Taiwan Optical Platform, kbro, TBC, and Homeplus Digital Co., Ltd., to integrate its services into the next-generation set-top boxes, preparing for two-way interaction for the senior age.

As for who will foot the bill and how to pay for it, we still believe in Wei-yang's vision for the younger generation.