Full Description

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., incorporated on May 1, 1969, is a global semiconductor company with facilities around the world. The Company offer x86 microprocessors, for the commercial and consumer markets, embedded microprocessors for commercial, commercial client and consumer markets and chipsets for desktop and notebook personal computers (PCs), professional workstations and servers. It offers graphics, video and multimedia products for desktop and notebook PCs, including home media PCs, professional workstations and servers and technology for game consoles. The Company operates in two business segments: computing solutions, which includes chipsets, and graphics. In June 2008, the Company launched the Puma platform, which was the code name for the mainstream notebook platform. In January 2009, the Company launched the Yukon platform. In March 2008, the Company introduced the AMD Phenom X3 8000 series triple-core processors. In March 2009, the Company completed the spin off of its manufacturing operations. The plants that make the Company's chips are part of the GlobalFoundries, a joint venture with Advanced Technology Investment Company and Mubadala Development Company of Abu Dhabi.

Microprocessor Products

The Company offer single-core and multi-core microprocessor products for servers, workstations, notebooks and desktop PCs. The microprocessors are designed with both 32-bit and 64-bit processing capabilities. The microprocessors are based on the x86 instruction set architecture and AMD’s Direct Connect Architecture. AMD Direct Connect Architecture connects an on-chip memory controller and input/output, or I/O, channels directly to one or more microprocessor cores. For multi-core microprocessors, the Company integrates two or more processor cores onto a single die and each core has its own dedicated cache, which is memory that is located on the semiconductor die, permitting quicker access to frequently used data and instructions.

The processors support HyperTransport technology, which is a high-bandwidth communications interface that enables substantially higher multi-processor performance and scalability than competing x86 architectures. The Company offer processors that feature AMD PowerNow! and Cool n Quiet technology, which are designed to reduce system level energy consumption, with multiple levels of lower clock speed and voltage states that can reduce processor power consumption during idle times. The microprocessors are designed to be compatible with operating system software, such as the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems, Linux, NetWare, Solaris and UNIX. It also designed the AMD’s Direct Connect Architecture to enhance the security of a user’s computing environment by integrating security features that are designed to prevent the spread of certain viruses when enabled by the anti-virus features of versions of certain operating systems, including Linux, the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems and Solaris operating systems.

In 2008, the Company developed the number of integrated computing solutions in the form of computing platforms. The platforms include microprocessors, graphics processing units (GPUs), chipsets and core software. The Company has launched AMD Business Class, the Puma platform for notebooks, the Yukon platform for ultrathin notebooks and the Dragon platform for desktop PCs.

The microprocessors for servers and workstations consist primarily of the quad-core and dual-core AMD Opteron processors. They are designed to run an application or applications, often for extended periods of time with minimal human direction. Examples of servers include Web servers, e-mail servers, database services, file servers and print servers. AMD Opteron processors for servers and workstations with Direct Connect Architecture are designed to enable simultaneous 32-bit and 64-bit computing. These processors can be used in a variety of server applications, including business processing (enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, and supply chain management) and business intelligence. They can also be used in workstation applications, such as engineering and digital content creation and other information technology infrastructure applications such as intensive Web serving, virtualization and messaging. AMD Opteron processors also allow enterprise customers to implement virtualization across their businesses. Virtualization is the use of software to allow multiple discrete operating systems and application environments to share a single physical computer by providing the illusion that each operating system has full control over the underlying hardware.

The microprocessors for notebook PCs consist of AMD Turion X2 Ultra, AMD Turion X2, mobile AMD Athlon, mobile AMD Sempron and the AMD Athlon Neo processors. AMD Turion X2 Ultra dual-core mobile processors are the advanced dual processors family for notebook PCs. The microprocessors for desktop PCs consist primarily of the tiered product brands: AMD Phenom II, AMD Phenom, AMD Athlon and AMD Sempron processors. All AMD desktop microprocessors are based on AMD Direct Connect Architecture.

In April 2008, the Company introduced the commercial desktop platforms, branded as AMD Business Class technology. AMD Business Class technology features AMD Athlon X2 dual-core processors and AMD Phenom triple- and quad-core processors, AMD 7-Series chipsets, as well as optional ATI Radeon HD 3000 series discrete graphics. Systems based on AMD Business Class technology can also feature Cool’n’Quiet 2.0 technology and ATI PowerPlay technology. In January 2009, the Company introduced the 45 nanometer AMD Phenom II 9000 series of microprocessors.

Embedded Processor Products

The embedded products range from low-power x86 architecture-based embedded processors to high-performance x86 architecture-based products. The Company design embedded connectivity devices to address customer needs in PC-adjacent markets such as network attached storage, telecommunications and networking equipment, Internet access devices and other similar applications. It offer embedded processors based on AMD Direct Connect Architecture technology, which consist of low-power versions of the AMD Athlon, AMD Turion, AMD Sempron and AMD Opteron families of products.

In 2008, the Company introduced the 65-nanometer low power dual AMD Athlon embedded processors for the AM2 socket, which is designed to be compatible with certain pervious generation AMD single core processors. It also released Quad-Core AMD Opteron embedded processors, which are socket-compatible with certain previous generation AMD dual core processors. Additionally, the Company introduced embedded processors in ball grid array packaging, which provide a small footprint and lower height for smaller form factor system designs.

Chipset Products

The portfolio of chipset products includes IGP and discrete chipsets targeting both the desktop and notebook PC segments. In March 2008, the Company introduced the AMD 780 Series chipset designed for improvements in gaming and high-definition experiences for mainstream PC customers. In June 2008, it introduced the AMD-7 Series chipsets for notebooks, including the AMD-780G chipset with ATI Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics. These chipsets directly integrate support for the high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) and digital visual interface (DVI) digital display standards used in many flat panel monitors and televisions.

Graphics Products

The products and the services include three-dimensional (3D) graphics and video and multimedia products developed for use in desktop and notebook PCs, including home media PCs, professional workstations and servers. The discrete graphics processing units (GPUs) for the desktop PCs include the ATI Radeon HD 4000 series of products, which was introduced in June 2008. This product family includes the ATI Radeon HD 4800 series for the enthusiast segment of the desktop PC market, as well as the ATI Radeon HD 4600 series, ATI Radeon HD 4500 series and the ATI Radeon HD 4300 series for the mainstream and value segments of the desktop PC market. The ATI Radeon 4000 series supports Microsoft DirectX 10, a 3D application performance interface (API). The ATI Radeon HD 4000 series of products incorporate the ATI unified video decoder (UVD), which enables high definition digital versatile disk (HD-DVD) and Blu-ray playback with low central processing unit (CPU) and power utilization.

The discrete GPUs for the notebook PC market include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3000 series of products was introduced in January 2008. This product line includes the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3800 series for gaming enthusiasts, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3600 for multimedia performance notebooks, and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3400 for value and ultra-thin notebooks. These GPUs allow notebook users to enjoy the video games with smooth frame rates and with improved visual quality options enabled. They offer HDMI video and audio support and reduce CPU utilization, extended battery life and improve the visual quality of HD video playback, such as from Blu-ray disc drives. ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3400 series support multi-GPU hybrid graphics, external graphics capabilities and Microsoft DirectX10.1.

The PCTV products incorporate a range of features to allow consumers to add broadcast television to their PCs. The ATI TV Wonder products allow consumers to watch and record television on their PC; listen to frequency modulation (FM) radio stations and watch DVD movies. The ATI TV Wonder tuners, such as ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner, support CableCARD technology to receive and view digital cable shows on the PC. The ATI All-in-Wonder HD products integrate graphics and the television-tuner technologies on a single circuit board.

The products for the professional workstation market consist of the ATI FirePro, ATI FireGL and FireMV product families. The Company designed the FirePro3D and ATI FireGL graphics cards for demanding 3D applications, such as computer-aided design and digital content creation, while the Company designed the ATI FirePro Multiview and FireMV 2D workstation cards for financial and corporate environments. The Company also provide products for the server market, where it leverages the graphics expertise and align the offerings to provide stability, video quality and bus architectures that the server customers desire.

The Company competes with Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Intel Corporation, NEC Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, Broadcom Corporation, Raza Microelectronics, Inc., Applied Micro Circuits Corporation, Marvell Technology Group Ltd., VIA Technologies, Inc., MediaTek Inc., Trident Microsystems, NXP Semiconductors and STMicroelectronics N.V., LG Electronics, Inc., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Samsung, Toshiba Corporation, Micronas USA, Inc., Pixelworks Inc., Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Sony.