AMD Extends Its Network Management Offering with Customized Bootware Net PC Firmware Capability; AMD Licenses Lanworks Technologies Inc. Net PC Firmware to Provide OEMs with One-Stop Shop Solution.SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 25, 1997--AMD (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :AMD (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, www.amd.com) A major manufacturer of semiconductor devices including x86-compatible CPUs, embedded processors, flash memories, programmable logic devices and networking chips. ) today announced it is supplying Net PC Firmware A category of memory chips that hold their content without electrical power. Firmware includes flash, ROM, PROM, EPROM and EEPROM technologies. When holding program instructions, firmware can be thought of as "hard software." See flash memory, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM and FOTA. as part of its network management offerings, which includes the award-winning Magic Packet(TM) technology. Licensed from Lanworks Technologies Inc., AMD's Net PC firmware offering will operate in conjunction with the PCnet(TM) family of Ethernet controllers and will provide OEMs with a cost effective complete solution, eliminating the need to source multiple vendors. Previously, OEMs had to license network firmware from a second source for operation with AMD's PCnet family of Ethernet devices. As well as the inconvenience of dealing with multiple suppliers, OEMs incurred additional licensing fees and non-recurring engineering Non-recurring engineering (NRE) refers to the one-time cost of researching, designing, and testing a new product. When budgeting for a project, NRE must be considered in order to analyze if a new product will be profitable. costs. Now, in conjunction with its PCnet family of controllers, AMD will provide Net PC firmware code for a complete offering. "We are committed to providing network management solutions that reduce total cost of ownership which maximizes the return on technology investments," said Gary Smerdon, product marketing director of AMD's networking division. "We co-developed Magic Packet technology, enabling system administrators to remotely power-on PCs for upgrades and maintenance tasks from a centralized cen·tral·ize v. cen·tral·ized, cen·tral·iz·ing, cen·tral·iz·es v.tr. 1. To draw into or toward a center; consolidate. 2. location. "Net PC firmware enhances our offerings by providing system administrators with the most powerful solution to remotely manage networked PCs. We chose to license the Net PC firmware code from Lanworks because we view the company as the preeminent developer of network booting Network booting is the process of booting a computer from a network rather than a local drive. This method of booting is used by diskless workstations, often in an effort to centralise management of disk storage, which supporters claim can result in reduced capital and maintenance firmware and we believe that the enhancements made over time will continue to strengthen our product offerings." Toronto-based Lanworks will ship BootWare Net PC firmware in September, and the code will be available from AMD or directly from Lanworks. "Flawless booting is critical to the Net PC product's value," says George Kostiuk, President of Lanworks Technologies. "Our LSA LSA - Link State Advertisement code will make this important element easy to implement for AMD and the OEMs which use its chipset A group of chips designed to work as a unit to perform a function. For example, a modem chipset contains all the primary circuits for transmitting and receiving. A PC chipset provides the electronic interfaces between all subsystems (see PC chipset for illustration). ." Net PC firmware is essential for the effective management of a large TCP/IP TCP/IP in full Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol Standard Internet communications protocols that allow digital computers to communicate over long distances. network. Each time a PC is moved or added to a network, the system administrator has to allocate a new IP address as well as various other information. Administration errors such as duplication of IP addresses can result in closing down an entire network. Net PC firmware is an easy, flexible and powerful way to connect additional PCs or move existing PCs on a network. By allowing system administrators to dynamically update the IP address from a central console rather than from each individual PC, the Net PC eliminates much of the burdensome time-consuming administration previously required. In a large company with thousands of PCs and expanding networks, this capability can result in considerable cost savings. Lanworks's Net PC firmware works in conjunction with Magic Packet technology co-developed by AMD and Hewlett Packard Company. Magic Packet technology lets network administrators turn on PCs remotely for management tasks such as software upgrades and file back-up. By giving network administrators the ability to remotely power-on users' PCs from a central location after normal working hours, Magic Packet technology helps companies reduce the total cost of ownership by reducing user downtime The time during which a computer is not functioning due to hardware, operating system or application program failure. , increasing productivity and saving energy. About AMD AMD is a global supplier of integrated circuits Integrated circuits Miniature electronic circuits produced within and upon a single semiconductor crystal, usually silicon. Integrated circuits range in complexity from simple logic circuits and amplifiers, about 1/20 in. (1. for the personal and networked computer and communications markets. AMD produces processors, flash memories, programmable logic devices See PLD. , and products for communications and networking applications. Founded in 1969 and based in Sunnyvale, AMD had revenues of $2 billion in 1996. (NYSE:AMD). About LANWORKS Founded in 1986, Lanworks Technologies Inc. is the worlds leader in network booting technologies. The company's BootWare family of products is installed on more than two million workstations worldwide. World Wide Web Press announcements and other information about AMD are available on the Internet via the World Wide Web. Type http://www.amd.com at the URL URL in full Uniform Resource Locator Address of a resource on the Internet. The resource can be any type of file stored on a server, such as a Web page, a text file, a graphics file, or an application program. prompt. Press announcements and other information about Lanworks Technologies Inc. are available on the Internet via the World Wide Web. Type http://www.lanworks.com at the URL prompt. -0- Note to Editors: Readers may obtain additional information by calling AMD at 800/222-9323 or 408/749-5703 or Lanworks at 800/808-3000 or 905/238-5528. PCnet-FAST and Magic Packet are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices Inc. AMD, the AMD logo and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. BootWare, BootWare logo and Lanworks logo and combinations thereof are trademarks of Lanworks Technologies Inc. GENERAL NOTICE: Other product names used in this publication are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies. CONTACT: AMD, Sunnyvale Sandra Wheatley, 408/749-3811 sandra.wheatley@amd.com or Lanworks Technologies Inc. Lenny Liebmann, 908/872-8500 (press contact) ll@exit109.com or Mark Kuess, 905/238-5528 (company contact) mark@lanworks.com |
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