AMD Introduces Commercial Stable Image Platform Program to Deliver Choice for Medium and Large Businesses.

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- AMD CSIP Program Offers Manageable, Stable Image Platform Solutions for Simplified Commercial PC Management

Enabling stronger commercial solutions for OEMs to meet the evolving needs of business, government, and education, AMD (NYSE:AMD) is delivering a new choice in the implementation of commercial desktop and notebook PC platforms. Today, AMD introduced the AMD Commercial Stable Image Platform (AMD CSIP) program, a commercial PC solution that offers OEMs a 15-month disk image stability period for improved system manageability. AMD is working with industry-leading chipset and motherboard manufacturers to enable desktop and mobile PC solutions designed to lower IT costs and increase end-user productivity. The AMD CSIP program enables stable image PC platform solutions, while reducing the amount of platform configurations an IT organization must support.

AMD64 technology already offers increased longevity for platforms due to its upgradeability from 32- to 64-bits, as well as upgrade potential from single-core to dual-core technology, depending on the system. AMD currently offers top to bottom solutions for thin client computing with the AMD Geode(TM) processor, as well as high-performing workstation solutions, and a backbone for server-based computing with the AMD Opteron(TM) processor. Custom solutions provided by AMD for blade PC solutions also provide flexibility for OEMs and excellent performance/watt. Together with customers and partners, AMD can now offer OEMs a complete portfolio of commercial client computing solutions with platforms including managed PCs, blade PCs, high-performance workstations, and thin clients.

"AMD believes that increasingly flexible and manageable computing architectures can allow commercial IT customers to rapidly adapt to changing business conditions for greater success," said Marty Seyer, corporate vice president, Commercial Business and Performance Computing, Microprocessor Solutions Sector (MSS), AMD. "By minimizing the number of platform configurations, enabling easy and rapid system deployment, and allowing for freedom of choice in component brands, AMD CSIP is designed to improve commercial PC management while offering outstanding performance, platform features and choices. Building upon the success of the AMD Opteron processor in the enterprise market, AMD is committed to meeting the evolving client needs of medium and large business customers."

AMD has joined forces with top-tier partners supporting AMD CSIP including Atheros and Broadcom, ATI and NVIDIA, as well as motherboard manufacturers ASUS, ECS, GIGABYTE and MSI. Based on AMD64 technology, AMD CSIP commenced the 15-month stability period September 1 for desktop and mobile PCs with select AMD processors, as well as stable-image drivers, chipsets and motherboards. Motherboards participating in the AMD CSIP program will become available during Q4 2005. The AMD CSIP program initially will be available to select system builders and OEMs in Europe and North America, with broader availability expected in early 2006.

"ATI was the first to provide PCI Express integrated graphics chipsets for AMD and we have shipped millions of Radeon Xpress chipsets for the AMD platform," said Phil Eisler, vice president and general manager of ATI's Integrated and Mobile Chipset Business Unit. "ATI's proven Radeon Xpress technology is an ideal foundation for the AMD Commercial Stable Image Platform program."

"As a leader in providing advanced workstation and server platforms to global corporations, NVIDIA understands what is required to deliver stable business platforms, which is why we support AMD CSIP," said Drew Henry, general manager, Platform Products, NVIDIA. "In keeping with the goals of the AMD CSIP program, our new NVIDIA Business Platform offers a certified stable image platform designed to help corporate IT managers reduce their total IT costs. The NVIDIA Business Platform is designed around AMD processors because of their leading-edge performance, lower power consumption, cooler thermals, and whisper-quiet operation."

A consistent and key condition for the commercial market is disk image stability which allows IT organizations to focus on supporting a single, stable platform, reducing the number of disk images, and in turn, helping to reduce overall IT support costs. With disk image stability, businesses can create and maintain a standardized software image consisting of hardware drivers, application software and an operating system. This software image can then be applied when new PCs are deployed without the concern of incompatibilities between hardware and software.

"Disk image stability is an important requirement in the commercial market for manageable PCs delivering outstanding productivity for commercial customers," said Pat Wang, marketing manager, ZT Group Int'l, Inc. "With the AMD Commercial Image Stable Platform program, AMD has once again delivered on its commitment to offer a choice with top-of-the-line stable image platform components. We are excited to be able to offer the commercial-targeted ZT Pro Business Workstation A7000 platform as a part of the AMD CSIP program. These systems are available to order now for business customers directly from ZT Group Int'l, Inc."

"Focused solidly on getting the greatest value with the least amount of cost, enterprise IT managers have demanded platforms that they can depend upon to be stable for 12 months," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst for the Enderle Group. "IT organizations are increasingly demanding that OEMs pursue new and innovative ways to increase security, improve manageability, and reduce the cost of desktop hardware. The CSIP platform program from AMD provides buyers and OEMs a new choice so that both can work together to provide the best solution for their respective customers."

The AMD CSIP program supports AMD Athlon(TM) 64 X2 dual-core processors, AMD Athlon(TM) 64 processors and AMD Turion(TM) 64 mobile technology. Systems based on AMD64 technology offer leading-edge performance, Enhanced Virus Protection(1), innovative system-level features including Cool'n'Quiet(TM) technology or AMD PowerNow!(TM) technology, and full compatibility with existing software and future 64-bit applications, designed to provide outstanding productivity and extended system lifespan. For more information on the AMD CSIP program, visit www.amd.com/csip.

About AMD

AMD (NYSE:AMD) designs and produces innovative microprocessors, Flash memory devices and low-power processor solutions for the computer, communications and consumer electronics industries. AMD is dedicated to delivering standards-based, customer-focused solutions for technology users, ranging from enterprises and governments to individual consumers. For more information, visit www.amd.com.

(1) Enhanced Virus Protection (EVP) is only enabled by certain operating systems including the current versions of Microsoft(R) Windows(R), Linux(R), Solaris and BSD Unix. After properly installing the appropriate operating system release, users must enable the protection of their applications and associated files from buffer overrun attacks. Consult your OS documentation for information on enabling EVP. Contact your application software vendor for information regarding use of the application in conjunction with EVP. AMD and its partners strongly recommend that users continue to use third party anti-virus software as part of their security strategy.

(C)2005 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, AMD Opteron, AMD Athlon, AMD Turion, and combinations thereof, PowerNow! technology and Cool'n'Quiet are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. HyperTransport is a licensed trademark of the HyperTransport Technology Consortium. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.