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

Enabling stronger commercial solutions for OEMs to meet theevolving needs of business, government, and education, AMD (NYSE:AMD)is delivering a new choice in the implementation of commercial desktopand notebook PC platforms. Today, AMD introduced the AMD CommercialStable Image Platform (AMD CSIP) program, a commercial PC solutionthat offers OEMs a 15-month disk image stability period for improvedsystem manageability. AMD is working with industry-leading chipset andmotherboard manufacturers to enable desktop and mobile PC solutionsdesigned to lower IT costs and increase end-user productivity. The AMDCSIP program enables stable image PC platform solutions, whilereducing the amount of platform configurations an IT organization mustsupport.

AMD64 technology already offers increased longevity for platformsdue to its upgradeability from 32- to 64-bits, as well as upgradepotential from single-core to dual-core technology, depending on thesystem. AMD currently offers top to bottom solutions for thin clientcomputing with the AMD Geode(TM) processor, as well as high-performingworkstation solutions, and a backbone for server-based computing withthe AMD Opteron(TM) processor. Custom solutions provided by AMD forblade PC solutions also provide flexibility for OEMs and excellentperformance/watt. Together with customers and partners, AMD can nowoffer OEMs a complete portfolio of commercial client computingsolutions with platforms including managed PCs, blade PCs,high-performance workstations, and thin clients.

"AMD believes that increasingly flexible and manageable computingarchitectures can allow commercial IT customers to rapidly adapt tochanging business conditions for greater success," said Marty Seyer,corporate vice president, Commercial Business and PerformanceComputing, Microprocessor Solutions Sector (MSS), AMD. "By minimizingthe number of platform configurations, enabling easy and rapid systemdeployment, and allowing for freedom of choice in component brands,AMD CSIP is designed to improve commercial PC management whileoffering outstanding performance, platform features and choices.Building upon the success of the AMD Opteron processor in theenterprise market, AMD is committed to meeting the evolving clientneeds of medium and large business customers."

AMD has joined forces with top-tier partners supporting AMD CSIPincluding Atheros and Broadcom, ATI and NVIDIA, as well as motherboardmanufacturers ASUS, ECS, GIGABYTE and MSI. Based on AMD64 technology,AMD CSIP commenced the 15-month stability period September 1 fordesktop and mobile PCs with select AMD processors, as well asstable-image drivers, chipsets and motherboards. Motherboardsparticipating in the AMD CSIP program will become available during Q42005. The AMD CSIP program initially will be available to selectsystem builders and OEMs in Europe and North America, with broaderavailability expected in early 2006.

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

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

A consistent and key condition for the commercial market is diskimage stability which allows IT organizations to focus on supporting asingle, stable platform, reducing the number of disk images, and inturn, helping to reduce overall IT support costs. With disk imagestability, businesses can create and maintain a standardized softwareimage consisting of hardware drivers, application software and anoperating system. This software image can then be applied when new PCsare deployed without the concern of incompatibilities between hardwareand software.

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

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

The AMD CSIP program supports AMD Athlon(TM) 64 X2 dual-coreprocessors, AMD Athlon(TM) 64 processors and AMD Turion(TM) 64 mobiletechnology. Systems based on AMD64 technology offer leading-edgeperformance, Enhanced Virus Protection(1), innovative system-levelfeatures including Cool'n'Quiet(TM) technology or AMD PowerNow!(TM)technology, and full compatibility with existing software and future64-bit applications, designed to provide outstanding productivity andextended system lifespan. For more information on the AMD CSIPprogram, visit www.amd.com/csip.

About AMD

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

(1) Enhanced Virus Protection (EVP) is only enabled by certainoperating systems including the current versions of Microsoft(R)Windows(R), Linux(R), Solaris and BSD Unix. After properly installingthe appropriate operating system release, users must enable theprotection of their applications and associated files from bufferoverrun attacks. Consult your OS documentation for information onenabling EVP. Contact your application software vendor for informationregarding use of the application in conjunction with EVP. AMD and itspartners strongly recommend that users continue to use third partyanti-virus software as part of their security strategy.

(C)2005 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, AMDOpteron, 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 HyperTransportTechnology Consortium. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarksof Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Linux isa registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Other names are forinformational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respectiveowners.