The REAL Reason ATI WANTED to be acquired by AMD

[apoppin]

i thought this deserved its own topic

http://www.amdzone.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=6677

DNA India asks if Vista influenced AMD's Fusion.

Chris Hook, AMD?s public relations officer, acknowledged the role the impending release of Vista had played in the acquisition. ?It is one of the many significant reasons behind this merger,? said Hook who was in Mumbai to meet the press detailing AMD?s technological initiative.

original story here - quoted IN PART: http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1060637

The takeover was apparently carried out with a futuristic vision of delivering integrated platforms and creating a new class of processors called Fusion that will integrate the central processing unit and graphics processing unit.

The acquisition?s timing suggests this is the latest salvo that AMD has fired at Intel in their battle of one-upmanship.

With the impending release of Microsoft?s new operating system, Windows Vista, the acquisition assumes significant proportions.

Senior Microsoft officials have gone on record acknowledging ATI?s contribution in delivering graphics innovations for Windows Vista.

AMD?s Turion 64 X2 technology is the only mobile processor that is optimised for the 64-bit versions of Windows Vista. AMD has worked closely with Microsoft to identify and develop key hardware components in support of Vista as well.

Considering Microsoft?s domination in the operating system market, AMD-ATI could prove superior to Intel. It would mean soaring profits and greater penetration for AMD.

From ATI?s perspective, the acquisition was the only logical step. With reports suggesting Intel developing its graphics processing units, the chip-making giant could have run ATI out of business.

As a result, ATI needed a big brother for survival. And what better partner to have than AMD, whose flagship product compliments ATI?s very well.

Chris Hook, AMD?s public relations officer, acknowledged the role the impending release of Vista had played in the acquisition. ?It is one of the many significant reasons behind this merger,? said Hook who was in Mumbai to meet the press detailing AMD?s technological initiative.

On how the merger would affect its relationship with Intel, Hook said AMD would keep supplying Graphics Processor Units for Intel platforms. ?AMD is an advocate of open innovation platform and ecosystems. A situation may arise in which AMD, Intel, NVidia and ATI could be on the same platform,? he said.

However, ATI will no longer carry out long-term research and development for Intel platforms. ?We don?t foresee ourselves supplying chipsets to Intel beyond two years.?

and http://www.techtree.com/India/News/AMD_...I_Vista_Ready_Chips/551-76790-581.html

According to Chris Jones, corporate vice president - Windows Core OS Division, Microsoft, "Microsoft will deliver a series of graphics innovations with Windows Vista that provide a customer experience that is second to none. We could not have achieved this without our partnership with ATI. From day one, ATI has played a key role in helping us design and validate the new driver model at the heart of Windows Vista, and ATI has since developed robust and performant drivers that highlight the capabilities of our new operating system."

and theInq's take: http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=35392

seams reasonable . . . and NOW you REALLY know 'why'

ATi merged to fight the growing threat from intel . . . forget nvidia .... they are a small player now ....

 

[jiffylube1024]

Sounds like a well-informed merger between ATI and AMD, two second-bananas with good technology and vision for the future. Hopefully they can make beautiful music together!

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: jiffylube1024
Sounds like a well-informed merger between ATI and AMD, two second-bananas with good technology and vision for the future. Hopefully they can make beautiful music together!

that's why i likened it earlier to a marriage . . . i couldn't think of two more similar companies that are exceedingly well 'matched'

i believe their goals are the same and it is illogical to think they will throw away high-end graphics . . . they will tackle intel and nvidia in a continuing head on battle.

nvidia is pursuing a different path ... they would not do well in a merger [imo] unless they do the takeover . . . so they will develop their CPU independently . . .

 

[Wreckage]

This is not new, everyone knew that they were looking to make a CPU\GPU.

Originally posted by: apoppin

ATi merged to fight the growing threat from intel

They did not merge, they were bought out and dissolved.

. . . forget nvidia .... they are a small player now ....

No, they are the ONLY player now.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Wreckage
This is not new, everyone knew that they were looking to make a CPU\GPU.

Originally posted by: apoppin

ATi merged to fight the growing threat from intel

They did not merge, they were bought out and dissolved.

. . . forget nvidia .... they are a small player now ....

No, they are the ONLY player now.

if by "only" you mean alone and vulnerable, you are correct, sir

i guess you didn't bother to READ the links

:Q

of course not

they would DESTROY you precious theories

it is NOT old news

is is NOT about "looking to make a CPU\GPU"

it is about evolving platforms, countering future threats and creating strategic partnerships ....

it is about creating one awesome company that will be able to beat both intel and nvidia

................

and microsoft is a major player also that will side with AMD to tip the balance away from intel [and poor little "only" nvidia]



EDIT: . . . must be feeling a little 'cold' in Texas . . . the only target left in the GPU business . . . and i guess their fans are also feeling the desperation or they wouldn't post such silly and unfounded rumours as "theories". ATi has NOT been dissolved - they are a division of AMD.

 

[Creig]

(*sigh*) For the last time, ATi has NOT been dissolved and they intend to continue producing high-end discrete graphics boards.

AMD and ATi Acquistion Complete

- Planning to invest in our consumer electronics and high-end graphics businesses
- Maintain and extend our leadership in discrete graphics

Unless you have a link showing the above to be incorrect, please stop spreading your rumors Wreckage.

 

[sindows]

If this was the real reason why the merger occurred, why did AMD choose ATI over Nvidia? I thought Nvidia was the bigger player when it came to developing GPUs compared to ATI.

 

[CKXP]

Originally posted by: sindows
If this was the real reason why the merger occurred, why did AMD choose ATI over Nvidia? I thought Nvidia was the bigger player when it came to developing GPUs compared to ATI.

probably cause AMD couldn't afford to buy Nvidia, they could barely afford ATI

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: sindows
If this was the real reason why the merger occurred, why did AMD choose ATI over Nvidia? I thought Nvidia was the bigger player when it came to developing GPUs compared to ATI.

nvidia would fight the acquisition . . . they are also more than twice as expensive as ATi to buy

... and from the articles cited, it appears that AMD [and Microsoft] simply likes ATi's technology [and future thinking] better --over nvidia's

. . . and i believe ATi originally approached AMD with the acquisition proposition

edited

 

[Wreckage]

Well let's use some apoppin type logic:

ATI was failing as a business. Their R600 was going to be late, their chipset sales were lagging, they had to cancel their AIW line, they were not making enough profits, their mobile platform was inferior to the competition, so AMD bought them on clearance (compared to the cost of NVIDIA). Now they are just a brand name and no longer a company. Soon some of their products (like Intel chipsets and high end graphics) will probably disappear altogether.

Saying ATI wanted this to happen, must ignore their employees I guess. Because most of them will either be fired or forced to move to another country. Yeah. I'm sure they wanted that.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Wreckage
Well let's use some apoppin type logic:

ATI was failing as a business. Their R600 was going to be late, their chipset sales were lagging, they had to cancel their AIW line, they were not making enough profits, their mobile platform was inferior to the competition, so AMD bought them on clearance (compared to the cost of NVIDIA). Now they are just a brand name and no longer a company. Soon some of their products (like Intel chipsets and high end graphics) will probably disappear altogether.

Saying ATI wanted this to happen, must ignore their employees I guess. Because most of them will either be fired or forced to move to another country. Yeah. I'm sure they wanted that.

again . . . Wrecked speculation

Please . . . READ the links . . . there are FACTS in there . . .

i know facts are frightening to you since they completely repudiate your fantasy about ATi's inadequacies.

Microsoft acknowledges that they couldn't create Vista Graphics without ATi's assistance . . . ATi - not nvidia - designed and validated the new driver model at the heart of Windows Vista

you picked a loser

:laugh:

...................

EDIT: What ATi Employee Firing? . . . More Wreckage FUD

No job cuts at ATI says AMD

IN THE FACE OF claims to the contrary, AMD Chief Technology Officer Phil Hester told the INQ that he knew of no job cuts looming since AMD's acquisition of ATI.

He said he had no idea where such stories could have come from. The two sections are to remain autonomous enough as to require keeping on all the existing staff, he said, as AMD finally, and completely, swallowed ATI this morning.

AMD also announced today its vision for the future, titled 'Fusion', which will see the CPU and GPU merge onto a single chip to harness, providing a cheaper and faster platform for every facet of technology. We can look foward to this more performance-per-watt-per-dollar techology near the of 2008 or early 2009.

In an interesting twist, despite all indications that ATI has 'gone green' the brand is not completely dead as all discrete graphics products from AMD will still carry the ATI branding.

 

[Nightmare225]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: Wreckage
Well let's use some apoppin type logic:

ATI was failing as a business. Their R600 was going to be late, their chipset sales were lagging, they had to cancel their AIW line, they were not making enough profits, their mobile platform was inferior to the competition, so AMD bought them on clearance (compared to the cost of NVIDIA). Now they are just a brand name and no longer a company. Soon some of their products (like Intel chipsets and high end graphics) will probably disappear altogether.

Saying ATI wanted this to happen, must ignore their employees I guess. Because most of them will either be fired or forced to move to another country. Yeah. I'm sure they wanted that.

again . . . Wrecked speculation

Please . . . READ the links . . . there are FACTS in there . . .

i know facts are frightening to you since they completely repudiate your fantasy about ATi's inadequacies.

Microsoft acknowledges that they couldn't create Vista Graphics without ATi's assistance . . . ATi - not nvidia - designed and validated the new driver model at the heart of Windows Vista

you picked a loser

:laugh:

...................

EDIT: What ATi Employee Firing? . . . More Wreckage FUD

No job cuts at ATI says AMD

IN THE FACE OF claims to the contrary, AMD Chief Technology Officer Phil Hester told the INQ that he knew of no job cuts looming since AMD's acquisition of ATI.

He said he had no idea where such stories could have come from. The two sections are to remain autonomous enough as to require keeping on all the existing staff, he said, as AMD finally, and completely, swallowed ATI this morning.

AMD also announced today its vision for the future, titled 'Fusion', which will see the CPU and GPU merge onto a single chip to harness, providing a cheaper and faster platform for every facet of technology. We can look foward to this more performance-per-watt-per-dollar techology near the of 2008 or early 2009.

In an interesting twist, despite all indications that ATI has 'gone green' the brand is not completely dead as all discrete graphics products from AMD will still carry the ATI branding.

I'm going to be so satisfied when either one of your messiah companies bites the dust. (Wreckage and apoppin)

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: Wreckage
Well let's use some apoppin type logic:

ATI was failing as a business. Their R600 was going to be late, their chipset sales were lagging, they had to cancel their AIW line, they were not making enough profits, their mobile platform was inferior to the competition, so AMD bought them on clearance (compared to the cost of NVIDIA). Now they are just a brand name and no longer a company. Soon some of their products (like Intel chipsets and high end graphics) will probably disappear altogether.

Saying ATI wanted this to happen, must ignore their employees I guess. Because most of them will either be fired or forced to move to another country. Yeah. I'm sure they wanted that.

Typical Wreckage/Nvidia troll. You have to mention the positives and the negatives if you want to give an accurate picture of the company.

ATI was in my opinion the consistent #2 in the video market. They have been consistently the follower in terms of timeline (R520 coming out after G70; R600 set to follow G80). This consistently gave Nvidia a nice ~6 month window to skim the market with high end cards and reap nice profits. Nvidia is also a bigger/richer company than ATI, so AMD simply couldn't afford them. Some would call Nvidia the "market leader" (I'd probably agree with this moniker, though the X1900 series is excellent).

Nevertheless, ATI has introduced some nice technology (512-bit ring bus on the X1800 series anyone? HDR+AA capable hardware since R520 as well).

ATI has contracts with Microsoft (Xbox360) and Nintendo (Wii). These would have helped keep ATI afloat for quite awhile, even if R600 flops (which it won't).

ATI's chipsets are surprisingly competent. After a mediocre freshman attempt (Crossfire 1600 chipset) producing solid but picky boards (eg. ASUS A8R-MVP), their sophomore followup was a home run (Crossfire 3200, producing excellent boards like the A8R32-MVP Deluxe).

-----------

One of the biggest speculations for the merger though, is the rumoured fusion of GPU's and CPU's in the next few years. The marriage couldn't be better - two companies producing excellent products in their own markets uniting as their future technologies converge.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Nightmare225

I'm going to be so satisfied when either one of your messiah companies bites the dust. (Wreckage and apoppin)

so you are looking for either the demise of
1) nvidia
2) AMD

. . . for personal satisfaction
:Q

leaving us "what"?

as an alternative to your weird and rather destructive fetish, i'd suggest a GF [or BF] for an alternative and more constructive attempt at satisfaction


and jiffylube1024 i think it is MOST IMPRESSIVE that MS chose ATi to create the Graphics Driver Model that Vista is based on.

that is some technology ... looking forward at least 5 to 6 years . . . and no doubt preping for DX11.
:thumbsup:

 

[ronnn]

Originally posted by: sindows
If this was the real reason why the merger occurred, why did AMD choose ATI over Nvidia? I thought Nvidia was the bigger player when it came to developing GPUs compared to ATI.

This way they get to visit Ontario on a regular basis!

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: ronnn

Originally posted by: sindows
If this was the real reason why the merger occurred, why did AMD choose ATI over Nvidia? I thought Nvidia was the bigger player when it came to developing GPUs compared to ATI.

This way they get to visit Ontario on a regular basis!

seriously . . . what's in Ontario?
[i know ... Canadians . . . snow . . . lots of snow in Winter]

i would understand if they were HQ'd in Honolulu
. . . or better . . . the Bahamas

 

[TanisHalfElven]

Originally posted by: CKXP

Originally posted by: sindows
If this was the real reason why the merger occurred, why did AMD choose ATI over Nvidia? I thought Nvidia was the bigger player when it came to developing GPUs compared to ATI.

probably cause AMD couldn't afford to buy Nvidia, they could barely afford ATI

also ATI and nvidia tech seems to be on PAR.. sometimes ati wins sometimes nvidia. its the marketing and stuff thats different.

 

[Creig]

Wreckage, why do you even bother posting your pro-Nvidia/anti-ATI gossip when you KNOW it'll be debunked only minutes after you hit the "Reply to Topic" button? Seems like a waste of time to me.

 

[Corporate Thug]

wow, wreckage was only the 4th post in the thread. Must have been trolling elsewhere

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Creig
Wreckage, why do you even bother posting your pro-Nvidia/anti-ATI gossip when you KNOW it'll be debunked only minutes after you hit the "Reply to Topic" button? Seems like a waste of time to me.

minutes?
:Q

it's been PRE-debunked . . . ages ago and all the evidence that continues to be uncovered makes his "theories" seem sillier and sillier

MS would not choose a 2nd-rate and "failing" company to create their OS gfx driver

ATi has excellent tech that everyone wants ... otoh their 'business end' has not been as aggressive or as dynamic as nvidia's . . . i'd say AMD also got lucky with their acquisition and will correct ATi's marketing and PR.... looks like they want to put both intel and nvidia clearly in 2nd place respectively

Originally posted by: Corporate Thug
wow, wreckage was only the 4th post in the thread. Must have been trolling elsewhere

he has to 'stand in' for Crusader who was told by a Mod to "crusade elsewhere" for a couple of weeks.

 

[schneiderguy]

Originally posted by: apoppin
looks like apoppin wants to put both intel and nvidia clearly in 2nd place

fixed

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: schneiderguy

Originally posted by: apoppin
looks like apoppin wants to put both intel and nvidia clearly in 2nd place

fixed

intel has been my number1 choice for CPUs ... forever . . .

i report the news . . . i don't create it like some of you guys.

at least Rollo was creative

i miss him



:Q



not


actually i miss his intelligence and his 'lively' debates --on the occasional times when he played by 'rules' . . .
... he was brilliant compared to the other nvidiots.

 

[beggerking]

how does Intel run ATI out of business?.. I thought M200/GF6100 integrated graphics are gaining grounds...?

 

[imported_wicka]

I want to know where all the rumors are coming from saying that AMD is going to discontinue ATI's high-end graphics cards. And then in the same breath people predict the collapse of Nvidia. If ATI no longer makes high-end cards, that gives the entire market to Nvidia...

 

[josh6079]

ATI was failing as a business.

And what would be better for a "failing" business than to have an increase in fabs and workforce?

Their R600 was going to be late...

It was? *shrugs* Oh well, all of the recent ATi cards have been late in some form.

...their chipset sales were lagging...

Their sales might have been, but definitely not the quality. ATi has always had a problem with getting their stuff out on as wide of a stretch as Nvidia has, but the technology they provide is of great quality. From these reports, Microsoft was interested in their innovations, not sales figures.

...they had to cancel their AIW line...

So now they can be just like Nvidia, not supplying a video card/tv-tuner in one product.

...they were not making enough profits...

Enough as in as much as Nvidia's? I could agree with that. However, it doesn't change the fact that ATi's products attracted AMD and Microsoft.

...their mobile platform was inferior to the competition...

It was to my understanding that ATi's mobile platform was pretty much unrivaled. Do you have a link showing otherwise? If so I'd be curious as to who the competition is, Nvidia or Intel.

Now they are just a brand name and no longer a company.

Then I guess SGI is sueing a name and not a company.

Soon some of their products (like Intel chipsets and high end graphics) will probably disappear altogether.

Intel makes their own chipsets, but if you're talking about the RD600 I'd have to disagree. It will be one of the Lanparty flagships from DFI, not some altogether disappearing component.

Saying ATI wanted this to happen, must ignore their employees I guess.

Not at all. If their employees didn't want this, they would have left for Nvidia and Intel instead of "being ruled" by AMD.

Because most of them will either be fired or forced to move to another country.

If they would be fired, such would only be characteristic in corporate merges. The fact that they haven't been and don't plan to is a plus and almost unheard of in such deals.

...how does Intel run ATI out of business?

If Intel would have joined the high-end graphics segment, ATi would have had to compete against Nvidia and Intel. More competition is better for the consumers, not the corporations, so ATi made sure they would have a stable corporation by siding with AMD and carrying the support of Microsoft.