AMD: We relish being the underdog

Vendor feeling bullish as it unveils next generation of APUs and looks to work with a new level of channel partner

AMD is looking for closer ties with SMB resellers as it gears up to launch Trinity, the second generation of its APU technology.

The chip maker is in bullish mode despite lowering expectations for its third-quarter financial results earlier this month, predicting a 10 per cent decline in revenue.

Last year the firm unveiled its first APU series technology - processors that feature the CPU and GPI together on one piece of silicon. The vendor is also launching Vishera, the second generation of its FX CPU refresh, for which it has high hopes within the gaming industry.

Neil Spicer (pictured), EMEA sales manager for the component channel at AMD, said: "We went through a lot of changes and a lot of restructuring in the past year, but that is all completed now. We wanted to create a new product category with APU to set us apart from the competition of Intel and Nvidia.

"We know where we are strong with our products and we know where we are going to focus. We are doing a lot of engagement in social media and on forums. Our focus is going to be on lower power performance for all devices and longer battery life."

Spicer said AMD was capitalising on the tablet boom, but is concentrating a lot of effort on the hybrid model which he is confident will be big for the vendor. Other growth areas will be the all-in-one PC and Smart TVs, he said.

However, to expand its footprint, the vendor is keen to engage with smaller resellers, Spicer explained.

"We are very close to our top 20 accounts and those partners in our Fusion Programme, but we know that there are thousands of resellers below the top level that we want to work with who buy AMD products. We are hoping to get closer to them over the coming year and we believe they can make more money with AMD," he said.

He added that the vendor has launched a new partner portal that gives resellers the latest creative ads and up-to-date product information. And he said the vendor was not bothered about its "underdog" label.

"We have always been classed as the underdog in comparison to the competition, but we are in one in three of every PC and in consoles and tablets, so it is not a bad place to be. Also, we are nimble and agile, which means we can react quicker than our competitors if the market dynamic changes."