PC manufacturers expect a marketing campaign announced
by Advanced Micro Devices to improve awareness of the company's
Athlon 64-bit processors among consumers and corporate
buyers.
The campaign will put an AMD logo on PCs, software and
peripherals, identifying them as being "ready for AMD64". It is
being launched to raise awareness of the platform, which includes
the AMD Opteron processor for servers and workstations, and the AMD
Athlon 64 processor for desktops and mobile PCs.
The Athlon 64 processor is due to be launched on 23
September.
In addition to running new 64-bit applications and operating
systems, the AMD64 platform can also run older software written for
the 32-bit x86 processor architecture. This means users can upgrade
their hardware while continuing to use legacy applications.
The campaign will help desktop, notebook and server
manufacturers such Evesham Technology push AMD products in a market
where Intel is far better known, said Carolyn Worth, a spokeswoman
for Evesham.
"The general public have never had the opportunity to consider
an alternative to Intel. AMD hasn't been so in their face, and
it'll come down to how they put it across," Worth said.
"There aren't that many ways that people can enjoy 64-bit at the
moment, because most things are still designed for 32, but the
software is developing. ... People who play games will know about
64-bit, and there's always the go-faster brigade who just want the
highest numbers," she said.
The campaign may also make AMD more attractive to the business
market, Worth said. "The more savvy business and education buyers
see the price advantage as very attractive, but many institutions
are reluctant to move from Intel."
Mesh Computers marketing executive Nick Walter said the campaign
may shift ingrained attitudes in the business sector.
"Certainly the corporate sector knows and trusts the likes of
Dell, and it's tough for us to come in with a viable offer," he
said. The consumer market, too, "has been very much Intel-focused,
but AMD has managed to take a massive market share. It can almost
match on speed and it's the cost factor that wins."
Early adopters have been waiting for 64-bit for some time, and
it will be a trickle-through process as innovators take it on and
other consumers follow, Walter said.
On the server side, AMD faces more of an uphill struggle, and
the logo campaign will just be one side of a push to improve AMD's
profile, said IDC server market analyst Thomas Meyer.
AMD "needs to make a name for itself in servers", Meyer said.
IBM's recent decision to launch a line of AMD servers will help
raise its profile, he added, and Microsoft said it would work to
develop 64-bit versions of its software that will support AMD
processors.
However, while the seamless transition from 32-bit to 64-bit
processing sounds good, "customers "aren't crossing the chasm that
easily", Meyer admitted. With most companies coming out of two
years of budget cuts in IT spending, they may be in a renewal
cycle, but many are likely to go for what they see as the safe
option, he added.
Initially, AMD will be competing against Intel's 32-bit servers,
until it establishes an installed base and good reputation, and can
then move to the 64-bit space.
AMD needs to concentrate on showing the cost benefits,
reliability and scalability of its processors. "They need to get
the A-brand server manufacturers and the application developers on
their side. It takes a lot of time to create credibility. But
creating hype and keeping the visibility up will help too," Meyer
said.
Gillian Law writes for IDG News Service