ATI to be re-branded as AMD

Graphics chip manufacturer, ATI, is set to be re-branded as AMD.

The chip giant purchased ATI in 2006. The first products to be introduced under the new AMD Radeon banner are expected to hit the shelves late this year.

Graphics technologies such as ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology, and ATI Catalyst drivers, will also change over to the AMD brand during the next few months. 

Local AMD head,Brian Slattery, said the transition from ATI to AMD had been under consideration for some time.

“With our momentum in the marketplace and support from our partners, we feel the timing is right to make the switch from ATI to AMD,” Slattery said. “We did a lot of internal global research and found that when a respondent was aware of the connection between AMD and Radeon, their preference for Radeon graphics card tripled.”

"Replacing ATI with AMD will be beneficial to strengthening the AMD brand and that associating AMD with the product and technology brands of Radeon, FirePro, Eyefinity and others has a net positive effect."

Slattery could not disclose the cost of the re-branding exercise.

He anticipates the change would be well embraced by the local market and hopes to increase its market share.

“We’re going to have to wait and see how it plays out, but it is a positive change for AMD and it is going to help strengthen Radeon in the market place as well,” he said.

AMD corporate vice-president of brand marketing, John Volkmann, said the transition would allow it to increase its brand awareness on a global scale.

The chip giant is anticipating launching its Ontario product units in Q4 this year and Llano units in the first half of 2011.

Existing ATI products will retain their brand until they reach end-of-life, Slattery said.

In a statement, Sapphire Technology director of international marketing, Adrian Thompson, said the decision by AMD to consolidate under one brand was a good move.

“It will ultimately lead to a broader recognition of AMD as a CPU and GPU powerhouse,” Thompson said.

XFX senior vice-president of worldwide market, Eddie Memon, said it had some reservations about the move, but after viewing the market research, it now sees it as an important step in establishing a stronger global brand.

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