(genus. 1937)
. Analysts have the impression that the Board of Directors of AMD is not on the shareholders, and the executive director and founder of the
Walter Jeremy Sanders. Life cycle - a great thing
. Nothing in life has eluded Jerry
Sanders easily
. He had to go through an incredibly complicated way. Seven generations of devices and one of the most unpleasant trials experienced
Sanders for 30 years that have passed under the sign of the war against Intel - one of the most successful companies on the planet. Although his office is located next to Hollywood, the success of Jerry
Sanders has made it in Silicon Valley. Another young man,
Sanders wanted to become a star of a movie screen, but for practical reasons, was forced to do the engineering business. Ability
Sanders as a skilled businessman began to unfold in 1960, when he was director of global marketing for Fairchild Semiconductor Corp.
Sanders and his seven colleagues left Fairchild in 1969 to found AMD. Over the next 12 years the company operated primarily as a secondary resource for Intel, created by a group of former close friends from the same Fairchild. And
Sanders, knowing that AMD needs to become something more than just a manufacturer of processors, clones, took a course on the production of microchips.
. Since the beginning of a bright personality
Sanders contrasted sharply with the more conservative culture of Intel, whose skill in the production issues has helped the company achieve dominant position in the market of microprocessors (MP)
. According to observers, the engineering strength to confront his chief rival Intel AMD helped
Sanders' strong personality, his enthusiasm on the field of marketing and love of a worthy fight. Can not forget, .
Sanders that the enemy - not just a company, . a virtual machine, . that every 18 months, producing a new generation of processors, . and then displays it on the market through one of the most sophisticated marketing mechanisms - Intel Inside.,
. Polihachil - Answer
. In order to achieve the benefits,
Sanders often used unprecedented advertising methods, but for all the setbacks he unreservedly accepted the blame.
. Thus, in 1996, when production problems delayed the appearance of K5 microprocessor,
Sanders took the responsibility to the shareholders' meeting AMD.
. Two years later, again having problems with the production
. It was designed to deliver K6 AMD to fulfill the role of minor player. Thanks to AMD K6 even bypassed Intel with its Pentium II, but, unfortunately, the plants of the company were not prepared to produce the required number of products. With sales of next-generation K6 microprocessor was very low, customers and investors - are disappointed, and AMD again <blushed with shame>. However, in the third quarter of 1998, the company has once again become a profit (1 million. dollars of net income on sales of 686 million).
AMD could be restored and faster, but
Sanders slows down the process because of the earlier promises that customers can buy a K6 to 25% cheaper than similar Intel processor. In a sign of faith in the leadership of
Sanders' colleagues did not allow the proposed withdrawal of its shareholders from the post of chairman.
Throughout the year, AMD promises to reduce prices continued to attract the attention of producers of consumer PCs. This strategy has enabled the company to guarantee a base virtually every major manufacturer of PCs sold at retail, but AMD itself has, thus, minds and wallets of typical PC users.
. Deliberately separated from the Intel camp more than two decades ago, in 1998, AMD has taken a new decisive steps
. It is a technology <3DNow!> - A set of commands, accelerating the processing of three-dimensional graphics. This technology has become one of the key distinguishing features enjoyed great success MP K6-2. It is also important that the technology AMD came almost a year ahead of the instruction set of the second generation of Intel
. Show with special effects
. Demonstrative courage
Sanders perfectly cast in the chosen company advertising images: from the campaign in 1981 <Age asparagus> (Age of Asparagus), . which embodied the strategy of AMD for the long-term investments, . to the poster for the movie <Passengers of the Lost Ark> (Raiders of the Lost Ark), . where in the parody genre was depicted in the guise of the pursuer
Sanders bulls,
. Advertise on recruitment in a company called <Catch the wave> - that is, to get to work AMD, the conviction of
Sanders meant to get good position in a leading firm, which was the very same wave - a powerful, unstoppable. During the launch of K6
Sanders even dared to imitate <Star Wars>: in his version of the popular story AMD has played the role of rebel against <the dark side> embodied by Intel.
. Autumn 1998, Jerry
Sanders was awarded the Robert H
. Noyce's achievements in the industry, an award handed Barrett. But even dedicated to this event, gala dinner
Sanders has not changed him and tried to make it clear to all present that the award was unlikely to soften his strong sentiments against Intel: <Venceremos. Everything we do - to win. Mistake to think that the award would make me stop the competition>.
.
Sanders has set an incredibly ambitious goal: to create an alternative to the monopoly of Intel.
. We must hit the target
. Most recently, Intel have happened to delay delivery of the Pentium 4 and the tip Pentium III (1,13 Hz)
. AMD promptly dealt another powerful blow to the enemy, releasing new processors: Athlon (1,2 GHz) and Duron (800 MHz), which will appear in systems from Compaq Computer, Gateway and Hewlett-Packard. Micron Electronics sells a system Duron stores Best Buy, while IBM offers some PC-based Duron directly.
Recent developments allow AMD to win from his rival some of the market. But both companies appeared one common problem - because of the slower-than-expected PC sales price of processors in recent weeks has decreased.
Sanders even said that in the fourth quarter to stop selling AMD Duron - in order to avoid a price war in the budget sector.
. So, at this stage, intense race between the two companies, AMD can claim to possess the fastest processor on the planet
. Here's what he said about the situation, an analyst with Technology Business Research Humberto Andrade: tip Pentium III <essentially ruined the image of Intel. Now the leader is AMD, it is on the crest of a wave, and it is very important>. According to Umberto, 'image is very important, and the conquest of AMD technology leadership provides the status of the best'.
. Andrade also said that 'AMD methodically bypassed Intel, and suddenly the whole market and end-users began to realize that there is an alternative to Intel'.
. Perhaps AMD products had more success because not so long ago switched to the newest chip architecture with an increased frequency
. Intel has placed its hopes on the Pentium 4, which uses a more modern architecture, the architecture is different from the Pentium Pro, applied in the recent Intel processors starting in 1996. But even with all this, analysts do not expect that the Pentium 4 will be a key element in the success of Intel sales until 2002. They believe that the causes of recent troubles at Intel has been poor management, not technology companies. Andrade said that there is no concentration of attention to Intel executives on something the main thing, whereas in AMD concentration in the core area of activity remains.
. Today AMD has reached the highest for 3 years of its existence, the success
. And the main reason for this, of course, the microprocessor Athlon, which is faster and cheaper than Pentium III from the main competitor of the company - from Intel. With Athlon AMD managed to attract dozens of corporate clients, including 9 of the 10 largest PC makers. In addition, AMD has become the main supplier of flash memory chips used in cellphones and other electronic devices.
Financial performance of the company also set a record. By hypothesis, Merill Lynch & Co., AMD will reach an annual turnover in this year's 4.95 billion. dollars - a 73% higher than in 1999 (2.86 billion). After 4 years of financial losses the company has a chance to declare this year a profit of $ 800 million. U.S.. Despite the recent decrease in funds, together with the semiconductor sector, AMD shares rose almost doubled compared to January 2000.
Continue the period of expansion - the task of the new president of the company Ruiz. And he began to actively. Ruiz believes that AMD can thrive even in the next 3-5 years due to the presence of the still-growing PC market. Ruiz concedes that AMD will still have to diversify activities. Thus, the company already plans to produce chips for low-cost Web-devices. Ruiz rushed to reject the assumption that the sale of a group of AMD, dedicated to the production of chips used in networking devices. It should be noted that Ruiz had already begun to show signs of independence from
Sanders. For example, recently the head of AMD would move the plant in Austin with the production of processors for the production of flash memory, but Ruiz persuaded him to wait another year and still get higher returns from processors.
Kingdom Pharaoh
This year, just two American publications - Fortune and Business Week - have AMD in the list of companies with the worst of the Board of Directors. AMD is constantly experiencing a fall, the ups, is what gives all interested persons the right to consider it as they pleased: or as a company that successfully cope with failures (<Success Story>), or as a company with an unstable business. What is going on at AMD actually
Analysts have the impression that the Board of Directors of AMD is not on the shareholders, and the executive director and founder of the
Walter Jeremiah Sanders III (
Walter Jeremiah Sanders III). Many in Silicon Valley believe that he did long ago should have been: to be removed from office. Instead, the board gave him a remarkable 33-page labor agreement. By its terms, among other benefits, AMD is obliged to pay
Sanders to 3.5 million. dollars, which he is entitled to borrow from anyone, under any pretext, but also guaranteed the payment of operating a bonus after the death of
Sanders.
. Last year all the same Fortune magazine called
Sanders, one of those leaders who have created a large and influential companies, but over the past 10 years, returned to shareholders simply means negligible
. These leaders are <boastful merchants who have big problems with the confidence of investors. They remain in their posts only by close friends and support from the Board of Directors>.
. In total, the board of directors does not seem the best way things stand with the implementation of its core responsibilities - the election of a follower
Sanders, who is now 63 пЁпЎпЄп°
. Last summer, company president Atiq Raza suddenly all gone from his position, whereas it is considered the most likely heir to the place
Sanders. Recently, AMD has a new president - Hector Ruiz, who was earlier a similar position at Motorola. It is curious that he was promised a substantial raise in salary if he is within two years will not be executive director.
. But in general it seems that AMD is afraid of Jerry
Sanders: nobody knows what crazy ideas he would express what the next step he would take - in fact AMD has occupied its position, without looking back, violating all rules of the game.
.
