With the completion of its $5.4 billion acquisition of ATI Technologies, AMD plans to create a new class of x86 processor that integrates the central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU) at the silicon level with a broad set of design initiatives collectively codenamed "Fusion."

AMD intends to design Fusion processors to provide step-function increases in performance-per-watt relative to today’s CPU-only architectures, and to provide the best customer experience in a world increasingly reliant upon 3D graphics, digital media and high-performance computing, an AMD release said on Wednesday.

It said AMD also plans to deliver a range of integrated platforms in 2007 to serve key markets, the release said. The key markets would include commercial clients; mobile computing; and gaming and media computing. ATI Technologies has a substantial development centre in Hyderabad.

Under the terms of the transaction, AMD acquired all of the outstanding common shares of ATI for a combination of approximately $4.3 billion in cash and 58 million shares of AMD common stock, based on the number of shares of ATI common stock outstanding on October 24, 2006.

"PC users will benefit from innovations intended to extend battery life on the next-generation AMD Turion 64 mobile technology-based platform and enhancements to the AMD LIVE! digital media PC platform that will enable users to get more from their favourite photos, music, and movies. AMD believes that these integrated platform innovations will bring customers improved system stability, better time-to-market, increased performance and energy-efficiency and overall, an enhanced user experience," the release said. The company intends to leverage ATI’s strength in the consumer market by pursuing new opportunities to invest in the consumer electronics and high-end discrete graphics markets.

Micanvas, the annual three-day brand management festival of Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad (MICA) will kick start from October 27. The festival is expected to see participation from top business schools including IIMs, FMS, XLRI, SPJIMR, JBIMS, ISB among others.

The event will see representatives from different business schools participating in case study and business plan competitions, quizzes, debates and other semi-formal and informal events. At the panel discussion, which has been organised as a flagship event, will see participation from eminent industry professionals who will share their views on the theme for the year which evolve around the current trends and practices in marketing and branding.

The theme for this year’s festival will be ‘The Black Box Unlocked,’ which is expected to be an exploration of cultural, attitudinal shifts, stereotypes and fresh insights that ‘‘define the Indian consumer,’’ the press release stated.

Among the speakers invited for the panel discussion are Madhukar Kamath (MD & CEO, Mudra), Punitha Arumugam (CEO, Maddison Communications), S K Palekar (Sr VP, Eureka Forbes), and Sonya Banerjee (Head, Marketing, Yahoo India).

Source: Expressindia.com