AMD Tight-Lipped on Its Future and Turnaround Plans
Posted on : 12-05-2008 | By : admin | In : Technology
The Sunnyvale-based company’s chief executive, Hector Ruiz, notably did not discuss AMD’s long-awaited plans to cut its heavy manufacturing costs. His 20-minute speech was punctuated with just one question from a shareholder — about why AMD doesn’t sponsor professional golf tournaments to increase its visibility.
A spokesman said the company typically has short annual meetings.
AMD is the world’s No. 2 maker of microprocessors, the brains of personal computers, and it and much larger rival Intel Corp. spend billions of dollars each year refining their manufacturing processes, which make up a large part of both companies’ expenses and intellectual property.
A year ago Ruiz began hinting that AMD is thinking about offloading some of its manufacturing duties to third parties to save money, but he has been tight-lipped about details since then.
“Our plans are bold, and progress is ongoing,” Ruiz said Thursday in prepared remarks about the so-called “asset smart” manufacturing strategy. “And I hope to communicate additional details of this complex undertaking in the very near future.”
AMD has racked up more than $4 billion in losses over the last year and a half as intensifying competition from Intel and expenses from AMD’s $5.6 billion acquisition of graphics chip maker ATI Technologies have taken their toll.
The company said last month it plans to jettison 10 percent of its global work force, or about 1,600 workers, by September in an aggressive cost-cutting move.
Ruiz reiterated Thursday that the company expects to reach operational profitability in the second half of this year.
His comments came a day after the company outlined its server strategy for the next…


