AMD shifts focus towards mobile, away from Intel
updated 08:25 pm EST, Mon November 28, 2011
Company backing away from rivalry
AMD has announced further details surrounding its restructuring strategy, which will bring the chip maker to shift its focus towards mobile products and away from the longstanding rivalry with Intel. Amid continuing lackluster performance in the PC business, AMD is expected to make a more forceful push into the smartphone and tablet market.
"We're at an inflection point," said AMD spokesman Mike Silverman, according to a Mercury News report. "We will all need to let go of the old 'AMD versus Intel' mindset, because it won't be about that anymore."
The shakeup at AMD has been apparent for more than a year, culminating in the departure of CEO Dirk Meyer and subsequent hiring of former Lenovo chief Rory Read. The company provided few details surrounding the leadership transition, however the move is now believed to have been a result of Meyer's inability to engage the mobile market.
The company earlier this month lost its corporate vice president for strategy, Patrick Moorhead, who was the last of the VPs originally hired by founder and former CEO Jerry Sanders. The changes will also affect the lower employees, as the total workforce will be slashed by 10 percent by early 2012.
