AMD 2008 Annual Report Download - page 5

architecture that delivered greater power efficiency and astonishing frame rates. As an encore, we plan to introduce
even higher performing solutions in 2009, cascading the technology through the stack to integrated solutions.
Performance Leadership in Server Workloads that Matter
Today’s data centers are moving to consolidation and cloud computing to improve their hardware utilization and
energy-efficiency to reduce costs. With innovations designed to deliver leading virtualization and power
capabilities, our Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processor codenamed “Shanghai” offers superior performance in
the workloads that matter most to our customers. Later this year, we plan to launch the industry’s first x86
six-core processor for 2-, 4-, and 8-socket servers, code-named “Istanbul.” “Istanbul” has been designed to offer
a substantial performance leap over “Shanghai.” With the same socket infrastructure, customers will essentially
drop-in “Istanbul,” load a new BIOS and upgrade their dual- or quad-core servers to six-cores, dramatically
increasing the utilization of their data center.
Converting AMD’s Potential into Business Success
As I was transitioning to become CEO, I spent time thinking about the type of company that AMD will become.
With our Asset Smart transaction, we are redefining who we are. We are a company like no other company in our
industry. We are a design and marketing leader in computing and graphics with a unique portfolio of intellectual
property and a combination of world-class design expertise that is supported by leading-edge manufacturing. We
have an impressive roster of world-class customers, a highly-talented global workforce, a sleek new operating
model and we are optimized for rapid innovation. As CEO, my goal is to work with my executive team to
convert all of this potential into business success. I deeply appreciate your support as we transform the company
and position it for long-term growth and success when the markets recover.
Dirk Meyer
President and CEO
March 2009
Cautionary Statement
This letter contains forward-looking statements concerning the company’s financial targets, its fight for fair and
open competition, anticipated end-user demand, and its planned products and technologies and related introduction
schedules, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Forward-looking statements are commonly identified by words such as “would,” “may,” “expects,”
“believes,” “plans,” “intends,” “projects” and other terms with similar meaning. Investors are cautioned that the
forward-looking statements in this letter are based on current beliefs, assumptions and expectations, speak only as of
the date of this letter and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from
current expectations. Risks include the possibility that Intel Corporation’s pricing, marketing and rebating programs,
product bundling, standard setting, new product introductions or other activities targeting AMD’s business will
prevent attainment of AMD’s current plans; the company’s Asset Smart strategy will be less beneficial than
anticipated; customers stop buying the company’s products or materially reduce their operations or demand for its
products; the company will be unable to develop, launch and ramp new products and technologies in the volumes
and mix required by the market and at mature yields on a timely basis; demand for computers and, in turn, demand
for the company’s products will be lower than currently expected; there will be unexpected variations in market
growth and demand for the company’s products and technologies in light of the product mix that it may have
available at any particular time or a decline in demand; and the company will be unable to maintain the level of
investment in research and development that is required to remain competitive. Investors are urged to review in
detail the risks and uncertainties in the company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not
limited to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 27, 2008.