| Q: | What is the Personal Internet Communicator (PIC)?
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| A: | The PIC is a new category of consumer devices developed in support of AMD's 50x15 initiative. These consumer devices (much like set-top boxes) provide managed Internet access and basic computing capabilities such as electronic communications, productivity applications, and basic entertainment. The PIC solution has been designed to be managed, provisioned, and serviced by a local Internet Service Provider in conjunction with on-going Internet access and is specially designed to get first-time technology users on the Internet quickly. |
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| Q: | How will the product be used?
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| A: | Its primary purpose is to enable communications, productivity, and basic entertainment by providing affordable connectivity to the Internet. |
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| Q: | How much will it cost?
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| A: | The PIC devices will be sold through local providers of Internet service. Final pricing to the consumer will be determined by the service provider. Many service providers that will be selling the PIC have developed a variety of micro-financing and bundling packages at different price points. |
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| Q: | What will PIC be used for?
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| A: | The PIC device's primary purpose is to improve education and communication in high-growth regions of the world by providing affordable, managed Internet access and basic productivity tools and capabilities. It is a simple, affordable solution that provides an Internet browser, email, productivity tools (such as a word processor and spreadsheet), and the ability to view images, multimedia files, and standard format documents. |
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| Q: | What is the underlying technology in the PIC?
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| A: | The Personal Internet Communicator is powered by AMD technology and incorporates quality technologies from our development allies, including a Microsoft® Windows® powered operating system with an Internet Explorer browser and Windows Media Player, Samsung memory and monitors, Seagate hard drive, and Macromedia Flash player. |
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| Q: | How does the device work? How do the users connect to the Internet?
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| A: | The PIC provides a balance of online (connected) and offline functionality. The PIC contains basic productivity tools (such as a word processor and spreadsheet) and the ability to view images, multimedia files, and standard format documents. It also provides Internet browsing, instant messaging, and email capabilities, but those features require a service provider. Since the PIC will be branded and marketed by providers of Internet service within the target markets, each system will come pre-loaded with direct connectivity through the ISP. |
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| Q: | Is the PIC offered in the U.S.?
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| A: | The Presidian Personal Internet Communicator is available at RadioShack stores and online at www.presidianpic.com. |
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| Q: | Where was the product first available?
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| A: | The first service providers who offered the PIC to consumers include the TATA Group in India, CRC in Villhermosa, Mexico, and Cable and Wireless in the Caribbean. |
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| Q: | What subsequent markets are being targeted?
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| A: | The product is designed to serve as an empowering, affordable technology solution in high-growth markets such as China, India, Russia, Brazil, and Mexico. |
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| Q: | What is your strategy for rolling this out to high-growth markets around the world?
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| A: | To help ensure 50x15 is successfully adopted within target markets, a customer-centric business model has been developed that removes many of the barriers to adoption. AMD is taking a geo-sensitive approach by proactively working with – and creating opportunities for – strong local manufacturing, distribution, and financial partners. Developing an in-country value chain is an essential part of ensuring that the technology gets into the hands of those who need it most by keeping the price point low, and that the business ecosystem develops and spreads within the markets the products ultimately serve. |
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| Q: | Is AMD profiting from this effort?
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| A: | The 50x15 initiative is not about charity; it is about empowering people. AMD and its many partners around the world think products that are developed in support of the 50x15 vision can produce a win-win situation that can generate revenue for all the players involved while getting technology into the hands of those who need it most. We believe empowering more of the world's population with access to basic computing tools and the Internet represents a tremendous economic opportunity. |
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| Q: | Does the PIC platform represent AMD's entry into the PC/device market?
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| A: | No, the PIC is not a PC, but rather a new category of consumer devices that has been specifically developed to support AMD's 50x15 initiative. The PIC promotes communication, productivity, and basic entertainment through managed Internet access and is specially designed to get first-time technology users on the Internet quickly. |
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| Q: | How will a potential consumer connect to the Internet with PIC?
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| A: | Consumers in high-growth markets will connect to the Internet through their local service provider. This service provider could be a government-sponsored organization, a telecommunications company, or a cable operator, depending on the region. |
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| Q: | Who will be manufacturing the PIC platform? Will it be localized or through a global manufacturer?
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| A: | Initial quantities of the PIC have been manufactured at Solectron in Guadalajara, Mexico. As global deployments increase, each region will have the option of manufacturing the product locally to maximize economies of scale and other efficiencies. |
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| Q: | What are the major differences between the PIC platform and products that have been introduced in the market but then failed ?
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| A: | The first difference is the business model. 50x15 is the first initiative of its kind that places the emphasis on relationships rather than the technology or product. The product itself is really quite simple. The value creation is in the relationships forged between infrastructure providers, government institutions, and consumers. Furthermore, the 50x15 endeavor is not charity, nor is it an experiment. It is a personal effort by Hector Ruiz, AMD's CEO, to ensure a lasting legacy of providing affordable technology to people in high-growth markets.
Second is the capability of the system. AMD carefully researched the needs of potential technology users in the various target markets. The features and functionality of the PIC far outweigh similar initiatives that were attempted, unsuccessfully, in the past.
Third is the technology that is available today at the required price point. Systems in the past simply did not have enough performance to provide an acceptable experience at a price point that was low enough for the target markets. |
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| Q: | Some high-growth nation service providers have outdated infrastructures and a poor reputation of being able to support basic phone service for their customers. How do you expect them to provide and maintain Internet service on a mass scale?
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| A: | The service providers that sell the PIC have to meet minimum infrastructure requirements before they can offer the product to consumers. In some cases, we will leverage our ecosystem to help improve infrastructure where possible. In other cases, it will require fresh thinking and new products that do not rely on a wired infrastructure to transfer data. Future generations of the PIC will have wireless capability to help address this issue. |
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| Q: | Who are you partnering with on the development of this device?
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| A: | Development partners include Microsoft for the operating system, Samsung for the memory, Macromedia for the media player and educational software, and Seagate for hard drives. |
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