“We also believe in a unique approach to customers. One of the important distinctions is that we serve our customers, while most of our competitors serve markets.”
— Stephen Zelencik, Former AMD Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing

• 1985: AMD makes list of Fortune 500 for the first time
• 1987: AMD merges with Monolithic Memories, Inc.
• 1988: Work begins on AMD Submicron Development Center

The mid- to late-80s was a time of challenge for many of our customers, as they searched for new ways to stand out in a slumping PC market. AMD continued innovating technology designed to help them with their quest.

In 1986, AMD launched the industry's first one-million-bit EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory) — enhancing capacity and flexibility for one of the most critical PC components and enabling additional opportunities for customers to differentiate their products. The next year, we expanded our ability to provide compelling memory solutions through a merger with Monolithic Memories, the pioneers of field-programmable logic. We also established a technological collaboration with Sony, gaining access to the CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) production technology, which helped reduce power consumption — providing our customers new solutions for battery-powered devices such as notebook computers.

Then, in 1988, work began on the AMD Submicron Development Center, which would become the driving force in our process-technology innovation efforts throughout the ‘90s. “Process technology” refers to the multitude of technologies used before, during, and after the process of manufacturing a product. By taking a proactive approach to process technology over the years, AMD has been able to keep manufacturing costs low while bringing many of the latest technical advances to our customers ahead of the industry at large. Time and again, AMD's process-technology leadership has enabled us to consistently provide customers with valuable competitive advantages.