GCAB -- Press Releases

Press Releases

February 17, 2004 New Research Examines Triggers for Purchase of Consumer Technology Products

November 24, 2003 AMD Celebrates Success Of Global Consumer Advisory Board With Addition Of New Asian Member

October 29, 2003 AMD Global Consumer Advisory Board Releases First-Ever Comparative Analysis of Internet Access and Use

July 7, 2003 Research Shows Terminology and Product Complexity Impacting Adoption of New Technologies Worldwide

May 22, 2003 Broadband Subscribers Top 1 Million in Texas; State Ranks 4th Nationwide

March 31, 2003 Assistant Secretary of Commerce and AMD's Pat Moorhead to speak at CONNECTIONS: The Digital Home Conference and Showcase

March 3, 2003 Jim Blasingame Named To The HEAVY HUNDRED

November 6, 2002 Top Industry Associations Select AMD Executive For Leadership Roles

May 6, 2002 AMD Global Consumer Advisory Board Identifies Critical Issues to Improve End Users’ Technology Experience

March 20, 2002 AMD Advances Global Consumer Advisory Board With Eight New International Members

January 23, 2002 AMD Reaches Out to Consumer, Small Business Advocates to Drive Discussion on Improving the Technology Experience

New Research Examines Triggers for Purchase of Consumer Technology Products

The AMD (NYSE: AMD) Global Consumer Advisory Board (GCAB), released its third study today, entitled A Theory of Relevancy for Technology Product Adoption. The study is the first to define what attributes makes a technology product relevant enough to consumers for them to purchase it.

Building on six attributes of product relevance identified by previous research, the GCAB study examines how those attributes come together to trigger product adoption. The study shows, for example, that the importance of a product’s benefit and a consumer’s familiarity with a product affect how a consumer judges its affordability.

“What may surprise the industry most about this study is that it shows that price is not the most important trigger behind a technology product purchase,” said Tricia Parks, founder and president of Parks Associates, principal author of the study and chairperson of the GCAB’s Relevancy Committee. “A large segment of the consumer electronics industry is going down the wrong path by focusing solely on lowering prices to jumpstart adoption. The industry must communicate the benefits of a product to people’s lives – because only once a product is deemed personally beneficial will judgments about its affordability even matter.”

This and previous GCAB studies are available to members of the technology industry interested in gaining a better understanding of the consumer market and improving adoption of their products and services.

The study, which surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. nationally representative households by phone, tested the intensity of six attributes of relevance that must be present at specific levels for adoption of a technology product. The six attributes that constitute relevance include: “familiarity,” “importance of product benefit,” “affordability,” “knowledge of where to buy,” “perception of ease of install,” and “perception of ease of use.” The study examined these attributes for six different technology products at different states of diffusion, from the microwave oven (a widely diffused product) to the wireless home network (WHN) (a less-diffused product).

Specifically, the study found that the rankings (on a scale of one to seven, with seven the highest ranking) between owners of a product and those without plans to purchase that product are widest for the attributes of “importance of benefit to me” and “familiarity.” In other words, the research indicates that before acquiring a product, consumers consistently rank its benefits and familiarity at certain minimum levels before they’re convinced it’s worth purchasing. “Ease of use” came in third place and “affordability” came in fourth place, followed by “knowledge of where to buy.”

“While it’s important, familiarity alone does not make an owner,” said Parks. “We found that people who are familiar with and know where to buy a wireless home network (WHN), for example, still do not necessarily have plans to purchase one; whereas people who are highly familiar with, know where to buy, and see high levels of personal benefit in a WHN do have plans to purchase. Marketers of WHNs need to demonstrate a direct, positive connection to a consumer’s life to transform mere awareness into a purchase.”

The study also found that owners of personal digital assistants (PDAs) ranked “importance of benefit to me” at about four on the scale – the lowest of all the products surveyed. Conversely, personal computers, mobile phones and microwaves ranked the highest of all the products, with owners ranking “importance of benefit to me” at about six.

“From a marketing perspective, the low score of ‘importance’ by PDA owners is troubling. It may explain why, according to analysts such as Parks Associates and Forrester, PDA sales with their current utility may have hit a plateau,” said Parks. “On the other hand, personal computers and mobile phones, which scored high in importance among owners, currently have strong growth in sales, according to analyst and industry firms such as the Semiconductor Industry Association, as owners are realizing product benefits and, in turn, becoming product advocates.”

“This study is moving from understanding past adoption patterns to predicting future patterns. It is the first step toward developing a Relevancy Adoption Model that would allow technology providers to assess weaknesses in product relevance, and then prescribe marketing solutions to address those weaknesses and accelerate adoption,” said Patrick Moorhead, chairman of the GCAB and vice president of corporate marketing at AMD. “AMD has already begun sharing this research with our consumer electronics partners to more clearly communicate product relevance, thereby speeding adoption and helping to increase overall sales.”

The AMD GCAB invites the public to review the complete findings of A Theory of Relevancy for Technology Product Adoption, including accompanying charts and graphs, which can be found on www.amdgcab.org.

About the AMD GCAB
The AMD Global Consumer Advisory Board’s (GCAB) mission is to improve the quality of end users’ technology experiences. The GCAB consists of 14 consumer and small business experts, academics, journalists and technology futurists from around the world who seek to improve through research and advocacy computing technology issues facing home and small business computer users worldwide.

Members are:

Patrick Moorhead, GCAB chairman and AMD vice president, corporate marketing
Dr. Soonhoon Bae, professor, Korea Advance Institute of Science and Technology
Jim Blasingame, creator and host of the U.S. nationally syndicated, weekday radio/Internet talk show, “The Small Business Advocate”
Mark Boleat, United Kingdom consumer policy and business representation consultant and a board member of the National Consumer Council (NCC)
Professor Guangnan Ni, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and professor at the Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
Dr. William Halal, professor of management at George Washington University
Ken McEldowney, executive director of Consumer Action, a San Francisco-based consumer advocacy and education membership organization
Enrico Mercanti, consumer marketing, business consultant and business manager for BENQ, Italy
Tricia Parks, founder and president of Parks Associates, a U.S. consulting firm
Jose Antonio Romalho, a Brazilian technology writer and syndicated columnist
Dr. Carlos Scheel, professor at the Graduate School of Business (EGADE) of the Monterrey Institute of Technology in Monterrey, Mexico
Dr. Bernd Skiera, professor and first Electronic Commerce chair at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University in Frankfurt, Germany
Dr. Hideyo Waki, professor in the Information and Telecommunication Department at Tokyo Denki University
Dr. Barry Wellman, sociology professor at the University of Toronto, as well as director of the University’s NetLab

The GCAB is part of AMD’s Consumer Advocacy Initiative (CAI), which represents the company’s commitment to understanding technology end users, and the company’s dedication to putting end users at the forefront of the industry’s technology discussion. Consumers or small businesses with questions or comments may e-mail the GCAB at amd.gcab@amd.com. More information about the GCAB can be found at www.amdgcab.org.

About AMD
AMD (NYSE:AMD) designs and produces microprocessors, Flash memory devices and system-on-chip solutions for the computer, communications and consumer electronics industries. AMD is dedicated to helping its customers deliver standards-based, customer-focused solutions for technology users, ranging from enterprises to government agencies and individual consumers. Founded in 1969, AMD is a Standard & Poor's 500 company with global operations and manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan and Asia.

AMD on the Web
For more information about AMD products, please visit our virtual pressroom at www.amd.com/news/virtualpress/index.html. Additional press releases and information about AMD and its products are available at www.amd.com/news/news.html.

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AMD Celebrates Success Of Global Consumer Advisory Board With Addition Of New Asian Member

SUNNYVALE, CA -- November 24, 2003 -

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the addition of a new Asian member to its Global Consumer Advisory Board (GCAB), Professor Guangnan Ni, of Beijing, China. Professor Ni is a well-known computer technologist, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), and currently works as a professor at the Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Professor Ni joins the GCAB’s 13 highly regarded consumer and small business experts, academics, journalists and technology futurists, who seek to identify and resolve challenges facing home and small business technology adoption worldwide. Currently, GCAB members are from ten countries, representing Asia, Europe and North and South America.

“Technology can offer individuals and small businesses tremendous opportunities, but only if it is easy to understand and use,” said new GCAB member Professor Ni. “I have a genuine passion for technology, and look forward to working with this respected international group. Together I believe we can provide important insights on bringing more relevant technology choices to consumers, especially in emerging markets such as China.”

“We are honored to have such a highly respected expert as Professor Ni join the GCAB,” said Patrick Moorhead, AMD’s vice president, corporate marketing and chairman of the GCAB. “With his extensive background and expertise with the Chinese consumer technology experience, Professor Ni’s participation helps the GCAB be an even stronger advocate for technology end users around the globe. I’m confident Professor Ni’s contributions will help the GCAB’s work have an even greater impact in the industry.”

The expansion in the GCAB’s membership follows the Board’s recent release of two ground-breaking research reports investigating the gap between technology innovation and its adoption among end users—a concept called the “Technology Gap” by GCAB members.

The first report, coined the “GCAB Technology Terminology and Complexity Study,” successfully exposes the effects of technology complexity and literacy on technology adoption. According to the study, too many potential buyers don’t understand the language of the technology industry, and are delaying their purchases because products and terminology are too complex.

Members of the media from all over the world are joining in the discussion about technology literacy, citing the GCAB study’s results and comments from GCAB members in articles for major media outlets, such as the BBC (United Kingdon), Computerwelt Online (Germany), The Globe and Mail (Canada), The Hindu (India), Investor’s Business Daily (U.S.) and Nikkei BizTech (Japan).

The GCAB’s most recent report, entitled “Charting & Bridging Digital Divides,” is the first study of its kind to compare and synthesize research about the digital divide in eight countries conducted over the past ten years. The report contends that while the digital divide is narrowing in the U.S. and in other countries, specific aspects of the digital divide are widening or are stalled in many countries. Specifically, there are “gender divides” in Germany and Italy, and there is a substantial “age divide” in South Korea. And while many consider the U.S. a global technology leader, the GCAB’s report found that the U.S. significantly lags behind other developed countries in several important aspects of Internet access and use. For example, Japan leads the world in mobile Internet access and South Korea dominates in broadband connections. The GCAB is honored that a version of the report is expected to be published in 2004 as a chapter in the forthcoming book Transforming Enterprise to be published by MIT Press. A version of the report is also expected to be published as a chapter entitled “The Digital Divide and Social Inequality” in the forthcoming Blackwell Companion to Social Inequalities. In addition, the report is expected to form the basis of an article entitled “Worldwide Internet Diffusion and the Digital Divide” that will appear in the Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction to be published by Berkshire Reference Works in 2004.

About Professor Guangnan Ni
Professor Ni is a well-known computer technologist, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), and currently works as a professor at the Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Guangnan Ni graduated from Nanjing Institute of Technology in 1961. He presided over the research and development of the Associate (Legend) Chinese Character System and Legend-series PC during his employment as Chief Technical Officer from 1984-1995 at Legend, which was recently renamed Lenova. He won the first prize for the State Award for Scientific & Technological Achievement in 1988 and 1992, has published more than 50 academic papers, and trained dozens of doctoral and master students.

In 1990, Professor Ni was honored as an Expert of Outstanding Contribution (Young and Middle-aged Group) by the China State Council. In 1993, he was elected as a representative of the Eighth National People's Congress, and was one of the first academicians to be nominated to the Chinese Academy of Engineering, in 1994. In addition, in 1995 Professor Ni won an Award for Excellence from the Chinese Institute of Engineers in the U.S. He was also appointed a member of the Ninth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in 1998. Since 2002 he has been the president of the Chinese Information Processing Society of China.

Professor Ni will join 13 existing GCAB members, including:

Patrick Moorhead, GCAB chairman and AMD vice president, consumer advocacy
Dr. Soonhoon Bae, professor, Korea Advance Institute of Science and Technology
Jim Blasingame, creator and host of the U.S. nationally syndicated, weekday radio/Internet talk show, “The Small Business Advocate”
Mark Boleat, United Kingdom consumer policy and business representation consultant and a board member of the National Consumer Council (NCC)
Dr. William Halal, professor of management at George Washington University
Ken McEldowney, executive director of Consumer Action, a San Francisco-based consumer advocacy and education membership organization
Enrico Mercanti, consumer marketing, business consultant and business manager for BENQ, Italy
Tricia Parks, founder and president of Parks Associates, a U.S. consulting firm
Jose Antonio Romalho, a Brazilian technology writer and syndicated columnist
Dr. Carlos Scheel, professor at the Graduate School of Business (EGADE) of the Monterrey Institute of Technology in Monterrey, Mexico
Dr. Bernd Skiera, professor and first Electronic Commerce chair at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University in Frankfurt, Germany
Dr. Hideyo Waki, professor in the Information and Telecommunication Department at Tokyo Denki University
Dr. Barry Wellman, sociology professor at the University of Toronto, as well as director of the University’s NetLab.

About AMD
Founded in 1969 and based in Sunnyvale, Calif., AMD (NYSE: AMD) is a global supplier of integrated circuits for the personal and networked computer and communications markets with manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Asia. AMD, a Standard & Poor’s 500 company, produces microprocessors, Flash memory devices, and silicon-based solutions for communications and networking applications.

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AMD Global Consumer Advisory Board Releases First-Ever Comparative Analysis of Internet Access and Use

SUNNYVALE, CA -- October 29, 2003 -

The AMD (NYSE: AMD) Global Consumer Advisory Board (GCAB) released a new study today, entitled Charting and Bridging Digital Divides. The study is the first of its kind to compare and synthesize research about the digital divide - the gap between those who can access and use information and communications technologies and those who can't - in eight countries conducted over the past ten years.

The study's main finding is that while the digital divide is narrowing in the U.S. and in other countries, specific aspects of the digital divide are widening or are stalled in many countries. Specifically, there are "gender divides" in Germany and Italy, and there is a substantial "age divide" in South Korea. And while many consider the U.S. a global technology leader, it significantly lags behind other developed countries in several important aspects of Internet access and use. For example, Japan leads the world in mobile Internet access and South Korea dominates in broadband connections.

The study also suggests that the digital divide is shaped by social factors as much as technological factors. Furthermore, access to the Internet doesn't mean informed use of the Internet.

"For companies that are increasingly focused on global emerging markets, understanding socio-economic factors impacting technology adoption in the various regions is absolutely crucial," said Patrick Moorhead, chairman of the GCAB and vice president of corporate marketing at AMD. "Bridging the digital divide requires more than simply offering computers and Internet access.

Technological fixes won't close the divide unless they take into account the social reasons why people aren't online."

"While this issue is not easily quantifiable, studies such as this one are important first steps in understanding the magnitude of the global digital divide," said Bill Archey, president and CEO of the AeA - formerly the American Electronics Association. "The better we understand the problem, the better we can lobby for policies and programs that reach more under-served people around the world."

Perhaps indicative of the complexity of the digital divide, another of the study's main discoveries is that there is no single, global standard for measuring Internet usage and growth.

"While there have been many analyses of the digital divide in individual countries, no study has compared and synthesized those analyses until now," said Ken McEldowney, chairperson of the GCAB's socio-economic committee and executive director at Consumer Action. "By taking a comparative approach, we have been able to gauge the complex state of the digital divide more holistically. Unfortunately, we found that in some countries, the digital divide is not narrowing as some have suggested, and that more and more people are finding themselves on the wrong side of the divide."

The GCAB compiled the study to better understand how to extend the reach of information and communications technologies to more people around the world. The study examines research from government agencies, academic institutions and international policy organizations about Internet access and use in China, Germany, Italy, Japan, The Republic of Korea, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Written by sociologist Wenhong Chen and GCAB member Professor Barry Wellman, both with the Centre for Urban and Community Studies at the University of Toronto, Charting and Bridging Digital Divides presents a framework for understanding the digital divide in terms of factors such as socio-economic status, gender, age, ethnicity, geographic location and Internet access and use.

Utilizing this framework, the study found that there is no single digital divide-there are multiple digital divides based on these factors. For example, in some developed countries, such as the U.S., the U.K. and Japan, the gender divide is narrowing as high percentages of women have come to the Internet. However, women are still under-represented in China, Germany, Italy, Korea and Mexico.

"The various digital divides are affected by characteristics of a country, such as its developmental level, as well as by characteristics of an individual, such as his or her socio-economic status, age and gender," said Barry Wellman, GCAB member and sociology professor at the University of Toronto. "Therefore, the multiple divides vary markedly between countries, communities and individuals."

The study also found that, in general, while the digital divide is narrowing in developed countries, the divide is widening in some developing countries-even though more under-served people are going online. This is because as under-served populations such as the poor or women go online more, they're still going online more slowly than those traditionally better connected, such as the more affluent or men.

"The distribution of Internet users is extremely uneven around the world. Not all people are experiencing the benefits of the Internet, such as access to friends, jobs and information," said Wellman. "We found that although the Internet's reach has grown exponentially in about the last ten years, increasing from just under a million users in 1993 to more than 600 million in 2002, only about 10 percent of the world's population is online. Additionally, almost 90 percent of the world's Internet users are from what are considered to be developed countries, with nearly a third of those users from the United States."

The study concludes that the uneven diffusion and use of the Internet are shaped by-and are shaping-social inequalities. While the digital divide occurs at the intersection of international and intra-national social, technological and linguistic differences, it also has profound impacts on the reproduction of social inequality.

The AMD GCAB invites the public to review the complete findings of Charting and Bridging Digital Divides, which can be found on www.amdgcab.org.

About the AMD GCAB
The AMD Global Consumer Advisory Board's (GCAB) mission is to improve the quality of end users' technology experiences. The GCAB consists of 14 consumer and small business experts, academics, journalists and technology futurists from around the world who seek to resolve computing technology issues facing home and small business computer users worldwide.

Members are:

* Patrick Moorhead, GCAB chairman and AMD vice president, corporate marketing

* Dr. Soonhoon Bae, professor, Korea Advance Institute of Science and Technology

* Jim Blasingame, creator and host of the U.S. nationally syndicated, weekday radio/Internet talk show, "The Small Business Advocate"

* Mark Boleat, United Kingdom consumer policy and business representation consultant and a board member of the National Consumer Council (NCC)

* Dr. William Halal, professor of management at George Washington University

* Ken McEldowney, executive director of Consumer Action, a San Francisco-based consumer advocacy and education membership organization

* Enrico Mercanti, consumer marketing, business consultant and business manager for BENQ, Italy

* Tricia Parks, founder and president of Parks Associates, a U.S. consulting firm

* Jose Antonio Romalho, a Brazilian technology writer and syndicated columnist

* Dr. Carlos Scheel, professor at the Graduate School of Business (EGADE) of the Monterrey Institute of Technology in Monterrey, Mexico

* Dr. Bernd Skiera, professor and first Electronic Commerce chair at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University in Frankfurt, Germany

* Dr. Hideyo Waki, professor in the Information and Telecommunication Department at Tokyo Denki University

* Dr. Barry Wellman, sociology professor at the University of Toronto, as well as director of the University's NetLab.

The GCAB is part of AMD's Consumer Advocacy Initiative (CAI), which represents the company's commitment to understanding technology end users, and the company's dedication to putting end users at the forefront of the industry's technology discussion. Consumers or small businesses with questions or comments may e-mail the GCAB at amd.gcab@amd.com. More information about the GCAB can be found at www.amdgcab.org.

About AMD
Founded in 1969 and based in Sunnyvale, Calif., AMD (NYSE: AMD) is a global supplier of integrated circuits for the personal and networked computer and communications markets with manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Asia. AMD, a Standard & Poor's 500 company, produces microprocessors, Flash memory devices, and silicon-based solutions for communications and networking applications.

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Research Shows Terminology and Product Complexity Impacting Adoption of New Technologies Worldwide

SUNNYVALE, CA -- July 7, 2003 -

A new study from the AMD (NYSE: AMD) Global Consumer Advisory Board (GCAB) — released during its bi-annual meeting this year in Stockholm, Sweden — reveals why so many people around the world may be delaying their purchases of new technologies. According to the study, too many potential buyers don’t understand the language of the technology industry, and are delaying their purchases because products and terminology are too complex.

The report, which surveyed more than 1,500 consumers in China, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, revealed that only three percent of respondents got a perfect score on a technology terms quiz, which included terms such as “MP3,” “megahertz” and “Bluetooth.” And, only slightly more than half (65 percent) of respondents correctly identified the definition of “megahertz” from a line-up of three possible definitions. Even of the most knowledgeable (those who identified more than seven of 11 technology terms correctly), only slightly more than a third could correctly identify the definition of digital video recorder (DVR).

The study also showed that those who were least knowledgeable (those identifying six or fewer technology terms correctly) are the most likely to delay technology purchases. For example, 47 percent of those who scored the lowest state they will delay their purchases of digital cameras due to complexity.

Moreover, the study confirmed that people are delaying purchases of new technologies because the technologies are perceived as too complex. For instance, 40 percent of the most proficient consumers state they will delay purchases of personal digital assistants (PDAs) because the PDAs are viewed as too complicated. Setting up complicated technology products is also a key area of concern. Nearly half of all respondents (46 percent) strongly state they don’t buy anything that is complicated to set up, and nearly two-thirds (62 percent) strongly agree with the statement that they “wish to have things work and not spend time setting up.”

“The high-tech industry is spending more than $10 billion a year in the U.S. alone advertising the speeds and feeds of the products. But the industry is not getting the full value of their advertising dollars when, for example, only slightly more than half of the PC users we spoke with don’t understand the term ‘megahertz’ — which is used in a vast majority of personal computer (PC) advertisements,” said Patrick Moorhead, chairman of the GCAB and vice president of corporate marketing at AMD. “The technology industry must simplify its vocabulary so that consumers around the world can better understand the benefits technology can bring to their lives.”

The study also suggests that the PC is a gateway to the adoption of other consumer technology products. For instance, 87 percent of those who plan to buy a DVR in the next 12 months already use a home PC, and 80 percent of those who plan to buy a DVD player in the next 12 months already use a home PC.

The AMD GCAB invites the public to take the technology terminology and complexity test, which can be found on www.amdgcab.org, and test their knowledge of technology terms against others’ from around the world.

The Methodology
The AMD GCAB contracted with MetaFacts Inc., a full-service market research firm focusing exclusively on technology markets, to conduct the technology terms study. The study was a large-scale, international consumer survey measuring consumers’ understanding of a range of technology products and terms, as well as consumers perceptions of products and resulting purchase intentions.

About the AMD GCAB
The AMD Global Consumer Advisory Board’s (GCAB) mission is to improve the quality of end users’ technology experiences. The GCAB consists of 14 consumer and small business experts, academics, journalists and technology futurists from around the world who seek to resolve computing technology issues facing home and small business computer users worldwide. Members are:

Patrick Moorhead, GCAB chairman and AMD vice president, corporate marketing
Dr. Soonhoon Bae, professor, Korea Advance Institute of Science and Technology
Jim Blasingame, creator and host of the U.S. nationally syndicated, weekday radio/Internet talk show, “The Small Business Advocate”
Mark Boleat, United Kingdom consumer policy and business representation consultant and a board member of the National Consumer Council (NCC)
Dr. William Halal, professor of management at George Washington University
Vicky Hung, founder of hongkong.com Limited
Ken McEldowney, executive director of Consumer Action, a San Francisco-based consumer advocacy and education membership organization
Enrico Mercanti, consumer marketing and business consultant, Italy
Tricia Parks, founder and president of Parks Associates, a U.S. consulting firm
Jose Antonio Romalho, a Brazilian technology writer and syndicated columnist
Dr. Carlos Scheel, professor at the Graduate School of Business (EGADE) of the Monterrey Institute of Technology in Monterrey, Mexico
Dr. Bernd Skiera, professor and first Electronic Commerce chair at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University in Frankfurt, Germany
Dr. Hideyo Waki, professor in the Information and Telecommunication Department at Tokyo Denki University
Dr. Barry Wellman, sociology professor at the University of Toronto, as well as director of the University’s NetLab.

About AMD
Founded in 1969 and based in Sunnyvale, California, AMD (NYSE: AMD) is a global supplier of integrated circuits for the personal and networked computer and communications markets with manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Asia. AMD, a Standard & Poor’s 500 company, produces microprocessors, Flash memory devices, and silicon-based solutions for communications and networking applications.

Note: MetaFacts' Technology User Profile survey is the longest running, largest and most comprehensive study of its kind, with over 19 years of continuous research. The detailed results are widely recognized as a primary marketing resource for companies providing consumer-oriented technology products and services, such as PCs, printers, mobile devices and related services and products. The Technology User Profile respondent panel was used as a basis for the U.S. portion of the technology terms study. More information on MetaFacts or Technology User Profile can be obtained by visiting www.metafacts.com or calling 760/635-4300.

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Jim Blasingame Named To The HEAVY HUNDRED

SPRINGFIELD, MA --Today, Jim Blasingame has been selected by TALKERS Magazine as a member of the Heavy Hundred, the 100 most important radio talk show hosts in America. Blasingame is the creator and award-winning host of The Small Business Advocate Show, nationally syndicated since 1997. TALKERS Magazine is the radio talk show industry's premier publication.

According to Michael Harrison, Editor and Publisher of TALKERS Magazine, "Each year, we identify the 100 most important radio talk show hosts in America which we call the Heavy Hundred. We've watched Jim Blasingame's excellent work as the only weekday talk show in America dedicated to small business, and are pleased to recognize him as a member of the Heavy Hundred Class of 2003. Jim's show is superb and his contribution to the marketplace is important. He's clearly one of the very best in our industry."

Selection to the Heavy Hundred is determined by evaluating the following criteria: ratings, longevity, uniqueness, potential, social impact, service, industry and media recognition, courage, effort, and talent.

"I want to thank TALKERS Magazine for including me in this distinguished group of professionals." Blasingame said. "It's always nice to be recognized, but especially so when it comes from peers."

The Small Business Advocate Show is produced by Small Business Network, Inc., and syndicated by Global American Broadcast Networks. According to GAB president, Ron Crider, "Jim Blasingame is a real pro and one of the most dedicated talk show hosts I've seen in my long radio career. He's a network and affiliate's dream, because he conducts over 1000 live interviews annually and shows up every day, including holidays. Congratulations to Jim on this much deserved recognition."

This isn't the first time Blasingame has been recognized for excellence. The U.S. Small Business Administration recognized him as the 2002 Small Business Journalist Of The Year. In 2001, FORTUNE Small Business identified Blasingame as one of the top small business resources in America, and in 2000, FSB called him one of the 30 most influential people in America representing small business. Blasingame is also the author of the best-selling book, Small Business Is Like A Bunch Of Bananas (SBN Books, ©2002).

Small Business Network, Inc. produces and distributes multi-media small business content worldwide, including The Small Business Advocate Show. Nationally syndicated on radio weekdays from 6-9am Eastern, The Small Business Advocate Show is also simulcast on the Internet. IBM, Office Depot, and Palo Alto Software are three of Blasingame's sponsors.

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Top Industry Associations Select AMD Executive For Leadership Roles

— AeA and CEA tap Pat Moorhead for Board of Directors—

SUNNYVALE, CA -- November 6, 2002 --AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced that Patrick Moorhead, vice president of Corporate Marketing, has been named to the boards of directors of two prestigious technology industry associations — the American Electronics Association (AeA) and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). Both board terms will begin Jan. 1, 2003.

The CEA board of directors includes 50 leaders in the consumer electronics industry and is a forum for advice about industry promotion programs and education. The board term is one year.

“Pat Moorhead brings more than a decade of experience in developing and marketing consumer technology products that is highly complementary to CEA’s focus on consumer technology,” said Gary Shapiro, CEA president and CEO. “His keen insight and understanding of technology, specifically from the end user perspective, will be very beneficial to the board’s issue-focused programs.”

“We seek leaders who are active technology enthusiasts from leading companies that can help shape and define the future direction of the technology industry,” said William T. Archey, AeA president and CEO. “Pat Moorhead brings an endless passion for technology and a desire to promote its benefits to consumers and enterprises that will be an asset to the AeA Board.”

AeA board members support the organization’s mission to promote American leadership in high-technology engineering, manufacturing and services and to serve as “the voice of the U.S. high-tech community.” The board term is two years.

“AeA and CEA are two distinguished organizations that have successfully advocated on behalf of the technology industry and end users worldwide,” said Pat Moorhead. “I look forward to working with my new colleagues on the boards to further advance technology and its impact on end users.”

Moorhead leads AMD’s worldwide customer advocacy, corporate branding, positioning and communications. Much of his career with AMD has focused on developing the company’s ongoing programs to put end users at the forefront of the industry’s technology discussions.

For more information on CEA visit www.ce.org and for more information on AeA visit www.aeanet.org.

About AMD
AMD is a global supplier of integrated circuits for the personal and networked computer and communications markets with manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Asia. AMD, a Fortune 500 and Standard & Poor’s 500 company, produces microprocessors, Flash memory devices, and support circuitry for communications and networking applications. Founded in 1969 and based in Sunnyvale, California, AMD had revenues of $3.9 billion in 2001. (NYSE: AMD).

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names used in this publication are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies.

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AMD Global Consumer Advisory Board Identifies Critical Issues to Improve End Users’ Technology Experience

— First meeting tackles growing gap between technology innovation and end user adoption

SUNNYVALE, CA -- May 6, 2002 --The AMD (NYSE: AMD) Global Consumer Advisory Board (GCAB) recently held its inaugural meeting to identify and seek to resolve key challenges in computing technology facing home and small business users.

The first meeting tackled the growing gap that exists today between technology innovation and adoption by end users. Members identified five critical issues that influence the consumer and small business users’ technology experience: simplicity, relevance, trust, a holistic approach and socio-economic costs.

“Technology moves at such a rapid pace that if we do not take proactive measures, many individuals and small businesses will find themselves at a severe disadvantage,” said Pat Moorhead, AMD’s vice president of Customer Advocacy and chairman of the GCAB. “By addressing some of these issues through the collective brainpower of the GCAB, the group plans to develop solutions that benefit the industry and technology users worldwide.”

The AMD GCAB consists of 14 leading consumer and small business experts, academics, journalists and technology futurists from around the world. The GCAB is part of AMD’s Customer Advocacy Initiative (CAI), which represents the company’s commitment to put end users — whether home or business — at the forefront of the industry’s technology discussions. The GCAB plans to validate and prioritize findings through further research and seek resolutions to these critical issues. The group met April 30 at AMD corporate headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif.

Five Critical Issues

The GCAB identified simplicity as an important factor influencing the widespread adoption of certain technologies. Common problems prohibiting simplicity include the industry’s use of technology nomenclature and jargon and the need for better end-user training and support. Many users are also often confused by complex buying decisions and installation.

“Technology companies need to simplify their communication,” said Dr. Bernd Skiera, chair of Electronic Commerce in the School of Business and Economics at Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitaet in Frankfurt, Germany. “Consumers do not understand the techno-language that is often used to name and describe products. Consumers would better understand the technology if the products were named for the benefits provided and not the features.”

Second, the GCAB identified that many end users do not understand why certain technologies are necessary or relevant. Consequently, many users may not be motivated to invest time into learning how to use such technologies.

“We must understand what truly motivates people to use technology on a global basis,” said Enrico Mercanti, a management consultant in Milano, Italy. “Different people, different cultures, different demographics find different benefits or relevance in technology.”

Third, the GCAB identified the significant challenge technology providers face in gaining and keeping the end users’ trust and fulfilling their expectations. Many users remain concerned with privacy and security in using the Internet.

Fourth, the GCAB agreed that the industry needs to take a holistic approach in developing new technologies. Ensuring that products are designed with a well-supported infrastructure can lead to a better end-user experience.

“The entire value chain must be aligned for the benefits to be perceived,” said Dr. Carlos Scheel, professor at the Monterrey Institute of Technology. “Many developing countries do not have the infrastructure in place to support broadband access, so they do not see as much relevance in owning a computer.”

Finally, the group felt that throughout the world, socio-economics is a major area impacting the adoption rate of technology. The group determined that in many global regions, while costs have decreased for technology, end users still can not afford to invest.

The GCAB plans to meet four times annually. Consumers or small businesses with questions or comments may email the GCAB at amd.gcab@amd.com.

About AMD
AMD is a global supplier of integrated circuits for the personal and networked computer and communications markets with manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Asia. AMD, a Fortune 500 and Standard & Poor’s 500 company, produces microprocessors, flash memory devices, and support circuitry for communications and networking applications. Founded in 1969 and based in Sunnyvale, California, AMD had revenues of $3.9 billion in 2001. (NYSE: AMD).

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other product names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies.

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AMD Advances Global Consumer Advisory Board With Eight New International Members

— Global Consumer Advisory Board to discuss solutions to make computing technology more relevant to the end user—

SUNNYVALE, CA -- March 20, 2002 --AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the full membership of its Global Consumer Advisory Board (GCAB). International GCAB members include representatives from Asia, Europe, Mexico and South America, joining the GCAB’s six U.S. and Canadian members. The GCAB brings together leading consumer and small business experts, academics, journalists and technology futurists from around the world. The group will identify and seek to resolve key challenges in computing technology facing home and small business users.

“The GCAB assembles highly experienced individuals worldwide who will bring their regional insight as we discuss how to make technology more relevant to consumers and small businesses,” said Pat Moorhead, AMD’s vice president of Customer Advocacy and chairman of the GCAB. “An amazing amount of technology exists today that can provide tremendous benefits in our professional and personal lives. We hope to identify solutions that help more consumers and small businesses reap the rewards made available by technology.”

“I look forward to participating in a forum that discusses technology issues impacting end users,” said Dr. Hideyo Waki, a professor in the Information and Telecommunication Department at Tokyo Denki University. “I believe that consumers benefit when we promote open architectures in technology. Open architectures reduce the complexity in utilizing technology and help drive competition in the marketplace.”

“Europe has multiple cultures and a variety of technology users. However, there is a common trend that people are often perplexed by the complexities of technology,” said Mark Boleat, a consultant for consumer issues and a board member of the National Consumer Council in the U.K. “I look forward to working with AMD and other board members to see if we can truly help consumers understand technology and its benefits.”

“As an Internet professional, I feel fortunate to be part of the convergence of technology and communications. I help people communicate more easily and gain immediate access to information to be more informed technology shoppers,” said Vicky Hung, founder and COO, China Media Assets. “The Internet has limitless applications as a communications medium and incredible potential for the Asian market. We need to make sure we communicate the benefits of technology in people’s lives.”

“In my conversations with consumers in Brazil, I try to help them understand and use technology in a more beneficial and efficient way. The GCAB offers a chance for advocates like me to help consumers on a global scale,” said Jose Ramalho, a technology journalist in Brazil.

The following eight international representatives were named to the GCAB today:

Soonhoon Bae joins the GCAB from Korea. His vast technology experience in academics, business and government brings the GCAB a strong understanding of the forces driving technology proliferation in Asia. Bae has served as chairman and chief executive officer of Daewoo Electronics and as Korea's Minister of Information and Communication. He is currently a visiting professor in the Graduate School of Management at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. His honors include France's Legion d'Honneur and Best Management Award from the Korea Productivity Association.

Mark Boleat is a consumer policy and business representation consultant and a board member of the National Consumer Council (NCC), a non-departmental public body advocating consumer rights for more than 25 years in the United Kingdom. He brings to the GCAB the European consumer perspective of technology and related issues. And, as a small business owner, he understands the technology needs of small businesses.

Vicky Hung is the chief operating officer of China Media Assets and senior vice president of global products for chinadotcom Corporation Limited, Asia’s leading Internet company. She helped chinadotcom Corporation Limited obtain its listing on the NASDAQ in July 1999. She is also founder of hongkong.com Limited, which she led until it was listed on the HK GEM board in March 2000. Hung’s knowledge of consumer technology trends in China and Hong Kong, along with her passion for new technologies and understanding of how consumers are using them, will provide the GCAB with a valuable perspective.

Enrico Mercanti has launched four start-up companies in Italy, including two on-line banks. He is the managing director of the Italian on-line bank of Commerzbank, one of Germany’s and Europe’s leading private banks. His background has focused on consumer technology needs and he has served in consumer marketing positions for computing companies, such as Compaq, Dell and Siemens Nixdorf.

Jose Ramalho, a technology writer and syndicated columnist, reaches more than a million readers each day through columns and articles in three Brazilian publications: Folha de São Paulo, O Estado de Minas and Diário de Pernanbuco. Ramalho brings to the GCAB a breadth of experience in technology issues as they relate to the South American consumer. He has a practical knowledge of the technology market along with 17 years of professional experience working with and researching the Internet and technology issues.

Dr. Carlos Scheel is a professor at the Graduate School of Business (EGADE) of the Monterrey Institute of Technology in Monterrey, Mexico. He is also a Senior Research Fellow with the Innovation, Creativity and Capital (IC2) Institute of the University of Texas at Austin. Scheel is currently working with the IC2 Institute on the strategic uses of information technology and telecommunications in developing countries.

Dr. Bernd Skiera is a professor and holds the first Electronic Commerce chair at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University in Frankfurt, Germany. He has been recognized and honored for his research and writings, including the “eBusiness Germany Award 2001,” and for best paper at the “INFORMS Marketing Science and the Internet Conference — Understanding Consumer Behavior on the Internet.”

Dr. Hideyo Waki is a professor in the Information and Telecommunication Department at Tokyo Denki University. He studies computer architecture and local area networks. He was chairman of Open MPEG Windows® Forum Japan and participated on the advisory committee of Windows World/Tokyo. He was also an advisor of Windows Consortium Japan, OS/2 Consortium Japan, NetWare Consortium Japan, Useware Association and Desktop Management Task Force (DMTF) Japan. He is a vice chairman of Intelligent TV Forum Japan.

The GCAB is the second customer advocacy initiative announced by AMD in recent months. In October 2001, AMD announced the True Performance Initiative (TPI), through which AMD will assist end users in understanding the benefits and attributes of PC performance. TPI is a long-term initiative that will educate consumers about the megahertz myth, help define a new, more accurate measure of application performance and make PC performance more relevant to the end user.

The GCAB plans to meet four times annually. If consumers or small businesses have questions or would like to provide information to the GCAB, they can e-mail amd.gcab@amd.com.

GCAB members announced previously in January include:

Jim Blasingame, creator and host of nationally syndicated radio/Internet talk show, "The Small Business Advocate";
Dr. Bill Halal, professor of Management, George Washington University; vice president, World Future Society;
Ken McEldowney, executive director, Consumer Action;
Tricia Parks, founder and president, Parks Associates;
Donald Wilson, president and CEO, Association of Small Business Development Centers;
Dr. Barry Wellman, professor of Sociology, University of Toronto; director, University of Toronto NetLab.

About AMD
AMD is a global supplier of integrated circuits for the personal and networked computer and communications markets with manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Asia. AMD, a Fortune 500 and Standard & Poor’s 500 company, produces microprocessors, flash memory devices, and support circuitry for communications and networking applications. Founded in 1969 and based in Sunnyvale, California, AMD had revenues of $3.9 billion in 2001. (NYSE: AMD).

AMD on the Web
For more AMD news and product information, please visit our virtual pressroom at www.amd.com/news/virtualpress/index.html. Additional press releases are available at www.amd.com/news/news.html.

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AMD Reaches Out to Consumer, Small Business Advocates to Drive Discussion on Improving the Technology Experience

— AMD Forms Global Consumer Advisory Board, Selects Initial Members —

SUNNYVALE, CA -- January 21, 2002 --AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the formation of its Global Consumer Advisory Board (GCAB) to evaluate and improve the quality of the home and small business computing technology experience. Leading consumer and small business advocates from Asia, Europe, North America and South America will identify and seek to resolve key challenges in computing technology facing home and small business users.

“Consumers and small businesses have not felt the need to completely embrace existing technologies despite the tremendous benefits they bring to our professional and personal lives,” said Pat Moorhead, vice president of Customer Advocacy and chairman of the GCAB. “Through the GCAB, AMD is bringing together consumer and small business advocates who are passionate about making technology more relevant to users."

“Consumers often find it very time consuming and extremely confusing to determine what technology suits their needs,” said Ken McEldowney, executive director of Consumer Action. “I look forward to engaging in a dialogue on technology issues with AMD and the GCAB members from other parts of the world.”

“Technology can have a substantial impact on a small business by increasing efficiency and profitability. However, it can also be intimidating,” said Don Wilson, president and CEO for the Association of Small Business Development Centers. “The GCAB will study these issues and work together to develop ideas so that everyone can take full advantage of the innovation that technology brings.”

The GCAB members announced today represent five U. S. members and one Canadian. AMD will announce representatives from Asia, Europe, Mexico and South America in the near future.

Jim Blasingame is the creator and host of the nationally syndicated, weekday radio/Internet talk show, “The Small Business Advocate,” and author of Small Business Is Like A Bunch Of Bananas. He brings the GCAB a comprehensive background in small business issues, and an intense passion for small business, which is evident in his extensive multi-media activity. Fortune Small Business identified Blasingame as one of the 30 most influential people in America representing small business, and he is a 2002 nominee for the SBA's Small Business Journalist of the Year award.

William Halal is a professor of management at George Washington University and on the board of directors of the World Future Society. He is an authority on emerging technology, strategic management and institutional change, a renowned author and developer of the GW Forecast - an electronic network of global experts who forecast emerging technology trends. Halal brings an expertise on future technologies and trends.

Ken McEldowney is executive director of Consumer Action, a San Francisco-based consumer advocacy and education membership organization. He can offer the GCAB consumer perspective on technology solutions and the challenges consumers face with other industries. Consumer Action has worked on food, insurance, utility, privacy, toxics, health care, banking and telephone issues for 30 years. He chairs consumer-focused committees with the California Public Utilities Commission and the FCC.

Tricia Parks is the founder and president of Parks Associates, a consulting firm providing competitor, technology and consumer research to help clients deliver products and services that improve the quality of their customers’ lives. She brings to the GCAB research-based knowledge of consumers and emerging technologies. Parks also founded Wiring Americas' Homes, a consortium advocating for improved wiring capable of handling future digital needs in North American homes, now under the auspices of the Home Automation Association.

Barry Wellman is a sociology professor at the University of Toronto, as well as director of the University’s NetLab. Wellman studies social networks, collaborative work and the integration of the Internet into daily life. Last year, Wellman was awarded the Outstanding Lifetime Contribution Award by the Canadian Sociological and Anthropological Association. Wellman has co-edited a new book, The Internet in Everyday Life, to be published by Blackwell this summer. He will bring knowledge on technology and its impact on society from his research.

Donald Wilson is the president and CEO for the Association of Small Business Development Centers, which represents the SBDC network delivering nationwide educational assistance to strengthen small/medium business. Wilson brings a knowledge of small business needs and a desire to help small businesses succeed.

“The GCAB is part of AMD’s ear-to-the-ground customer advocacy initiative,” said Moorhead. “We are committed to providing home and small business consumers with the best computing technology experience and the ability to make the best technology purchasing decisions. The GCAB will take our long-standing appreciation and respect for the customer one step further by putting us directly in touch with home and small business advocates.”

The GCAB is the second customer advocacy initiative announced by AMD in recent months. In October 2001, AMD announced the True Performance Initiative (TPI), through which AMD will assist customers in understanding the benefits of PC performance. TPI also will help define a new, more accurate measure of processor performance for standard applications.

The GCAB plans to meet four times annually. If consumers or small businesses have questions or would like to provide information to the GCAB, they can e-mail amd.gcab@amd.com.

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