AMD Announces Broad Availability Of Its I/O Virtualization Technology Specification

– Open License Continues x86-based Virtualization Momentum –

IDC Virtualization Forum, New York -- February 7, 2006 --AMD (NYSE:AMD) today announced the broad availability of its I/O virtualization technology specification. Demonstrating continued leadership in evolving the industry-standard x86 processor architecture, AMD is making this technology available through royalty-free licenses that are designed to encourage its widespread adoption by hardware and software developers. By defining a set of technologies that can be directly built into a computer’s I/O bridges, AMD’s I/O virtualization technology is designed to extend the benefits of CPU-assisted virtualization by addressing the performance bottlenecks and security issues that can be encountered when virtualizing I/O devices in x86-based servers, desktops, and notebook computers.

“Continuing our leadership role, AMD’s I/O virtualization technology is expected to provide performance benefits in commercial servers, but it also opens the door to new and exciting uses for virtualization in desktop and notebook PCs, where device virtualization is particularly challenging,” said Marty Seyer, senior vice president, Commercial Business and Performance Computing, Microprocessor Solutions Sector, AMD. “We have embraced the industry’s ecosystem, and are very pleased to continue our collaborative approach to the development of AMD’s virtualization technology by sharing this specification publicly and making it available through licenses across the hardware and software development community.”

AMD’s collaborative approach to providing the industry with leading edge technology designed to enable virtualization solutions is also demonstrated through ongoing and strategic alliances with industry leaders including Microsoft, VMware and XenSource.

“Virtualization helps customers overcome the physical boundaries and underused capacity of IT systems, and is a key stepping stone for customers to increase operational efficiency and become more dynamic and responsive to business needs,” said Jeff Price, senior director, Windows Server Division, Microsoft Corp. “Microsoft is working closely with AMD to help open the way for a new class of innovation, to make IT systems not only more cost-effective, but also more secure, manageable, and interoperable.”

“VMware’s virtual infrastructure software has revolutionized the way customers run their data centers,” said Raghu Raghuram, vice president, platforms products at VMware. “An important enabler of this is our collaboration with key partners to help ensure that the mix of hardware and software innovation delivers the highest performance, most robust virtualization possible. We look forward to working with AMD on I/O virtualization to further advance the state-of-the-art in virtual infrastructure and to help ensure that virtualization on AMD64 technology-based systems is optimized to serve the needs of enterprise customers.”

“Assisted virtualization for I/O devices is the next logical step in hardware virtualization,” said Simon Crosby, chief technology officer, XenSource, Inc. “The open availability of AMD’s I/O virtualization technology underscores that AMD is aligned with XenSource in their efforts to lead the industry forward by developing open and open-source x86-based virtualization technologies.”

AMD’s CPU virtualization technology (formerly referred to by the code name “Pacifica”) delivers CPU efficiencies to traditional software only-based virtualization approaches. AMD I/O virtualization technology complements and extends these efficiencies by providing mechanisms to support virtualization software in managing, partitioning, and securing I/O devices, which is anticipated to result in improved performance and less implementation complexity in providing I/O in virtual environments.

AMD’s I/O virtualization technology is expected to be supported by all AMD processors in mid-2006, and is also anticipated to be implemented in chipsets and core logic designed for AMD64-based platforms in 2006. The AMD I/O virtualization technology specification download, together with technology overviews and guidance to software developers who are designing virtualization solutions for 64-bit technology, can be found at http://developer.amd.com.

About AMD
Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is a leading global provider of innovative microprocessor solutions for computing, communications and consumer electronics markets. Founded in 1969, AMD is dedicated to delivering superior computing solutions based on customer needs that empower users worldwide. For more information visit www.amd.com.

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

Contact Information

Press Office

AMD

Contact via E-mail