AMD to focus on notebooks, launches 'Future is Me' campaign

With notebooks and netbooks driving computer penetration in the country, the world's second largest computer chip-maker AMD is betting big on the category and will focus on introducing innovative and affordable chipsets in India.

"We started the year with the launch of the AMD C and E-Series APUs, which was met with resounding success. The recently launched AMD A-Series APU has already started creating excitement for new platforms currently hitting shelves," AMD Corporate Vice-President (Worldwide Channel Marketing) David Kenyon said.

Together with OEM partners, AMD is working to bring to the market the most innovative and affordable technologies, not only to bridge the digital divide, but also to address the changing needs of consumers, he added.

According to research firm Gartner, the combined desk-based and mobile PC market in India totalled nearly 2.5 million units in the second quarter of 2011, a 2.5% increase over the second quarter of 2010.

The growth was driven primarily by the mobile PC segment (netbooks and notebooks), which grew 17% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2011.

Besides, AMD has also launched its "Future is Me" campaign in the country, targeted at the youth.

"This campaign will feature a four month long contest -– targeting youth –- with the objective of anticipating the future in four categories: music, entertainment, digital and fashion," the company said.

The US-based, Nasdaq-listed firm makes solutions for a variety of devices including game consoles, PCs and supercomputers.

With a large portion of the population in India under the age of 24, this initiative will be a platform to highlight personal supercomputing and high-definition experiences powered by AMD technology as well, it added.

"AMD's graphics and breakthrough computing technologies, including the APU, are leading the next era of vivid digital experiences for 'GenY', a major segment of AMD's target audience. India is a high growth market and occupies a critical role in AMD's global strategy," Kenyon said.

As part of the multi-city campaign, technology enthusiasts across the country would be invited to use their imagination and creative prowess to come up with interesting futuristic ideas that best describe the future of any of these four significant aspects of life: music, fashion, entertainment and digital.

The best entry in each of the four categories would be awarded with a cash prize worth Rs 1 lakh and a brand new laptop.