AMD lines up new processors for enterprise users

Chip maker AMD has unveiled a new line of 'Ryzen PRO' processors for desktops and notebooks for enterprise users, offering faster computing and enhanced user experience as the tech major looks to take on rival Intel more aggressively in global markets.

A range of notebooks and desktops with the AMD processor will be made available by partners - HP, Dell and Lenovo globally, including in India over the coming weeks.

"Our mission with AMD Ryzen processors is to deliver more performance, features and choice to users. Last year, we brought these to the consumer desktop and notebook segment and now we are extending these same principles to commercial notebooks and desktops," AMD Senior Vice President and GM (Computing and Graphics Business Group) Jim Anderson said.

He added that Ryzen PRO mobile processors can enable all-day battery life (up to 16 hours of use), world-class productivity performance and sensational graphics built on AMD's Radeon technology.

AMD has also focused extensively on the security aspect for the enterprise customer, Anderson said, adding that these processors offer state-of-the-art security at the silicon level "from power-on to power-off".

He said 2017 was a good year as AMD launched 10 different product families, which resulted in strong annual revenue growth of 25%, addition of over $1 billion revenue and the company returned to GAAP profitability for the year.

"We have our strongest multi-generational product roadmap in more than a decade intended to re-establish AMD as a high-performance semiconductor design leader," he said, adding that non-PC segments like game consoles, thin clients, cloud data centres and others will also fuel growth for the company.

Anderson also outlined that AMD's processor portfolio remains strong and that it was on track with the development of lower-nanometer processors for 2019 and beyond.

AMD started its operations in India in 2004 and currently employs over 1,500 people that is around one-sixth of its global workforce. The company has two R&D facilities in Bangalore and Hyderabad.

As per research firm IDC, deployment of AMD-powered systems in private and public-sector companies had a 29% share in FY17. India was the largest contributor to AMD's commercial business.

AMD Director (Workstation Graphics, Professional Graphics and Compute Accelerators Business Unit) Nick Pandher said enterprises across sectors are looking at more powerful devices as next-generation technologies data analytics and machine learning require users to run heavy workloads.

Sectors like product design and manufacturing, media and entertainment and software and sciences need devices that can run heavy workloads at a fast pace.

The requirements are set to grow manifold as we enter a new era that is characterised by billions of connected devices and trends like virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR) and artificial intelligence, according to industry watchers.