AMD invests in the future of AMD Fusion APU technology

TAIPEI, TAIWAN: AMD has launched the AMD Fusion Fund, a program to support development of new, enhanced consumer digital experiences by helping to further advance an ecosystem that promotes CPU and GPU collaborative computing.

The Fusion Fund was created to initiate strategic investments in companies working on solutions enabled by the accelerated computing capabilities of the upcoming AMD Fusion family of Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) products. Starting immediately, interested ecosystem companies may submit innovative proposals for investment to be reviewed and evaluated by AMD.

“The computing industry is undergoing a long-envisioned and inevitable transition from text-based computing to a digital world of natural human-to-system interfaces and rich visual experiences that are incredibly vivid and realistic,” said Manju Hegde, corporate vice president, AMD Fusion Experience Program, and Fusion Fund managing partner.

“AMD Fusion APUs are designed to expand the art of the possible for software developers, accelerate application performance, and deliver levels of power efficiency conducive to cooler and sleeker PC devices. The Fusion Fund will help expand the Fusion ecosystem focused on realizing the next generation of computing for the mainstream market.”

Projects for consideration include a range of next-generation and accelerated computing capabilities enabled by AMD Fusion APU products, including application software and tool development, unique device designs, PC components and innovative ideas which extend the reach of collaborative computing on the CPU and GPU.

“AMD’s efforts to foster growth in the ecosystem will not only benefit AMD and its APU products, but I believe the computing industry can benefit from greater support for smart, innovative companies,” said Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst, Enderle Group. “Because the APU is based on industry standards and pervasive x86 architecture, this technology could represent significant potential market opportunities for AMD’s ecosystem partners.”

In addition to development programs such as the AMD Fusion Fund, AMD actively supports its hardware and software partners through the AMD Fusion Partner Program.

The Fusion Partner Program provides software companies and developers with technology enablement, development tools and support such as the ATI Stream technology software development kit (SDK), which supports OpenCL standards.

Partners also receive marketing support to help them deliver compelling technology and innovative solutions based on AMD technology, further strengthening their business and allowing them to expand their sales network through AMD’s extensive ecosystem.