ATI buys Asia-Pacific sales agent

ATI today acquired AMI, the company's Taiwan and China sales agent, for an undisclosed sum.

AMI has been ATI's exclusive representative in the region since 1992.

For ATI, the deal is about bringing the company closer to its Asia-Pacific partners - it will now effectively deal directly with its local customers rather than through an agent. And by acquiring its agent, it ensures continuity of established relationships between individual buyers and sellers.

Oh, and it reckons it will even save a bit of money on the deal, by eliminating the cut AMI would otherwise have taken.

As the Far Eastern PC and consumer electronics markets grow, it's becoming increasingly important for Western companies to show they take the area seriously. Working directly rather than through intermediaries is seen as an important way of convincing local customers of companies' bona fides.

Intel CEO Craig Barrett last week made a tour of the region, leaving a trail of investments and R&D centre foundations in his path. Now it's ATI's turn.

"We felt it was time to take it to the next level, and we are committed to making the appropriate investments in this high growth region," said ATI's senior sales VP, Rick Hegberg, in a statement. ®