NEC anoints AMD for euro-corporate PCs

AMD has scored a major design win with NEC, possibly the first time it has secured a place for its chips in corporate PC line from a top-tier manufacturer.

NEC will use AMD Athlons and Durons in the PowerMate DR series, targeted at big corporates and government agencies in Europe. The PC manufacturer will flog the range - "initially in France, the United Kingdom, Italy and the Netherlands". Probably, this is where NEC, rather than AMD, is strongest in Europe.

Things do appear to be going rather well on the for AMD in Europe on the corporate front. Only last month, AMD announced the latest incarnation of Olivetti was to supply two government agencies with Athlon-powered PCs in Italy, historically one of its weaker markets.

But is this enough to make arch-rival Intel paranoid yet? Famously, Intel regards paranoia as good business practice. But, so far as corporate sales are concerned, AMD is breathing at the back of its knees, rather than down its neck. AMD will need to announce a corporate win with a major US manufacturer - IBM, Compaq, HP - before Intel needs to get truly worried. ®

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AMD, Olivetti and the Italian Connection

The press release

AMD Scores Major European Enterprise Design Win With NEC Computers International; AMD Innovation Continues to Gain Acceptance in Commercial Markets