When processor manufacturer AMD closed its South African office in 2009 and reverted to an agency model for the region, the company seemingly slipped off the radar. But the visit last week of corporate vice-president and GM for EMEA, Darren Grasby, could herald the return of AMD with a bang.
Jaco Laubscher, who had a long association with the brand before Imi Mosaheb was appointed regional head and opened offices at the JSE in Sandton, took up the agency once the company downsized and is still the principal representative for AMD in the territory. The major difference now, though, is that Laubscher reports directly to AMD in the UK instead of Dubai. Reporting into Dubai in previous years was, reportedly, one of the reasons for the lack of success of the chip maker in South Africa.
Grasby says the reporting lines are just one of the issues he has cleared up as he looks to once again re-establish AMD as a force to be reckoned with against its traditional competitors both here and in the rest of Africa.
“My recent visit to South Africa allowed me to re-engage with key partners in the traditional channel and specific vertical markets, as well as key multinationals,” Grasby says. “The feeling was very positive about AMD technology and our platform offerings and I was struck again by the fact that our partners see AMD as strategic to their future growth and profitability.
“During my discussions with partners a few key facts about AMD kept being mentioned – namely that AMD technology is inside 100% of all next-generation game systems from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony and that AMD has the world’s fastest and most advanced graphics cards,” he adds. “But it was AMD APU technology that most impressed, as these customers primarily care about systems that deliver outstanding performance, an easy upgrade path and overall platform longevity.
“There is a clear sense that AMD is providing the market with exactly the type of technology that is currently needed,” Grasby says. “Today there is a better than ever selection of OEM systems available and we only see that push expanding across South Africa. This validation encourages both myself and my team to focus on increasing our technology availability in South Africa and continue engaging with key partners to encourage further stability, growth and confidence.”
Grasby says the company is also encouraged by some of the successes it is having on the rest of the African continent.
“Over the past year, AMD has formed strategic technology partnerships with Governments and Government-owned entities across East Africa,” he says. “Through select in-country partners we have developed innovative programs to assist Governments in their drive to become technology-enabled.
“Part of this Government initiative is being adopted by the tertiary education field, where AMD is the technology lead in enabling ICT growth into these sectors,” Grasby says. “Through these Government relationships we are particularly leveraging our offerings into the commercial, financial and telco verticals.”