5.06.2008

AMD's Asset-Lite could be something really awful

Anyone proficient with public relation strategies would be familiar with the concept of “controlled leaks” and “damage control. AMD’s filing of new charges against Intel and the rumour of an imminent restructuring announcement is just too much of a coincidence. Reading bits and pieces of the lawsuit reveals just how badly AMD’s business has become that anyone can only conclude that insolvency is inevitable. Conveniently, the asset-lite rumour started floating around giving just the needed amount of hope to anyone planning to continue to do business with AMD. The last thing AMD wishes is for its customers to think it is a risky option for future design platforms.

There are several ways of looking into the two AMD related events today. One that everyone should be familiar by now is the direct correlation between AMD’s cries of monopoly and its poor financial performance. Invariably, disastrous news from AMD always seem to follow everytime they talk about Intel's alleged illegal business practices. Anyone following AMD devotedly needs to hold on tight because this complaint is the biggest one yet. If AMD wasn't lying all along and indeed have an asset-lite strategy and were to announce it soon, based on the proximity with the new lawsuit, I can only conclude it’s going to be bad for AMD. Whatever the deal is, it must be something so awful that AMD needed to a file a lawsuit/excuse/scapegoat to justify their decision on asset-lite.

(thanks to enumae for the pdf link)