AMD to retire ATI brand

AMD is shedding the ATI Technologies name from the remaining graphics products that it picked up after it bought the company in 2006.

The chip company grabbed ATI four years ago for $5.4 billion as a way to gain traction in the graphics card and chipset market. Although AMD renamed its new acquisition AMD Graphics Product Group, the ATI name stuck as one popular among gamers and video aficionados.

But based on market research and an eye toward promoting upcoming new products, AMD felt that consumers would be familiar enough with the AMD name on its own. Specifically, the company cited three findings from its new research, according to tech site AnandTech.

• AMD brand preference triples when the person surveyed is aware of ATI-AMD merger.

• AMD brand stronger than ATI vs. graphics competitors.

• Radeon and Fire Pro brand awareness and consideration very high.

All three points indicate that the ATI brand name apparently is no longer needed to drive in customers, even when facing rivals such as Nvidia. It also points to the AMD name and the name of the products themselves as the key selling points.

:story: Full story: c|net