AMD "Connecting the World" Design Contest Winners Announced!
12/14/2006
Students from throughout Latin America
compete to connect people in high-growth markets to the Internet
São
Paulo, Brazil — Dec. 13, 2006 — AMD (NYSE: AMD) today
announced the winning teams of the inaugural “Connecting the World” product
design contest. The team from the University
of Chile received the
Chairman’s Award for GOTA, an affordable Internet connectivity solution that
local water utility companies would commercialize for rural populations. The
team from UnicenP, a university in Brazil, received the Judges’ Award
for E-Cipó, an Internet access terminal that utilizes GPRS wireless technology to
connect to television sets via UHF signals thus eliminating the need for a computer
monitor.
“The concept behind this contest is that innovative thinkers who reside
within the high-growth nations of Latin America best know the features, form
factors and functionality of Internet connectivity devices that would be best
suited for local citizens,” said Billy Edwards, AMD chief innovation officer
and senior vice president.
The
Chairman’s Award was selected by AMD CEO Hector Ruiz and will receive a cash
prize of US$30,000 total, US$10,000 of which will be given to their university.
The Judges’ Award was selected by the panel of judges and will also receive a
prize of US$30,000, US$10,000 of which will be given to their university.
The five finalists groups — Fly Tech,
Gota, Eco Red, Interaction in
Movement and E-Cipó — presented
their nonworking prototypes to the judges’ commission, in São Paulo, Brazil.
The commission is composed of Hector Ruiz, AMD chairman of the board and chief
executive officer; Billy Edwards, AMD chief innovation officer and senior vice
president; Gustavo Arenas, AMD corporate vice president of High-Growth Markets
& Innovations; Rob Enderle, chief analyst of the Enderle Group; Judith
Várhelyi, director of the Hungarian Design Council; and Guillermo Winnicki,
Buenos Aires City Hall Metropolitan Center manager for the Interactive Design
brand.
The
winning projects were selected from among 30 entries submitted by
university student teams from throughout Latin America.
The projects were judged based on how well they met the criteria user experience, affordability,
aesthetics and ecological responsibility.
“Connecting
the World” Contest
In support
of AMD’s 50x15 Initiative, to enable 50 percent of the world’s population with
Internet access and computing capability by the year 2015, AMD challenged
university students to develop Internet access devices based on AMD processing
technology. In addition to stimulating creativity, the “Connecting the World”
contest promotes integration among multiple student disciplines to create
product prototypes and business models aimed at accelerating the digital
inclusion process throughout the region.
“The development of local ecosystems that foster indigenous design is
one of the core tenets of the 50x15 Initiative, so we’re tapping into the
creativity and enthusiasm of student thinkers to gain their perspective on
innovative designs,” Edwards said.
Students from all over Latin America
have submitted their proposals for providing technology access to populations
located in regions where Internet access is limited. Project submissions
included a product description, a business plan detailing the strategies for
successfully implementing the program, the commercial feasibility of the
project, and its overall compatibility with the social and economic realities
of the target market.
About 50x15
AMD's
50x15 initiative is a bold and far-reaching effort to develop new technology
and solutions that will help enable affordable Internet access and computing
capability for 50 percent of the world’s population by the year 2015. Based on
this initiative, AMD has recently opened two computer labs at Associação
Meninos do Morumbi, a nongovernmental organization composed of over 4,000
children and teenagers in the city of Sao
Paulo. It also has contributed with the E-Poupatempo
implementation, which offers public services for the population in São Paulo through
Internet access. For more information, visit www.50x15.com.
About AMD
Advanced
Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is a leading global provider of innovative processing
solutions in the computing, graphics and consumer electronics markets. AMD is
dedicated to driving open innovation, choice and industry growth by delivering
superior customer-centric solutions that empower consumers and businesses
worldwide. For more information, visit www.amd.com.
AMD and
the AMD Arrow logo are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other product
and company names used in this publication are for identification purposes only
and may be trademarks of their respective companies.
CONTACTS:
Eric
DeRitis
AMD Public
Relations
(408)
749-2919
eric.deritis@amd.com
Keely
Johnson
Waggener
Edstrom Worldwide
(512)
527-7036
kjohnson@waggeneredstrom.com
BRAZIL:
Ana França
Pinto
Edelman
+ 55 11
3017-5311
Ana.Pinto@edelman.com