AMD's new EMEA sales manager "confident" of profitability in 2016

[HalGameGuru]

In an article from CRN, AMD's new sales manager for EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) expresses his confidence that AMD will return to profitability in 2016.

 

"From a personal stance, I am confident [we can be profitable]," he said. "I believe we are working with exactly the right customers, and over the last few years we have become much simpler to execute and do business with."

 
 
He also talks about how AMD either IS focusing, or will need to focus, on profitable partnerships. Targeting vendors and partners with whom profitable partnerships will develop, and his hopes that smaller resellers at the end of their partner channels will start to opt for AMD hardware whenever possible with the change in focus to Windows 10.

 

Following the launch of Windows 10 this summer, Spicer was hopeful it will drive an upgrade refresh. He was also brazen on the benefits of combining the new operating system (OS) with AMD technology and hopeful businesses will choose AMD technology with the new OS.

"Our hope is through our education and market knowledge, that the reseller building that PC for the local dentist or butchers will be building it through an AMD platform," he said. "Because for £300, or whatever price is decided between the reseller and the business, we should be able to bring better or more performance for the same price point, than our competitors."

"Moving forwards to 2016, we have to have profitable share growth," he said. "So it's choosing the right business to go after, both with the company itself and the ecosystem of partners. There is no point in us as a vendor chasing unprofitable partners."

"We want to focus [in the areas] we are good at - that's where we are going to invest heavily. That's things like winning the graphics battle with gaming and so forth, and we want to be part of this Windows 10 upgrade cycle."

It's interesting to me this interview is with a sales manager rather than a corporate mouthpiece. A sales manager is a productive functionary, he's supposed to be dealing with vendors and partners, his primary responsibility is not the press. But, it says a lot that so soon after his appointment he is well versed enough and fervent enough to make these statements. There is a good bit more in the source.
 
He kind of runs roughshod over the entire industry, bringing in reference to e-Sports, Zen, and it's impact on both consumer desktop and enterprise/server fronts.

 

Spicer said that the combination of Windows 10, the advent of e-sports - competitive online gaming - and new technology and products AMD is launching, means "PC is an exciting market".
One of the new products Spicer highlighted was the Zen, its "next high-end CPU core architecture". He said this will help its play in the high-end desktop space, and the server area as well.

 I hope his ardor translates into some kind of benefit, but I'm at a bit of a loss as to why the sales manager for EMEA was the mouth piece for this information. Or was it just him flexing his newfound position's muscle with a member of the press?
 
 
 
source:http://www.channelweb.co.uk/crn-uk/news/2433958/amd-confident-profitability-will-return

[Glenwing]

Well, it's not like an AMD rep is ever going to say "things aren't looking good".

[ivan134]

Well, it's not like an AMD rep is ever going to say "things aren't looking good".

Now that would be newsworthy.

[Prysin]

Well, it's not like an AMD rep is ever going to say "things aren't looking good".

uhm... that sort of did happen.

[TechGod]

uhm... that sort of did happen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx8Uu64gIS8&index=64&list=LLNJP0oF6k62xA_qhCLfwI-Q

Timestamp for things not looking good?

[Prysin]

Timestamp for things not looking good?

oh for the love of god just watch the video.

 

he doesnt say it outright, but he may aswell done it. As halfway admitting to be bad/wrong doesnt sound good

[TechGod]

oh for the love of god just watch the video.

 

he doesnt say it outright, but he may aswell done it. As halfway admitting to be bad/wrong doesnt sound good

Kinda harsh. I watched the whole thing and yeah he was talking about how they'll return to high performance CPUs soon etc. 

[Humbug]

All depends on Zen (AMD's ability to return to profitability in 2016).

[MEC-777]

All depends on Zen (AMD's ability to return to profitability in 2016).

 

Depends on consumers too. Right now AMD has the best performance in almost every price point (GPUs), yet people are still flocking to the Green team, regardless. I can see the same thing happening with Zen, even if it matches or out performs Intel. The masses tend to herd like lemmings to brand XYZ despite facts, unfortunately. Having excellent product(s), sadly, doesn't always translate to excellent sales.

 

AMD deserve and should have a much larger GPU market share than they currently posses.

[Lauen]

Depends on consumers too. Right now AMD has the best performance in almost every price point (GPUs), yet people are still flocking to the Green team, regardless. I can see the same thing happening with Zen, even if it matches or out performs Intel. The masses tend to herd like lemmings to brand XYZ despite facts, unfortunately. Having excellent product(s), sadly, doesn't always translate to excellent sales.

 

AMD deserve and should have a much larger GPU market share than they currently posses.

I think most people have the thought of "it uses 20 watts more than the nvidia counterpart, so it'll cost me more in electricity!" and also the good old "AMD cards are so hot, it'll burn down my house!" 

 

which are all moot points, electricity is cheap and 20 watts is like a 20 cent a year, and the cards aren't that hot when you get a good cooler on them, AMD reference coolers just suck. 

[MEC-777]

I think most people have the thought of "it uses 20 watts more than the nvidia counterpart, so it'll cost me more in electricity!" and also the good old "AMD cards are so hot, it'll burn down my house!" 

 

which are all moot points, electricity is cheap and 20 watts is like a 20 cent a year, and the cards aren't that hot when you get a good cooler on them, AMD reference coolers just suck. 

 

It is unfortunate and I think those 290/x reference coolers did a lot of damage to AMD's GPU reputation. It's now widely known, that the reference coolers were the problem and that the GPUs themselves perform really well. So yeah, I don't know what people are afraid of. It's like they either don't know or don't care about the facts. 

[suicidalfranco]

ok... i'm taking the plunge! building an amd based system this black friday, will upgrade the temporary athlon x4 i picked to zen when it gets released

[dalekphalm]

ok... i'm taking the plunge! building an amd based system this black friday, will upgrade the temporary athlon x4 i picked to zen when it gets released

If you do this, keep in mind you're going to need a new motherboard as well when you upgrade to ZEN - possibly new RAM too (DDR4). It's incredibly unlikely that ZEN will work on any existing platforms or chipsets.

[TechGod]

If you do this, keep in mind you're going to need a new motherboard as well when you upgrade to ZEN - possibly new RAM too (DDR4). It's incredibly unlikely that ZEN will work on any existing platforms or chipsets.

You're right. Its a ground up redesign of the architecture. No way it will have ANY form of backward compatibility. 

[Misanthrope]

Depends on consumers too. Right now AMD has the best performance in almost every price point (GPUs), yet people are still flocking to the Green team, regardless. I can see the same thing happening with Zen, even if it matches or out performs Intel. The masses tend to herd like lemmings to brand XYZ despite facts, unfortunately. Having excellent product(s), sadly, doesn't always translate to excellent sales.

 

AMD deserve and should have a much larger GPU market share than they currently posses.

 

Doesn't helps when Linus puts a 970 instead of a 290 or 390 in his last video. Like I said everyone shows how the 390 is the better card when it came out and was tested and by now nobody uses it on builds, it's back to the 970 and 980 for virtually all tech youtubers and reviewers. Regardless of what the lip service they might pay with "We need AMD to be around" they're basically making sure that doesn't happens.

[Starelementpoke]

Doesn't helps when Linus puts a 970 instead of a 290 or 390 in his last video. Like I said everyone shows how the 390 is the better card when it came out and was tested and by now nobody uses it on builds, it's back to the 970 and 980 for virtually all tech youtubers and reviewers. Regardless of what the lip service they might pay with "We need AMD to be around" they're basically making sure that doesn't happens.

I think it's because they get sponsored by intel and nivida a lot more. Not like the two are going to sponsor him to do a build of something that isn't there's.

[Misanthrope]

I think it's because they get sponsored by intel and nivida a lot more. Not like the two are going to sponsor him to do a build of something that isn't there's.

 

Some of the times but not really, I'm willing to bet that Sapphire Ed would be willing to sponsor some of this builds. They all know him, they all know how to reach him.

[Starelementpoke]

Some of the times but not really, I'm willing to bet that Sapphire Ed would be willing to sponsor some of this builds. They all know him, they all know how to reach him.

Yeah, but using there products more keeps them in a good mood via free advertising. Right now they probably think it's more prudent keeping intel and nivida happy then amd...

[Misanthrope]

Yeah, but using there products more keeps them in a good mood via free advertising. Right now they probably think it's more prudent keeping intel and nivida happy then amd...

 

It really isn't: You wouldn't need tech reviewers if there was but one choice for CPUs and one choice for GPUs. Nvidia could say "Fuck it, midrange cards are now 500, top end 1000 and titan is back to 3000" and intel could do likewise (they kinda sorta already do that in fact: they could offer 8 cores 16 threads for the top processors, they just don't feel like it) 

 

Of course is not their responsibility to keep people well informed, it's just in their best interest.

[Starelementpoke]

It really isn't: You wouldn't need tech reviewers if there was but one choice for CPUs and one choice for GPUs. Nvidia could say "Fuck it, midrange cards are now 500, top end 1000 and titan is back to 3000" and intel could do likewise (they kinda sorta already do that in fact: they could offer 8 cores 16 threads for the top processors, they just don't feel like it) 

 

Of course is not their responsibility to keep people well informed, it's just in their best interest.

True enough.

[MEC-777]

Doesn't helps when Linus puts a 970 instead of a 290 or 390 in his last video. Like I said everyone shows how the 390 is the better card when it came out and was tested and by now nobody uses it on builds, it's back to the 970 and 980 for virtually all tech youtubers and reviewers. Regardless of what the lip service they might pay with "We need AMD to be around" they're basically making sure that doesn't happens.

Yep, good point. That's part of the issue. Personality influence is strong among the community and if they see the majority of these youtubers using mostly Nvidia in every build, well, there you go.

 

Luke did use the R9 Nano in his Fallout themed bomb PC, but that's one in how many? Yeah...  

 

Linus, Ryan (from PCper) and Jay are a few, just off the top of my head, who have openly mentioned they prefer Nvidia. When it comes to reviews, I think they've all been fairly objective in providing the numbers but when they use one brand over another (equally good) brand in nearly every build they do, people pick up on that.  

[Tomsen]

That is a good point.

 

A side where Nvidia are doing excellent. Selling their product! Marketing and product execution needs to be in a balanced state.

Nvidia is investing much more in business relationships and getting their products out to costumers. Something AMD are lacking off.

 

But Nvidia also got a nice stash of cash, whereas AMD got a big empty hole in the basement. We have seen AMD making some recent chances to their marketing strategy.

Lets see how well AMD can execute their future marketing and products.

[Misanthrope]

That is a good point.

 

A side where Nvidia are doing excellent. Selling their product! Marketing and product execution needs to be in a balanced state.

Nvidia is investing much more in business relationships and getting their products out to costumers. Something AMD are lacking off.

 

But Nvidia also got a nice stash of cash, whereas AMD got a big empty hole in the basement. We have seen AMD making some recent chances to their marketing strategy.

Lets see how well AMD can execute their future marketing and products.

 

Don't want to stretch the controversy too much but here's another point: So far i've been not taking a very hard stance on it (i.e. in my previous remark i said it's on their best interest yet not their responsibility) However if you think about it, the "tech press" it's quickly being substituted by tech youtubers and so forth. Couple of things:

 

1) This just wouldn't be possible without free review samples and sponsored builds

2) By virtue of not really being seeing as "press" in the formal sense of the world, company reps know they can get away with much closer and improper relationships and practices

 

Do we need a gamergate aimed at tech reviewers? Not quite yet however I can't in good conscience keep watching this advertisements disguised as "builds" and pretend this isn't producing a big bias against AMD for example.

[suicidalfranco]

If you do this, keep in mind you're going to need a new motherboard as well when you upgrade to ZEN - possibly new RAM too (DDR4). It's incredibly unlikely that ZEN will work on any existing platforms or chipsets.

i know, that's why i'm saving on those three. They're also good enough in case Zen disappoints 

[TechGod]

Don't want to stretch the controversy too much but here's another point: So far i've been not taking a very hard stance on it (i.e. in my previous remark i said it's on their best interest yet not their responsibility) However if you think about it, the "tech press" it's quickly being substituted by tech youtubers and so forth. Couple of things:

1) This just wouldn't be possible without free review samples and sponsored builds

2) By virtue of not really being seeing as "press" in the formal sense of the world, company reps know they can get away with much closer and improper relationships and practices

Do we need a gamergate aimed at tech reviewers? Not quite yet however I can't in good conscience keep watching this advertisements disguised as "builds" and pretend this isn't producing a big bias against AMD for example.

Fully agree here. Well said.