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I'm long, disgusted & prefer lurking but to put this 144 stuff to rest, it's a filing of proposed sale of restricted or unregistered securities. There may or may not be a form 4 filed subsequent to the actual sale. I was involved with the contract for putting this data on the net back in the net's infancy so I know what I'm talking about. If you question an SEC attorney (as I did) they will tell you that a verifying form 4 may be filed, may not be filed (and they really don't care) FWIW
bidding 2.40 now. Have we ever gone up post cc?
FWIW after market bid up to 2.11
Headline disappeared but while it was there said increase in revenue primarily due to bundling....more to follow
*DJ Wave Systems 2Q Rev $910,000 Vs $258,000 >WAVX
Snacks...risk/reward...correct. Pardon the analogy but after wandering in the desert for 40 years we're about to enter the promised land. The remarkable thing is that this is going to happen and still a lot of people in the industry still don't know what TPM's are!
Ramsey, totally agreed. At this point there really is no competition. Hey, break 'em up! It's a monopoly:)
Barge, that's why we've all slogged so long. Geez, and to think no one will want TPM's:) My only question now, after admittedly being burned for so long by this investment, is at what price will I add. Let's face it, once the expected revenue from a customer of that magnitude is announced or shows up in a 10Q the share price will be long past what I'd like to pay. What a pleasant dilemma!!:)
Barge, agreed! Army (to be followed by the rest) don't mandate machines with TPM's in them and then not activate them. Only two providers with the tools to manage 'em and one of those products isn't interoperable.
No, it is not possible to determine if any institutions bought or sold until quarterly filings are made (and they have 45 days after the end of quarter to file form 13F with theSEC. Hope that helps, vickers2
email to IR I don't post because although long for 6 months or so ($1.94) I think the company has done a miserable job and if I told y'all what I think I'd be attacked, I'd get ticked and I don't have the time to get into a p'ing match. At any rate I sent the following email to IR and if any response I'll share......
Dear Mr. Bleckman:
I am an investor (albeit a small one) in your company. I am writing to voice my dismay over the lack of any news flow from GTE with respect to the halt the was put in place yesterday. I spent 25 years on Wall St.; the last 15 supplying institutional holdings, contact data and other material to investor relations departments. In fact, I negotiated the first agreement between the Amex & my former employer to make institutional holdings data available to the Amex' listed companies (before the NASDAQ merger). My long winded point is that I'm very well versed in IR (a member of NIRI for 15 years) and can not believe that the company has chosen NOT to communicate with shareholders as to the reason for the halt. According to a Dow Jones subscriber release from yesterday this action was initiated by the Amex as a preface to a possible delisting of GTE's stock. Would you please elaborate. Thank you for your time & consideration.
Respectfully,
XXXXXXXXXXX
Shareholder in GTE
Helpful, JFWIW, here's an SEC area I used a lot back in my old days at Vickers http://www.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Search/iapd_OrgSearch.aspx
You can find quite a bit of info on registered investment advisors; you can also really drill down into subsidiaries here as well. For most hedgies there's another site but I can't remember it off the top of my head.
Best, Vickers2
Hi Cosign, first saw mention of Sygate back in December. I still think this will be a very interesting avenue for Wave.
http://www.diebold.com/atmsecurity/hackers.htm
Criminals break into your ATM’s computer network to steal money, access account information, or create chaos. Hackers also create small programs, called viruses and worms, that run autonomously through the Internet and can devastate the computer inside your ATM.
Opteva Protects You With:
* Sygate Firewall
Opteva is the only ATM to come standard with the industry’s strongest firewall software — Sygate. Firewall software is a vital protection for your ATM — locking all electronic points of entry. It monitors, analyzes, and authenticates any external source attempting to connect to the ATM, blocks anything the software doesn’t recognize, and sends alert messages upon detecting unauthorized activity. Diebold includes a firewall with every ATM because you would be unacceptably vulnerable without it. Opteva’s firewall, Sygate, is recognized throughout the industry as the best firewall software available —winning awards such as PC World’s 2003 World Class Award for Best Firewall Software and Network Computing’s 2003 Editor’s Choice Award. Unlike other ATM suppliers, Diebold frees you from the anxiety of having to wait for security patches to be developed before you’re protected from the latest viruses and exploits. That’s because having Sygate installed on your ATM ensures that you’re protected before the patches are available.
* Intel Trusted Platform Module Chip
Every Opteva ATM includes an Intel® Trusted Platform Module Chip. The chip verifies the authenticity of sources and commands, and ensures a protected exchange of instructions and information.
* Encrypted On-line Communication
Opteva encrypts the signals that are transmitted from the ATM to the network using the latest, most advanced Triple DES standard.
* Operating System and Software: Maximum Security Settings
Diebold has configured the operating system of Opteva, Microsoft® Windows® XP, in the most secure way possible. All unnecessary ports are closed, all unnecessary services are shut down, the desktop is locked down, startup and error control services are enhanced, and the latest Microsoft security patches and service packs are applied. In addition, Opteva software runs with “limited user” privilege, instead of the vulnerable “admin” privilege that allows viruses and hackers to take control of other computers. In fact, Opteva received a perfect score —10 out of 10 — from the Center of Internet Security, an independent organization that measures the security of a computer’s operating system. By configuring Opteva’s software with the maximum security settings, your ATM is protected from the rampant security problems that plague other computers.
Hi guys, I'm a long lurker and enjoy the community y'all have here so I'm on your side but having worked in IR for 15 years (on the vendor side, sat in many meetings with IRO's, CFO's, & CEO's of top companies, provided institutional holdings data and institutional profiles to AMEX, NASDAQ & NYSE companies) I was wondering what Bleckman was doing. No offense intended to anyone here but his job is not to hold the hands of individual shareholders (unless they're big). His main job is to communicate the company's vision to the market, i.e., both the buy side & sell side analysts. If he spends his time answering questions all day from us he can't get his job done. The best way the company counters the MF garbage is to execute & communicate to the street. Let him do his job. FWIW
good luck to all,
vickers2
Awk, yeah, I know & that's nipping at me too. Maybe this time.....
FWIW...although I'm dieing to buy (have been since .62) I just can't pull the trigger. Seems like I've seen this action a few times going into financings. We shall see....
Interesting out of Massachusetts....
Not Wave specific but more talk about electronic health care records & right in our own back yard
http://opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110008213
Two other features of the plan reduce the rate of health-care inflation. Medical transparency provisions will allow consumers to compare the quality, track record and cost of hospitals and providers; given deductibles and coinsurance, these consumers will have the incentive and the information for market forces to influence behavior. Also, electronic health records are in the works, which will reduce medical errors and lower costs.
Barge: what's Microsoft up to??
http://www.forbes.com/2006/03/21/microsoft-ballmer-telekom-cx_cn_0321autofacescan03.html?partner=yah...
Deutsche Telekom In TV Tie With Ballmer's M'soft
Chris Noon, 03.21.06, 8:37 AM ET
London - Deutsche Telekom has inked an agreement with Microsoft on an alliance to deliver next-generation television to consumers across Germany.
The alliance will enable Deutsche Telekom (nyse: DT - news - people ) to deliver next-generation television, as well as complementary interactive services and a range of entertainment products, over its ultra high-speed VDSL broadband network. Under the agreement, Telekom will use Microsoft Internet Protocol Television software to deliver TV on the network.
Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) will support Deutsche Telekom with marketing to help develop IPTV in the country. The agreement reached with the giant telco is Microsoft's largest IPTV-contract on the continent to date and its second largest worldwide.
Customers will use the platform to receive regular TV programs as well as advanced television services including standard- and high-definition programs, interactive TV, digital video recording and video on demand.
The German telecoms giant plans to offer access to the new network--which has speeds of up to 50 megabits per second--in 10 German cities from mid-2006, including Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich. "Today's announcement represents Microsoft's largest IPTV agreement in Europe to date and is a very significant milestone in our long-standing relationship with Deutsche Telekom," Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer is quoted as saying in the Telekom press release.
No financial details for die Partnerschaft were disclosed, though Telekom Chairman Kai-Uwe Ricke said his company would join Microsoft in writing "another chapter in our longstanding cooperation, tapping new markets and together exploring exciting new growth opportunities".
I'm not seeing the connection to GTE. Sorry, what am I missing? TIA
Just noticed there was an overseas trade listed in NY local time post halt.
GLOBETEL COMM (Frankfurt:GTCA.F) Delayed quote data Edit
Last Trade: 2.20
Trade Time: 11:25AM ET
Change: Up 0.21 (10.55%)
Prev Close: 1.99
Open: 1.91
Bid: 2.20
Ask: 2.25
1y Target Est: N/A
Day's Range: 1.82 - 2.20
52wk Range: N/A
Volume: 36,307
Avg Vol (3m): N/A
Market Cap: N/A
P/E (ttm): N/A
EPS (ttm): 0.00
Div & Yield: N/A (N/A)
CMF, I believe the change of control may accomplish that but best to pose that question to someone with a greater knowledge of corporate law
Go Kite; re: buyout question, the answer is yes unless management team chose to take company private.
From 'Starter' to 'Ultimate': Site shows six Vistas
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archives/101598.asp
Microsoft hasn't yet issued any official announcement detailing the different versions of Windows Vista to be offered, but several online sites are pointing today to a list of them on a help page under development. It names six primary versions of the upcoming PC operating system, plus two without Windows Media Player to be offered under the European Commission's antitrust ruling.
Here's the list of the primary six:
# Windows Starter 2007
# Windows Vista Home Basic
# Windows Vista Home Premium
# Windows Vista Business
# Windows Vista Enterprise
# Windows Vista Ultimate
See coverage by Microsoft Watch's Mary Jo Foley, ActiveWin, Neowin and Paul Thurrott, who reported a preliminary list of the versions last fall.
No prices are given, and it's not clear whether the list on the help site is final. It differs in some respects from previous reports about the versions Microsoft was aiming to offer, including the recent list published by Neowin and referenced in this CNet News.com story. For example, the list on the help site doesn't include a Windows Vista Small Business edition.
Judging from the list, the company is incorporating Tablet PC and Media Center PC functions into the higher-end Windows Vista versions, but as CNet News.com previously reported, Microsoft is not offering versions explicitly named Media Center PC Edition or Tablet PC Edition, as it does with the current Windows generation
But what is Windows Vista Ultimate, anyway? A search on the help site brings up this page, which warns that the text is still preliminary but offers this top-line overview for the "Ultimate" version: "Explore new features for searching, staying connected, networking, syncing devices, and managing files on your computer. Find things fast, get down to business, and focus on what matters to you." The page lists more details below that.
Another page on the site also refers to "Windows Ultimate Extras" and explains, "As the owner of a copy of Windows Vista Ultimate, you have access to exclusive programs and services." It doesn't list any of them yet.
Windows Vista, the successor to 2001's Windows XP, is due out later this year. Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said earlier this week that the company wants to have the new operating system available at retail before Thanksgiving in the United States.
Sort of OT-Infineon Named And Shamed For Gates' Xbox Woes
(My comment,I can't imagine this endears Infineon to Softee)
Chris Noon, 02.15.06, 1:18 PM ET
http://www.forbes.com/2006/02/15/microsoft-xbox-chips-cx_cn_0215autofacescan07.html?partner=yahootix
LONDON - Society may have progressed since the hysterical days of the 15th century and the notorious Malleus Maleficarum, yet our determination to find a culprit remains as strong as ever. Take the case of German chipmaker Infineon.
According to our dictionary, there are four words in Deutsch for witch-hunt--Hexenverfolgung, Treibjagd, Kesseltreiben, Hexenjagd--though which one is the most appropriate for the albatross of blame that has been slung round Infineon's (nyse: IFX - news - people ) neck for Microsoft's inability to supply enough Xbox 360s is anyone's guess.
A story published in the San Jose Mercury News suggests that Infineon is the culprit for the console's slow manufacturing
process, which has lead to continued worldwide shortages. According to the newspaper's unnamed sources, Infineon apparently had trouble manufacturing enough graphics double date rate (GDDR3) chips at the right speed, which slowed the production process.
Bill Gates' Microsoft, which has been either incredibly loyal or incredibly indulgent throughout, has blamed "component shortages" for the delays. "We have more than 200 suppliers and I'm not going to point the finger at any one of them," the company's game division head Peter Moore is quoted as saying in a media report.
What happens now? Will Infineon be tossed into the river to see if it sinks or swims?
Hi All, lurking (long) for awhile. I actually used this as an opportunity to add at 2,59 (my original basis is 1.94)There were many doubters with respect to this deal, Period. Now, did Gte retain this firm just to throw away money? I don't think so. Check out the law firm.
http://www.cgsh.com/english/about/about.aspx
Cleary Gottlieb
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a leading international law firm, with 12 closely integrated offices located in major financial centers around the world. For more than 50 years, the firm has been preeminent in shaping the globalization of the legal profession. Our worldwide practice has a proven track record for innovation and providing work of the highest quality to meet the domestic and international needs of our clients. In recognition of the firm's strong global practice, its effectiveness in dealing with the different business cultures of the countries in which it operates, and its success in multiple jurisdictions, Cleary Gottlieb received Chambers & Partners’ inaugural International Law Firm of the Year award. To see a list of our other recent Selected Honors, click here.
Organized and operated as a single, integrated global partnership (rather than a U.S. firm with a network of overseas offices), Cleary Gottlieb employs more than 850 lawyers from more than 50 countries and diverse backgrounds who are admitted to practice in various jurisdictions around the world. Since the opening of our first European office in 1949, our legal staff has included European lawyers, most of whom have received a part of their academic legal training in the United States and many of whom have completed traineeships in one of the firm's U.S. offices. The firm was among the first international law firms to hire and promote non-U.S. lawyers as equal partners around the world.
Our clients include multinational corporations and international financial institutions and sovereign governments and their agencies, as well as domestic corporations and financial institutions in the countries where our offices are located. Although each of our 12 offices has its own practice, our “one firm” approach to practice offers clients in any office the ability to access the full resources of all of our offices and lawyers worldwide to the extent their matters so require.
To view the Firm Brochure, please click here.
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mymoneybgone, Glad you have some too. Just imagine a contract like that for good ol' Wave:)
PS Rosie has some too
Happy New Year, Vickers
All...here's another stock I own that everyone said was a POS. Wrong:) http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=GTE&t=1d&l=on&z=m&q=l&c= That's what announcing a major contract does! I still think we'll have our day here. Happy New Year and the best to all.
vickers
Wave Systems on Winning Team for U.S. Army Contract
EE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 22, 2005--Wave Systems Corp. (Nasdaq: WAVX - www.wave.com) announced today that the company has teamed with NCI Information Systems, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of NCI, Inc. (NASDAQ:NCIT - www.nciinc.com), in connection with a Total Engineering and Integration Services (TEIS) contract awarded to NCI Information Systems, Inc. by the United States Army Information Systems Engineering Command (USAISEC).
Under the TEIS contract, NCI Information Systems, Inc. is to provide information systems engineering and information technology support to the USAISEC, and other federal agencies worldwide. This indefinite delivery/ indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) program has a five-year period of performance, containing a base year and four, one-year option periods, with a total ceiling value of $804 million. The teaming agreement envisions that Wave will supply its computing solutions products, subject to the completion of a subcontract (and related task orders) to be entered into between Wave and NCI Information Systems, Inc.
Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements
Except for the statements of historical fact, the information presented herein constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include general economic and business conditions, the ability to fund operations, the ability to forge partnerships required for deployment, changes in consumer and corporate buying habits, chip development and production, the rapid pace of change in the technology industry and other factors over which Wave Systems Corp. has little or no control. Wave Systems assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.
All brands are the property of their respective owners
Hi All---Nice board you have here. Nice to see all the usual message board BS is mostly ansent here. Kudos to the moderators. I'm new to GTE (in @ 1.94 2 weeks ago). It's been fun so far but here & on the TA board there seems to be some expectation of a "mega" PR coming down the road in the immediate future. Can anyone elaborate on why this expectation is around (and I hope there is one:)) I'm trying to decide whether to take some off the table or to add more on a pullback.
TIA
Best to all, vickers2
Apple may launch Intel laptops: analyst
http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/051130/apple.html?.v=1
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple Computer Inc. (NasdaqNM:AAPL - News) could introduce its first laptop computers based on Intel Corp. (NasdaqNM:INTC - News) chips as early as January, which, together with robust sales of video iPods, should drive earnings higher, Citigroup said on Wednesday............
Citigroup analyst Richard Gardner.......... "We are becoming more convinced that Apple will introduce its first Intel-based PowerBook at Macworld San Francisco," Gardner said in a note to clients. That conference runs from January 9 to 13.
Gardner said these product introductions would be sooner than expected, which should help minimize the risk that Apple would end up with a buildup of its current line of non-Intel laptops as customers anticipate the arrival of the new models.
For 2007, he expects revenue of $24.3 billion and per-share profit of $2.61, up from his previous forecasts of $19.6 billion and $1.93.
Zen, I totally hear you, but.... I think I have tended to be more pessimistic, not in posting but rather in my personal opinion, than most longs here but I found this filing intriguing. The question I keep asking myself is why would Dell want to do this. Why would they change the terms of the existing agreement?
Somehow I don't think it's because Steven grabbed Michael's sleeve at a function and said, "it'll be really cool". I have a feeling Dell (senior people-not the customer support crew) see something worthwhile here. Thanks
Best,
Vickers
Found this Wave mention buried in a recently filed Seagate Technology patent..Have no idea what it means:)
http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fn...
[0083] Within the Trusted Drive architecture, it is possible to define a SP Object, like the Controller SP, that provides privileged access to authorized users to upload code to the controller. Thus, customers can be provided with a "Sandbox" where a Sandbox SP can safely execute scripts uploaded from the Host on a dynamic basis. A "sandbox" as it is understood in this instance is a virtual OS environment, which allows the user to upload code into random access memory to run within a confined window, thereby allowing for code debugging without permanently effecting the trusted drive. Several sandbox applications are commercially available, including Wave Systems Embassy by Wave Systems Corp. of Lee, Mass. TCPA/TCGs TPM is being developed to have this capability (optionally), and it is likely that the Trusted Windows Palladium/NGSCB architecture will incorporate a Sandbox for running arbitrary code. Such a Sandbox SDK would likely be available from third parties and not from the disc manufacturer.
Interesting B. Gates memo from 10/30
Excerpt..."We will build our strategies around Internet services and we will provide a broad set of service APIs and use them in all of our key applications.
This coming "services wave" will be very disruptive. We have competitors who will seize on these approaches and challenge us – still, the opportunity for us to lead is very clear. More than any other company, we have the vision, assets, experience, and aspirations to deliver experiences and solutions across the entire range of digital workstyle & digital lifestyle scenarios, and to do so at scale, reaching users, developers and businesses across all markets."
http://www.scripting.com/disruption/mail.html
FWIW & probably posted-Steven presenting at CSI--did we already know? Nov. 14
Trusted Computing: Empowering Computers to Protect Themselves
Speaker: Steven Sprague (President & CEO, Wave Systems Corp.)
https://www.cmpevents.com/CSI32/a.asp?option=C&V=11&SessID=1000
If you lost your laptop or PDA, would you trust it to secure itself? Tens of millions of new “Trusted Computers” can now do just that…securing themselves thanks to a revolutionary new hardware security chip. More than 100 vendors making up the Trusted Computing Group (Dell, Microsoft, Intel, Sony, Wave Systems and more) have created a hardware standard for ensuring data protection and security of computing devices. In this presentation you will learn key concepts of the Trusted Computing architecture and its implementation.
OT Snacks, thanks; still here just not not much time as I build my company up. But-Longer this week than last:) See ya all in Vegas!
Vickers
Recent TPM mention by Diebold (bolded below)
http://www.diebold.com/whatsnews/inthenews/labiometrics.htm
Biometrics at forefront of Diebold's LatAm offerings
From the October 14, 2005 edition of Business News Americas
By Scott Sadowsky
US banking equipment supplier Diebold (NYSE: DBD) is introducing increasingly more biometric and other high-tech systems into the Latin American financial sector, said Diebold Colombia marketing and communications director Paula Bonilla.
Diebold has been offering biometric technology for over five years, beginning with a system implemented throughout Colombia to verify the identity of retirees picking up their pensions.
But the highlight of Diebold's offerings is its biometric solution for ATMs. The main obstacle to the use of this technology has been the lack of standardization among different biometric devices, a problem Diebold has tackled with proprietary middleware.
"Biometric algorithms vary from brand to brand, so what Diebold did was create middleware that runs on its Agilis platform to allow clients to implement whatever technology they choose - they are not obligated to use biometric devices from a specific provider," Bonilla told BNamericas.
Whereas most biometric identification systems merely generate readings, such as those used by police agencies, the Diebold software also performs identity verification, which greatly reduces processing time. Users first identify themselves using a number or code, and then the biometric data gathered by the ATM is compared to data that the bank has already collected on the customer.
Diebold recently finished a small test run of its biometric ATMs in Chile, and "the pilot units passed the test successfully," said Bonilla.
However, the mass implementation of these systems is not without obstacles.
"Latin American banks are in general somewhat conservative. They don't want to implement anything they fear might be poorly received by customers, and biometric technology can make people feel invaded to a certain extent. It's going to require a cultural and educational process," said Bonilla.
Diebold has also attacked the security issue from the hardware standpoint. "In conjunction with Intel we have designed a security device specifically for ATMs based on its Trusted Platform Module. No one else has it," said Bonilla.
In order to implement these new technologies banks must use Windows-based ATMs, which Diebold launched only two years ago. Given that Diebold promises customers an 18-year life for their ATMs, according to Bonilla, it can be expected to take some time before the TPM-based solution is widely adopted.
OTHER TECHNOLOGIES
Among Diebold's other new offers is the IM-500 module for ATMs. "It includes a thermal printer, an MICR reader, a barcode reader that lets users pay bills, a magnetic strip verification system, a smart card reader and writer and a scanner that can record both sides of documents. It has been installed in hundreds of thousands of ATMs in Brazil," added Bonilla.
Also, for small towns and rural areas without banks Diebold has developed a special banking terminal. "It's connected to a bank, but it's also a terminal for the corner store or small supermarket in which it's installed, allowing people to perform almost every type of banking transaction," she said.
wavxmaster, one can only hope. Like many I remembered that PR and did some sleuthing of their website but find no mention of Wave.
Hey, one of these days a "thought to be long dead" relationship is going to send us a-poppin :)
Kudelski and Disney establish set top box JV
http://yahoo.reuters.com/financeQuoteCompanyNewsArticle.jhtml?duid=mtfh01258_2005-08-31_05-42-19_l31...
Wed Aug 31, 2005 01:42 AM ET
ZURICH, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Switzerland's Kudelski (KUD.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) and Walt Disney (DIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) have set up a joint venture to develop and market a video-on-demand system for digital television operators worldwide, the firms said on Wednesday.
The security software group and Walt Disney subsidiary Walt Disney Television International said the set top box system would offer a selection of movie and other television content delivered to its hard drive, as well as the capacity for subscribers to record personal content from existing channels.
The system is designed to run on satellite, cable, terrestrial and IP digital video recorder hardware platforms, the companies said.
The system will not be available in the United States, Canada and Japan.
Interesting Report from University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/TechReports/UCAM-CL-TR-641.pdf
Cryptographic processors – a survey
Ross Anderson, Mike Bond, Jolyon Clulow,
Sergei Skorobogatov
August 2005
15 JJ Thomson Avenue
Cambridge CB3 0FD
United Kingdom
phone +44 1223 763500
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/
Technical Report
Number 641
Computer Laboratory
UCAM-CL-TR-641
ISSN 1476-2986
AMD: Going For The Gold In Tinseltown
It's taking a run at Intel's supremacy in chips as studios gear up for online movies
http://yahoo.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_33/b3947116.htm
AMD: Going For The Gold In Tinseltown
It's taking a run at Intel's supremacy in chips as studios gear up for online movies
Charlie Boswell, a 51-year-old former songwriter with shaggy hair, may just be the biggest schmoozer in Hollywood these days. He takes A-list honchos to fancy dinners and makes a concerted effort to be hip in every way. One of his more novel moves: He buys Spy Kids and Sin City director Robert Rodriguez a new guitar after every movie Rodriguez finishes, and sometimes even heads to his Dripping Springs (Tex.) ranch to strum along with him. But Boswell isn't looking for a chance to get one of his songs into a movie or to snag a role. He just wants to sell computer chips to Hollywood.
Advertisement
That's because, as head of the digital media and entertainment unit at Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD ), the No. 2 maker of microprocessing chips, Boswell is on a mission to unseat leading chipmaker Intel Corp. (INTC) as the longtime preferred supplier to Tinseltown. That someone pushing the latest computer chips has garnered such clout speaks volumes about where Hollywood is now putting its priorities. Today chips power the servers and work stations that help conjure up the scenes of alien attacks in War of the Worlds and generate those elastic moves of Mrs. Incredible. These kinds of computer-generated effects are now the industry's lifeblood. Eight of this year's top 10 box office hits are special-effects-laden or animated projects. And with studios at last willing to move forward with online delivery, chipmakers will play an even greater role. The increasingly heated rivalry between AMD and Intel is beginning to split Hollywood's power brokers into two fiercely loyal chip camps.
BRAGGING RIGHTS
It may be that Hollywood's contracts with the chipmakers are paltry compared with other lines of business for the Silicon Valley powerhouses, but the glitz and publicity surrounding the movies give them a huge showcase for their goods. When DreamWorks (DWA ) and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ ) signed on with AMD, DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg appeared at a broadcasters' convention to pitch AMD by showing 15 minutes of DreamWorks' then-unfinished animated film, Madagascar. Intel brought along Robert Redford to a consumer electronics show in January. His Sundance Film Festival is sponsored by Intel and used Intel chips to wirelessly deliver films, such as this year's documentary RIZE, through WiMax technology. "Getting a Hollywood studio is better than buying a TV commercial," says Shane Rau, a research manager for technology consultancy IDC (IDC ). "They're trendsetters for popular culture."
Intel still dominates in Hollywood, supplying such major studios as Warner Bros. (TWX ), Walt Disney (DIS ), Pixar (PIXR ), and Sony's (SNE ) Imageworks special effects unit -- though "AMD has got a win or two here and there," admits Kevin M. Corbett, vice-president of Intel's Digital Home Group. The chip leader has been ensconced in the dream factories since 1994 and two years later teamed with talent agency CAA to line up studios. It worked with Avid Technology Inc. (AVID ), a leading film editing company, and has provided the computing power for slews of blockbusters, including Spider-Man and Terminator 3. Director Peter Jackson's WETA facility in New Zealand used IBM (IBM ) servers with Intel Pentium 4 Xeon chips to make his next film, King Kong, as well as the Lord of the Rings series.
So what will AMD need to do to catch Intel? For one, it has to come up with a compelling scheme that helps studios grapple with the coming era of digital movie downloads. Company officials say they will unveil such a plan later this year with Microsoft Corp. (MSFT ) Together the two tech companies are working on digital rights protections that will be encoded into Windows Media software for playing high definition movies on AMD-based machines. For its part, Intel is working with five companies to back an Internet copy-protection scheme that will put studios more at ease. And with $12 billion in cash, Intel isn't shy about doling out the money. It recently decided to fund a download service started by actor Morgan Freeman and to invest in a Korean company that is developing a payment system for content on cell phones.
WINING AND DINING
Boswell, on the other hand, makes his pitch personally, one dinner at a time. He wined and dined Titanic director James Cameron for months and pressed Rodriguez to plug AMD to Cameron as well, says Rodriguez. Boswell persuaded George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic to switch from Intel to AMD. Those chips fired up servers that made Yoda spring into battle in Lucas' Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, released in May. Boswell's spiel: AMD's 64-bit Opteron chip is as much as 40% faster than Intel's Xeon chip. Using AMD chips saved Lucas $10 million or more by allowing him to see complex scenes in hours instead of days, says Star Wars producer Rick McCallum. Plus, says McCallum, "Charlie is a great guy to go out and drink with and tell stories with." On Aug. 1, AMD announced it was supplying the army of servers used by ILM's new Letterman Digital Arts Center in San Francisco.
There's no summer respite in this battle, either. Intel in June invited studio executives to a CEO powwow in Beijing, where they saw presentations by several tech companies, partnered with Intel, that distribute digital films and TV shows. Meanwhile, AMD's Boswell was heading back home to Los Angeles after attending the Star Wars premiere in London. Jet lag is just one price executives have to pay in the war for the hearts and hardware of Hollywood.