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AMD

Company: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Sunnyvale, CA
Company Description: AMD designs and produces innovative microprocessors, Flash memory devices and low-power processor solutions for the computer, communications and consumer electronics industries. AMD is dedicated to delivering standards-based, customer-focused solutions for technology users, ranging from enterprises and governments to individual consumers.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Product Development or Engineering Executive

Nomination Title: Randy Allen, vice president of design engineering for the Computation Products Group, AMD

   1. Tell the story about what this nominee achieved in 2004 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

Randy Allen’s work in 2004 provided the technical backbone for AMD’s
microprocessor road map, ultimately leading the industry to reassess what
constitutes successful technical innovation. Thanks to AMD, the computer
industry and end users no longer have to equate technological breakthroughs with
the immediate obsolescence of their valuable investments.

Global Design Teams:
As AMD has broadened and deepened its product portfolio to meet the growing
and differentiated needs of its customers around the globe, the company
recognized the need to grow its processor design teams worldwide. In 2004,
Randy Allen was part of the leadership team that enabled AMD’s global
microprocessor design teams to manage multiple projects simultaneously and,
ultimately, to develop and deliver innovative and useful technologies to customers
more quickly.

Customer Centric Innovation:
AMD prides itself on representing its culture of customer-centric innovation
internally as well as externally. That means the company develops its products
with its customers’ needs always in mind, not solely for innovation’s sake. This
culture produced the award-winning and remarkably powerful AMD64
microprocessor design, offering standards-based 64-bit computing without
sacrificing compatibility with the existing installed base of 32-bit hardware and
software.

During the past five years, and particularly in 2004, Allen was instrumental in
accelerating customer momentum for the AMD64 technology platform. AMD was
dedicated to delivering technology innovations that customers would find
meaningful to drive the company’s continued success, and AMD64 processors
succeeded.

The industry’s rapid embrace of AMD64 technology during 2004 disrupted the
small and expensive 64-bit market, which - until Allen’s team delivered AMD64 -
had been the exclusive domain of the world’s largest businesses and
governments. Those institutions had been locked into multiple, competing, and
incompatible 64-bit architectures until AMD64 technology extended the dominant
industry standard into the most powerful realms of computing. Three of the world’s
four largest computer makers – each of which had its own proprietary 64-bit
architecture – adopted AMD64 technology and are now delivering the world’s
highest performing servers, based on AMD Opteron™ processors. In 2004, as
hundreds of software and hardware developers began delivering thousands of
AMD64 processor-based products, even AMD’s most important competitor, Intel, emulated AMD64 technology.

Such tremendous industry acceptance of AMD64 processors signaled to internal
and external audiences that AMD is a microprocessor technology leader that is
successfully driving the industry toward pervasive 64-bit computing.  Overall, 2004
was a breakout year for AMD, as the company steadily built market momentum
and gained market share for its AMD64 technology, building a solid reputation in
the enterprise space and extending its performance leadership in desktop and
mobile PCs.

With the guidance of leaders such as Randy Allen, AMD proved to be a unique
and innovative change agent in the technology industry.

   2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: List each link on a separate line, begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.website.com]:

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Corporate/VirtualPressRoom/0,,51_104_543_12605~92470,00.html

http://www.fortune.com/fortune/technology/articles/0,15114,724543,00.html

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Corporate/VirtualPressRoom/0,,51_104_543_12605~81724,00.html

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Corporate/VirtualPressRoom/0,,51_104_543_12605~82342,00.html

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Corporate/VirtualPressRoom/0,,51_104_543_12605~84558,00.html

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Corporate/VirtualPressRoom/0,,51_104_543_12605~88884,00.html

   3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about this nominee:

Allen was recently named corporate vice president of Design Engineering for the
Computation Products Group (CPG).

A 20-year AMD veteran, Allen has served as engineering director for CPG chipset
development in addition to leading the implementation team responsible for
developing the first AMD Athlon™ processor.

Allen holds a B.S.E.E. degree from UT-Austin and a M.S.E.E. degree from
Stanford University.