Advanced Micro Devices, better known as AMD, has struggled for years to break away from its image as the perpetual runner-up to Intel in the micro-processor market. Gautam Srivastava talks about how the company is looking to make a name for itself in the Middle East.
Gulf News: How long has AMD been in the Middle East?
Srivastava: We entered the region about two years ago. Before that, we were really managing the region from Europe, and we entered with a single individual.
In the last six months, we've gone from that single individual to about 15 people in my region, which includes South Africa. Our headquarters are here in Dubai.
Gulf News: How is AMD doing in the region?
Srivastava: It's fair to say that the competition still has a lot of the market share, but I feel that we're making great progress. We have a great PR firm on our side now, and I think you'll hear a lot about us.
Gulf News: How will AMD go about building its brand in the Middle East?
Srivastava: With any region, with any business, you scale over time. You don't start with a big bang on day one. You first establish a presence that builds a few key customers and accounts. At the right time you evaluate who you want to get serious with and what you want to do.
I was appointed specifically as vice-president over the region, which is a sign of AMD's commitment to the region and a vote in taking it forward. I'm here really to make sure that we look at the territory as a whole.
Gulf News: What is AMD currently doing to market itself?
Srivastava: You'll see us increasingly at many of the retail outlets, so I think we are becoming more of a presence in the retail side. And on the enterprise side - it is without a doubt that enterprise buyers know AMD on the server side.
We can count some of the largest oil companies in Saudi Arabia and other locations as our clients; we feel confident that the right people know us. I think we have a challenge in making ourselves even more well-known, but I'm satisfied with what we've done in the last few months.
Traditionally, our competition has emphasised its brand. You're used to seeing "Intel Inside everywhere you go," and it really puts it brand forward first and foremost. What this does is reduce the level of differentiation in the market?
When buyers go to see a Lenovo notebook, or an Acer Notebook, or an HP Notebook, they look past the difference in those notebooks and they only look to see what's inside. What incentive do you have for differentiation if people don't see that differentiation?
