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TestOut Launches First Online Labs for Windows 2008 MCITP Certification Training

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TestOut Corporation announced the availability of the first complete Server and Enterprise Administrator Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) certification courses with online labs. The online labs provide hands-on experience to help pass certification exams and put their skills to use in their careers.

Pleasant Grove, UT (PRWEB) June 10, 2009 — TestOut Corporation–provider of online labs for IT certification training–today announced the availability of the first complete Server and Enterprise Administrator Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) certification courses with online labs. Whether purchased individually or taken through academic courses, TestOut's LabSim software enhances learning with a cost-effective, virtual environment that enables students to experience all of the functionality of the technology they are learning from their own computer. This gives them the experience and knowledge required as they prepare to pass their IT certifications exams, and ultimately, to put their new skills to use.

  According to one recent reviewer, "The future for Windows Server 2008 could hardly be rosier." As a result, an increasing number of IT professionals are seeking–and achieving–MCITP certifications. As of April 2009, Microsoft says 13,441 people worldwide have achieved MCITP Enterprise Administrator certification (focused on day-to-day operations and management) with 7,986 receiving Server certification (focused on Windows infrastructure design).

"Students preparing to compete for IT jobs, especially related to Windows Server 2008, can differentiate themselves with both industry certifications and hands-on experience," said Noel Vallejo, CEO, TestOut. "LabSim's online lab simulations enable this experience so students complete their training prepared for more than just a paper certificate, but with a true understanding of what they've been learning."

The LabSim MCITP courses for Server 2008 include:

 

 
  • 172 lab simulations that let students work hands-on in a simulated environment to practice the skills required to become MCITP certified.

 
  • 160 instructor-led MCITP training videos and more than 173 demonstrations

 
  • 265 study guides and fact sheets that students can read to gain a further understanding of the concepts covered in all of the training videos, demonstrations, and lab exercises.

 
  • Fully integrated section quizzes and practice certification exams with more than 800 sample questions. The integrated software immediately directs students struggling with certain topics in the exams to the location of the material so they can increase their study in the deficient topic.

About TestOut:
TestOut provides IT certification training for individuals and academic institutions worldwide, focusing on enabling practical, hands-on experience with the LabSim online labs. Since its founding in 1991, the company has helped thousands of individuals achieve the skills and professional IT certifications necessary to progress in their careers. Major institutions using LabSim include DeVry University, ITT Tech and University of Phoenix. For more information, visit TestOut.

Microsoft Launches Bing At SMX Advanced

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SMX Advanced keynote conversation between Qi Lu of Microsoft and Danny Sullivan of Search Engine Land covered Bing, Microsoft's new search engine

Redding, CT (PRWEB) June 5, 2009 — Speaking in front of a packed audience at the Search Marketing Expo – SMX Advanced conference Wednesday, Dr. Qi Lu officially announced the launch of Bing, Microsoft's newly branded search engine. "The best way to predict the future is to create it," said Lu, President, Online Services Division at Microsoft. "Bing is the first step in a long journey."

 

SMX Advanced
SMX Advanced

Danny Sullivan, editor in chief of Search Engine Land, asked Lu more about the rollout, Microsoft's decision to re-brand its search products, and how Bing will differentiate itself from other search engines.

"It's very important that we have a brand that only represents search," said Lu. When looking at key success factors at other search engines, "companies in the search space that do well tend to have a strong brand that represents just search," said Lu. "It's very important that we have a search brand."

The name itself came after an extensive process that focused on coming up with something that would be short, easy to pronounce, and easy to come up with the correct url. The Chinese translation, he said, means "very certain to respond."

Lu went on to say that Bing will differentiate itself by its ability "to fulfill user intent faster," he said. Search results will no longer be delivered as 10 links per page, but will be offered in web groups based on presumed user intent. A search on Seattle, for example, would deliver results in groups such as weather, restaurants, attractions, etc.

According to Lu, the rollout of Bing, which has been followed carefully by search marketers, is going well. "So far, so good," he said, noting that there are already 20,000 friends Facebook and 16,000 followers on Twitter. The search experience in the next few years can be a lot more competitive," he added. "More competition and more choices is a good thing for everybody."

Search Marketing Expo – SMX Advanced is programmed by Search Engine Land, the leading news site for search and online marketers. The conference, which sold out for the third year in a row, runs for two days in Seattle in early June. More than 1300 marketers attended this year.

About Search Marketing Expo and Third Door Media

The Search Marketing Expo – SMX conference series is produced by Third Door Media, Inc. Third Door Media's mission is to empower internet and search marketing professionals by providing trusted content and community services they need to be successful. Search Marketing Expo conferences are held around the world and include: SMX West (Santa Clara, CA), SMX East (New York City) SMX Advanced (Seattle, WA), SMX London, SMX Munich, SMX Stockholm, SMX Sydney, SMX Singapore, SMX Madrid, SMX Sao Paolo, and SMX China.

Third Door Media publishes Search Engine Land, the leading search marketing news and analysis site. The company also produces Search Marketing Now, a lead-generation marketing solution for suppliers of SEM-related products and services, and operates Sphinn.com, a social news site that allows search and internet marketers to share news stories, participate in subject-specific discussion forums, and build their professional networks.

Canonical Announces Detail of Collaboration with SanDisk to Better Support Ubuntu

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Ubuntu sponsor and leading solid state drive manufacturer share expertise to provide better Linux experience on both netbooks and laptops

Computex, Taiwan (PRWEB) June 2, 2009 — Canonical today announced that it has been collaborating with SanDisk, the global leader in flash memory cards, to improve how Ubuntu runs on the solid state drives (SSDs) that provide the memory – and memory management – for most netbooks and laptops in the market today. Engineers from both companies have worked closely on system optimizations resulting in longer battery life, reduction in heat levels & better system responsiveness. This is done to optimise the user experience and offer original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) a better solution to bring to market.

In addition to remote collaboration, SanDisk engineers have engaged at events like the Ubuntu Developer Summit in San Francisco and Barcelona where the technology industry and Ubuntu community plan future releases of the award-winning platform.

That an industry leader like SanDisk has engaged to this degree is testament to the success of Ubuntu in winning design wins with leading PC manufacturers. More and more people are choosing an open platform on which to run their 'on-the-go' netbook machines, while increasing numbers of OEMs are enjoying the freedom and product differentiation that choosing Ubuntu gives them. With SanDisk committed to full support for the Ubuntu platform, and its engineers in direct and regular contact with their operating system peers, the success of Linux shows signs of acceleration in this area.

"SanDisk is committed to providing OEMs and consumers more choices in how they compute," said Rich Heye, senior vice president and general manager, Solid State Drives, SanDisk. "We decided to collaborate with Canonical thanks to its unprecedented success in helping Ubuntu to drive Linux in the mainstream market. Ubuntu on SanDisk SSDs delivers a fast, robust user experience and offers a fantastic combination for OEMs or original design manufacturers (ODMs)."

"There is no question that flash memory technology has helped this category to flourish. For small, lightweight, robust, heat-managed machines, SanDisk SSD is the best choice for OEMs," said Chris Kenyon, Director of OEM Services at Canonical. "The collaboration between our two organisations demonstrates that Ubuntu is an easy and great choice for OEMs interested in delivering an optimal user experience while differentiating their machines in the market."

About Canonical
Headquartered in Europe, Canonical Ltd is committed to the promotion, distribution and support of the Open Source operating system Ubuntu. Canonical aims to ensure that Ubuntu is available to every business and individual on servers, laptops and netbooks. Canonical Professional Services provide expert consultancy and support that – together with superior Ubuntu technologies – can help deliver significant cost savings and an enhanced user experience to all its customers.

About Ubuntu
Since its launch in October 2004, Ubuntu has become one of the most highly-regarded Linux distributions. With millions of users in homes, schools, businesses and governments around the world, Ubuntu is growing in popularity on the server, the desktop, on netbooks and on mobile devices. With the values of Open Source software at its core, Ubuntu costs nothing to download or update. Users are also actively encouraged to copy, reinstall, modify and share their Ubuntu software anytime, anywhere and with anyone. Visit www.canonical.com or www.ubuntu.com for more information.

Contact: Joseph Eckert, Baker Communications Group, 203-270-3711, jeckert (at) bakercg (dot) com

June is Backup Awareness Month and 94% Of People Still Risk Data Loss, says study

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Second annual computer backup study by Backblaze shows few people backup.

Palo Alto, California (PRWEB) June 1, 2009 — A study conducted on behalf of Backblaze showed that individual backup habits have gone nearly unchanged year-over-year. Despite 46% of computer users every year losing photos, music, and other data from viruses, theft, hard drive crashes and a slew of similar causes[1], 94% of computer users continue to not do regular backups daily.[2]

To help users start backing up their computers, Backblaze is giving away a 1-year online backup subscription every day during this June's Backup Awareness Month. For more details, visit www.backblaze.com/backupawareness.

As a best practice, regular backups are defined as happening at least once per day. Unfortunately, there has been no change in the number of users doing backups at this frequency. There is a slight silver lining in the survey: while the percentage of users backing up daily went unchanged, there was a small improvement in users backing up at least weekly (13% vs. 14%) or monthly (27% vs. 26%).[2] This infrequent type of backup still results in significant pain when data loss occurs, but it points to some increased awareness of the importance of data backup.

Last year, sales of laptops – which are more susceptible to theft, loss, and breakage – overtook desktops; users buy more digital cameras, iPods, smartphones; and they take more digital photos, buy more digital music, and create more digital documents for work and home.[3] An average new computer today with a 320 GB hard drive can store over 30,000 photos, 20,000 songs, and 100 full-length movies. [4] Despite all of this, computer users continue to act as if their data is impervious to loss.

"For several years, Backup Awareness Month has been a time to examine whether your computer and those of your family and friends are being properly backed up," said Gleb Budman, CEO of Backblaze, "To help people start backing up, we are giving away free 1-year subscriptions to Backblaze online backup every day this month."
To be entered to win one of the 30 free subscriptions for unlimited backup, visit www.backblaze.com/backupawareness.

About Backblaze
Founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs with security, scalability, usability backgrounds, and located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Backblaze's mission is to ensure that all computer data is backed up. Backblaze was selected as a winner of the AlwaysOn Global Top 250 private companies for game-changing technology and market value. Visit www.backblaze.com for more information or to backup your own computer.

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Backblaze between May 13 and 14, 2009 among 2,185 respondents, and between May 27-29, 2008 among 2,761 respondents. In both surveys, respondents consisted of U.S. adult computer users (aged 18+). No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full methodology is available.

[1] Data loss statistic based on percentage of Backblaze customers that needed to restore data.
[2] This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Backblaze between May 13 and 14, 2009 among 2,185 respondents, and between May 27-29, 2008 among 2,761 respondents. In both surveys, respondents consisted of U.S. adult computer users (aged 18+). No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full methodology is available.
[3] Laptop sales reported on: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Midmarket/Notebook-Sales-Outpace-Desktop-Sales/
[4] Drive space calculated based on a 3 MB photo, 4 MB song, and 1 GB movie.

BSA economic impact figures grossly exaggerated, says law firm

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Scott & Scott, LLP takes issue with economic impact conclusions of the BSA-IDC Global Software Piracy Study. Robert J. Scott, Managing Partner, says: "The economic impact on IT service firms is grossly exaggerated both in revenue and employment."

Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) June 1, 2009 — The Business Software Alliance (BSA) revenue numbers reported in their Sixth Annual BSA-IDC Global Software Piracy Study have been widely criticized and with good reason. Dallas-based software audit defense firm, Scott & Scott, LLP also takes issue with the economic impact conclusions drawn and could not find support in either the current or a 2008 Study by IDC. Robert J. Scott, Managing Partner, says: "The economic impact on IT service firms is grossly exaggerated both in revenue and employment."

The BSA-IDC's dollar and employment loss figures are based on an assumption that 100% of pirated software represents a direct loss of revenue to the software firms, and to IT employment in local service, support and distribution firms. There is no evidence that every pirated software would be replaced by a purchase of the legitimate version at full retail.

Scott could not find documented proof of the study's conclusion that local IT service and distribution firms lose $3-$4 of revenues for every $1 of PC software sold and that it costs less to support legal software than unauthorized software. He asks: "What costs
are being measured and how much is IT services?"

An IDC study, released in 2008, predicted that lowering software piracy by 10 points over 4 years would create 600,000 additional jobs worldwide….and generate $24 billion in higher government revenues. Although the current report says "that projection has been confirmed by actual experience in China and Russia", and claims that "since 2003, China added 220,000 IT jobs and Russia added 9,000 of which IDC attributes to lower PC software piracy", no reference as to how IDC arrived at these numbers was found.

Scott says: "IDC's report contains no analysis regarding the effect of unlicensed software on IT services. It seems to me that a high percentage of currently unlicensed software would not be replaced at market price and reducing the proliferation of unlicensed software would actually have the opposite effect of that claimed in the study. Fewer, not more, jobs would be created."

In addition, Scott points out that there is another side to the software piracy issue: the side that looks at the interests of millions of honest businesses that routinely purchase legitimate software for the majority of the products that are installed on their networks. Many of these companies, especially in light of the current economic crisis, do not have the financial and human resources to interpret software license agreements and establish very costly compliance initiatives, largely because of the unnecessary complexities of the license agreements created by the software industry.

Software license compliance can cost large enterprises millions of dollars; smaller enterprises often face even greater costs as a percentage of revenue. Complying with the complex and ever-changing license agreements that publishers mandate requires enormous human and financial resources.

Further, business resources dedicated to compliance management are being diverted from potential business development, investments, R&D and innovation opportunities across all industries.

Scott & Scott believes that the Business Software Alliance should do more to lessen the compliance burden on American businesses, as they seek to adhere to complex license agreements and the challenging asset reconciliation process. In doing so, companies will have the resources necessary to invest in revenue generating initiatives, as well as foster innovation that drives their businesses – and the economy.

About us: Scott & Scott, LLP (www.scottandscottllp.com and www.bsadefense.com) is a leading law and technology services firm dedicated to helping senior executives assess and reduce the legal, financial, and regulatory risks associated with software compliance. Scott & Scott's legal and technology professionals provide software audit defense and software compliance solutions, all protected by attorney-client and work product privileges.

American Legion Offers Free Computer Training to Wounded Warriors in Houston

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Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., June 1, 2009, With support from the CompTIA Educational Foundation, the American Legion will offer a free computer skills development and job placement program to wounded warriors this summer in Houston, Texas. 

 

Running mid-June to early September, the program will hold a recurring cycle of three classes on Saturday afternoons at three Legion posts (Parker Rd. Post 586, Humble Post 132 and Channelview DeZavala Elementary School at 16150 Second St.) and at the U.S. Vets Receiving Center at 1418 Preston. Courses will be taught by adjunct faculty from local colleges.

 

Any military veteran, Sons of the Legion (SLA) member, or auxiliary member is eligible to attend the program. 

 

The first Saturday will focus on using the Internet, interfacing with Texas WorkForce, and selecting jobs. Each participant will select target companies based on their individual background. The second Saturday, participants will learn how to read online job listings, select buzzwords from an applicants background and integrate them into their own resume. The third Saturday, participants will prepare cover letters and resumes to companies they have previously selected.

 

Prospective participants can register for training with Jim Hauck of the American Legion at chemeng@hughes.net.

 

About the CompTIA Educational Foundation

The CompTIA Educational Foundation provides career opportunities for individuals who historically have been under-represented in the IT workforce. With the support of individuals, industry leaders, companies and the government, the Foundation creates programs aimed at helping U.S. veterans, at-risk youth, women, minorities, dislocated workers, and individuals with disabilities to obtain the technical and business skills employers require. Since its creation in 1998, the Foundation has helped more than 1,000 individuals enter the IT workforce, helping the industry alleviate its shortage of skilled workers. For more information or to make a donation to the CompTIA Educational Foundation, visit http://www.CompTIA-EF.org.

Yes Or Yes Enterprises Release Used Mobile Phone Comparison Site

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There has been a recent growth in used mobile phone recyclers online. Yes Or Yes Enterprises Ltd have developed a comparison site to review these sites all under one roof.

Maidstone, Kent (PRWEB) May 4, 2009 — Yes Or Yes Enterprises Ltd announces the release of their used mobile phone comparison site, showing a number of different prices for the sale of mobile phones. The site can be found at http://www.mobilephonesell.co.uk.

As the credit crunch takes hold, the economy appears to be failing. This means that many more people are looking for ways to increase the money in their pockets. This is probably one of the reasons for the increase in used mobile phone recycle sites such as Mazumamobile and Envirofone now being more widely advertised.

One of the directors Andy Palmer said "Consumers need to get the best deal in the current economic climate. This is the same for people selling their used mobile phone. The site will help people get the best price available from the leading phone recycle companies, with the least amount of effort and searching."

Having developed the system from scratch, the final outcome was created with the user journey in mind. This resulted in making the site simple to operate for anyone wanting to get the best price for their old or used mobile phones. With an easy to use interface and graphical confirmation, it is hoped all clients will have an enjoyable experience in finding the best price for their used mobile phone.

"We are aware that the market is changing all the time," said Andy Palmer "However, we hope to keep ahead of new developments and welcome any feedback to improve the customer journey."

http://www.mobilephonesell.co.uk is available now for consumers to check the leading used mobile phone purchasers for the best price available.

About Yes Or Yes Enterprises Ltd:
Yes Or Yes Enterprises Ltd are an internet marketing and product development company. Although fairly young into the market, they have many new ideas in development.

Contact:
Andy Palmer, director of Public Relations
www.yesoryesenterprises.com

Endeavor Telecom Announces Rapid Installation Service

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Endeavor Telecom Announces Rapid Installation Service for Customers in Need of High Volume, Short Lead Time Deployments.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) May 4, 2009 — Endeavor Telecom, The Telecom Truck Roll Company for carriers, service providers, VARs, and equipment manufacturers, today announced its rapid installation service through which customers can leverage Endeavor's field services, logistics, and operations support offerings to perform swift high volume deployments for customers whose end-users have a need for a large rapid deployment or to quickly transition from one service to another.

Through this premium service, qualified customers have the capability of delivering rapid response deployments to high volume end-users (EUs) who may experience an urgent need to change over to a new service or quickly deploy a new technology by utilizing Endeavor's suite of outsourced professional services.

Endeavor's service portfolio of third party logistics, field service, and operations support can be engaged in whole or in part to deploy hundreds of sites in a matter of a couple of days. In a typical rapid deployment situation, Endeavor's logistics team will receive bulk shipments of customer premise equipment (CPE), stage and configure the CPE, and ship directly to the EU in less than 24 hours. The Service Provisioning team swiftly schedules and dispatches the technician resources necessary in a shortened timeline based on the required project completion cut-off date. Finally, Endeavor's Service Delivery team can perform enhanced acceptance testing to validate the success of each install so that limited customer or end-user resources do not restrict capacity. All this can be coordinated to install or service thousands of critical sites in less than a week's time.

The rapid installation service is particularly well-suited for wireless access deployments or where new wireline connectivity is not required as there is no delay associated with circuit delivery. For projects where the end-user is converting to fixed wireless the turnaround is even faster, as routers can be received, staged, configured, and shipped as well having a dispatch scheduled, all within 24 hours. Rapid deployments for wireless connectivity are also beneficial for customers in that they do not have to wait for carriers to drop the loop or can quickly transition service from a competitor without fighting over facilities or threats of disruption. Instead they can start billing end-users as soon as the installation is completed and eliminate one obstacle to the sell.

"Being able to deploy a brand new network or multi-site solution from zero to several hundred per day virtually overnight creates an enormous competitive advantage for our customers – there is something indisputably compelling in being able to sit across from the table of an end-user and state 'sign today and we'll have you completely up-and-running by the end of the week,'" said Justin McLain, Endeavor's Chief Executive Officer. "In an industry where competition is fierce, every advantage we can give our customers is a benefit to both them and us. I like being in the business of giving our partners an unfair competitive advantage; it creates the need for companies to partner with Endeavor and helps eliminate the ones that do not."

About Endeavor Telecom
Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, Endeavor is The Telecom Truck Roll Company for carriers, service providers, systems integrators, VARs, and equipment manufacturers. Endeavor's private label wholesale professional services include: Field Services, such as inside wiring & equipment installation; Order Fulfillment Logistics – equipment configuration, staging, testing, and shipping; and Tier I & II operations and technical support. Endeavor's field organization consists of more than 9,000 highly trained and certified technicians throughout North America, including all of the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Caribbean. For additional information, please visit Endeavor Telecom on the web at: http://www.endeavortelecom.com/.

Endeavor Telecom Contact:
pr(at)endeavortelecom.com

Free Webinar: Software Contract Discussions: Getting over the Legal and IT Issues

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Learn How to Avoid Legal Headaches Associated with Vendor Audits

(PRWEB) May 4, 2009 — ISSUE:   Shrinking IT budgets, fierce competition and a mature software market have increased the motivation for software publishers and enterprise software companies – such as Adobe, Oracle, Microsoft, or SAP – to conduct software licensing audits leading to substantial fines and negative publicity. Even average, unintentional infringement can have significant legal and financially material implications. Industry experts will discuss proper preparation for vendor audits, software licensing compliance, and vendor contract discussions, to get the best terms and conditions for your business needs.

EXPERTS:   
Scott Rosenberg, CEO & Founder, Miro Consulting, Inc.
Robert Scott, Partner and Managing Director, Scott & Scott LLP

WHEN:   
May 13, 2009
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET (10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PT)

WHERE:   
To attend, go to https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/975553026

DETAILS:   
With the speed businesses are transforming today – from change management to merger and acquisitions – combined with the economic climate, the majority of organizations are out of compliance, with organizations like the Business Software Alliance collecting payments between $11 million and $13 million in fines for non-compliance.

Experts in software vendor licensing, compliance and audit from business and technology law firm, Scott & Scott LLP and Oracle & Microsoft consulting firm, Miro Consulting, will discuss:

 

  • How to respond to an audits without disruption to the financial and organizational impact on your business
  • Understanding and interpreting software vendor licensing
  • Holding software contract discussions from a position of strength
  • Pre-emptive actions to resolve any conflicts that may arise during a vendor audit

Miro Consulting (www.miroconsulting.com) has provided advisory services to Oracle and Microsoft clients needing assistance in managing the fundamental changes in their software licensing assets. This highly successful consulting practice has helped 400+ clients throughout North America to optimize their total cost of ownership. A privately held award-winning company based in Fords, New Jersey, Miro has overseen over $1 billion in Oracle and Microsoft transactions.

AMD to release 16 core CPU by 2011

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(TheForceField.net) April 27, 2009 – AMD announced last week that it would accelerate its roadmap with an early release of its six-core Opteron processor this June and plans to ship a 16-core processor in 2011.

AMD made the announcement at the "AMD Opteron processor Sixth Anniversary event in Sunnydale, California.

A six-core Opteron processor, code-named "Istanbul", is set for release this June. According to AMD the new processor increases performance by 30% over AMD Opteron quad-core processors currently available.

The company said it plans to release the AMD Opteron 6000  "Magny-Cours" processor in 2010.  The Magny-Cours will be designed for 2P and 4P servers and will have 8 and 12 cores. The "Interlagos" processor is scheduled to debut in 2011 and will feature 12 and 16 cores. The Interlagos will be built on 32nm technology.

"We’re currently working on new processors which we expect will deliver more than 35 times the performance of the original single-core AMD Opteron processor released in 2003,” Patrick Patla, AMD vice president and general manager, Server/Workstation Business, was quoted as saying in a press release. “With our wide range of available power bands and performance capabilities, AMD is delivering full featured, maximum value at every price point today, and plans to continue to do so well into the future.”

AMD reported a Q1 loss of $416 million.