New Era
In a conference call following the shock news Intel and AMD had reached a settlement over antitrust and cross license patent disputes, AMD's CEO said he was "optimistic that it will usher a new era for our industry," whilst Intel's CEO said it was "best path forward."
"Today marks the beginning of a new era," said Dirk Meyer, "one that confirms that the game has changed for AMD."
"It is an important milestone for us, for our customers, our partners, and most important - for consumers and businesses worldwide," he continued, adding that it also "represents the culmination of many years of litigation and regulatory engagement."
Meyer said it would probably take some time "for people to understand how the operating conditions in processor business have changed - but make no mistake - they have changed."
He thanked the regulatory agencies around the world "for their diligence and consistency," saying their work had enabled his company of achieving a "milestone."
"We are optimistic they will continue their vigilance in maintaining a fair playing field, especially with respect to pricing practices in our industry," Meyer went on, saying he looked forward to a future filled with "healthy competition" and "the mutual respect one would expect between world-class competitors."
Meanwhile, Intel's CEO, Paul Otellini, said Intel settled the case, not because the firm believed it was in the wrong, but because the ongoing suit between the two firms had grown overly expensive and time-consuming.
"AMD and Intel took a step back," Otellini said on an Intel conference call. "There comes a time when both companies wonder if all that time and money makes sense. The best path forward was to bring closure to all suits."
He added Intel had "not wavered in our convictions that we acted within the bounds of the law."
