财务状况不佳,AMD谋求改变战略

此举是公司恢复其可盈利能力所采取的若干步骤当中的一个。AMD以前曾经表示,它将削减10%的人力,现在正在考虑更为宽广的组织再造选项,从而可能导致进一步的裁员以及可能的业务单位裁减。

“我们正在着手对公司进行重大重组,”Ruiz在于分析师进行的电话会议(4月17日)期间表示,“我们需要热情地仔细审查我们的非核心业务并再次制定适合于我们实现增长和可盈利能力的计划和发展路线。如果没有这些办法,我们将退出那些业务。”

在公司1年以前发布的计划中,AMD采取了它所描述的资产智能制造计划,Ruiz拒绝提供改变战略重心的细节,承诺不久将解决这个问题。

“我们已经在资产智能战略上取得了重大进展,我非常希望我们能够就未来这个相当复杂的努力展开详细的沟通,”Ruiz在电话采访中谈及第一季度情况时说道。

“在那个时候,我们认为我们也将有机会为所加强的重点和业已增加的灵活性而进一步重组公司,与此同时,让我们处于更有利的位置以提供可持续、可盈利的增长,”Ruiz表示。

哪些业务对于AMD来说是战略性的？

AMD公司有三个运营单位,包括计算解决方案、图形以及消费电子。在公司第一季度的营业收入中,计算部门占几乎80%且录得营运损失为1.6亿美元。

该季度图形部门录得2.3亿美元的营业收入和1100万美元的营业损失,而消费电子部门的营业收入为8100万美元且营业损失为800万美元。

因为AMD考虑MPU和图形IC核心业务,可以假设公司计划保留这两个业务,而退出其它的单位。公司也可能调整产品组合,甚至在微处理器和图形半导体单位内部。

即使AMD推出消费电子业务,这不足以恢复公司的可盈利能力。

这家身陷困境的半导体公司正在与其竞争对手英特尔公司为了微处理器市场份额而展开斗争。

根据这家位于加州太阳谷的公司首席财务官Robert Rivet的说法,公司最近一个季度财务状况的特点就是“最糟糕的。”

公司第一季度的净损失减少至3.58亿美元,或每股59美分,而去年同一季度的净损失为6.11亿美元或每股1.11美元。

较之于2007年第一季度12.3亿美元的营业收入,今年同期的营业收入上升了22%,达到1.5亿美元,但是,比2007年12月预期的15%下降要更多。

翻页查看英文原文:

AMD ponders future

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. said it will consider exiting non-core businesses if these don't show clear signs they "are on a healthy path to leadership and profitability," according to chairman and CEO Hector Ruiz.

The move is part of steps being taken by the company to restore its operations to profitability. AMD has previously said it will cut 10 percent of its workforce and is now considering a wider range of reorganization options that could result in deeper cuts and possible business unit disposal.

"We are embarking on a significant restructuring of our company," Ruiz said during a conference call with analysts on Thursday (April 17.) "We need to intensely scrutinize our non-core businesses and revisit their strategic fit into our plans and their path to growth and profitability. Absent these, we will exit those businesses."

As with a previous plan announced by the company one year ago to adopt what AMD has described as asset-smart manufacturing, Ruiz declined to provide details of the changing strategic focus, promising instead to address the issue soon.

"We have made significant progress in our asset-smart strategy and I am very hopeful that we will be able to communicate details of this rather complex effort in the near future," Ruiz said during a conference call on the company's first quarter results.

"At that time, we believe we will also have an opportunity to further restructure the company for increased focus and added flexibility while placing us in a better position to deliver sustainable, profitable growth," Ruiz said.

Which businesses are strategic for AMD?

AMD has three operating units, including computing solutions, graphics and consumer electronics. The computing division accounted for almost 80 percent of the company's first quarter revenue and recorded an operating loss of $160 million.

The graphics segment reported revenue of $230 million for the quarter and operating loss of $11 million, while the consumer electronics division with $81 million in revenue posted operating loss of $8 million.

Since AMD considers MPU and graphics IC core businesses, it can be assumed the company plans to keep the two while dumping any other units. It's also possible the company could trim product portfolio even within the microprocessor and graphics semiconductor units.

Even if AMD exits the consumer electronics business, this would not be enough to restore the company to profitability.

The embattled semiconductor company is struggling in its battle with rival Intel Corp. for market share in the microprocessor sector.

Its latest quarterly results were "characterized by poor top line performance," according to Robert Rivet, chief financial officer at the Sunnyvale, Calif., company.

The company's first quarter net loss narrowed to $358 million, or 59 cents per share, from $611 million, or $1.11 per share, in the year-ago quarter.

Revenue rose 22 percent during the same period to $1.5 billion, from $1.23 billion in the first quarter of 2007 but dropped a wider than expected 15 percent from the December 2007 quarter.