At the 2012 International CES conference (Jan. 10-13, Las Vegas), AMD plans to promote its VISION and Radeon Graphics technologies. But The VAR Guy will be looking behind the scenes, trying to determine if new AMD CEO Rory Read can really make AMD successful in the post-PC era.

A lengthy list of high-tech companies — AMD, Apple, Google, Hewlett-Packard and IBM, just to name a few — began 2012 with new or recently named CEOs in place. One by one, The VAR Guy is taking a closer look at each company’s new leadership.

AMD and Rory Read: A Closer Look

Read jumped from Lenovo to AMD in August 2011. He cut AMD’s staff in November 2011 and is now focusing the company on “low power, emerging markets and the cloud.”

No doubt, Read is a sharp guy who understands high-volume IT markets. Read also understands the IT channel and the value of VARs and OEMs. During his time with Lenovo, Read vowed that the PC giant would never compete with channel partners — a refreshing stance amid all the channel conflict many VARs currently face.

Still, Read now leads a struggling company that has yet to capitalize on the post-PC era. In its Q3 2011, AMD revenues were $1.69 billion — up a bit from $1.62 billion in Q3 2010. Also, Q3 2011 net income was $97 million, which reversed a $118 million loss from Q3 2010. Those aren’t horrible figures. But subpar CPU launches and product cancellations have left AMD in an ugly position, Extreme Tech asserted in November 2011.

Read between the lines and some critics think AMD’s business could get worse before it potentially gets better.

Can Recent Moves Boost Future AMD Profits?

What does the future hold for AMD? The company is set to announce Q4 financial results on January 24, 2012. Near term, The VAR Guy doubts that Read can deliver any financial upside miracles. But long term, Read seems to be taking some key steps to bolster AMD’s business.

Among AMD’s recent steps:

  • Delivering new Opteron server processors in November 2011. (Dell, for one, has been endorsing AMD in the server market lately.)
  • Confirming plans for the AMD Fusion Developer Summit (June 11-14, 2012, Bellevue, Wash.)
  • Recruiting Lisa Su as senior VP and GM of Global Business Units, reporting directly to Read. Su, a veteran of Freescale Semiconductor, now drives AMD’s business units, alliances and partnerships.
  • Delivering new APUs (Accelerated Processing Units) for desktops and notebooks.

AMD vs Intel: That’s Old News

Perhaps the most telling statement of all: AMD is trying to let go of the old “AMD vs. Intel” mindset, notes Nathan Ingraham on TheVerge.com. But does that mean AMD can compete in growth markets like smartphones and tablets, where ARM Holdings is the current high-tech darling — and Intel is moving in with its own options?

The VAR Guy has already expressed lingering concerns about AMD’s mobile strategy. But perhaps Read and AMD will prove The VAR Guy wrong. The next two tests for AMD arrive this month. First up, AMD needs to wow attendees at CES. Then on January 24, when AMD announces Q4 results, Read has to show investors and customers that the company’s long-term strategy is sound.

 

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