AMD Unlocks 3D Internet Potential with OpenGL ES 2.0 Driver
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AMD Unlocks 3D Internet Potential with OpenGL ES 2.0 Driver

— AMD First to Deliver OpenGL® ES Driver for PC and Workstation Graphics, Supporting Forthcoming WebGL Standard —

LOS ANGELES — (BUSINESS WIRE) — July 25, 2010 — At SIGGRAPH 2010, AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced availability of the first software driver for desktop computing environments to support the WebGL industry standard, which is designed to bring plugin-free 3D graphics to the Internet. The AMD OpenGL® ES 2.0 driver is intended to help developers easily create exciting 3D content that can be rendered more quickly for consumers using open-source web browsers, thereby helping create an application-like browser experience.

“AMD is a steadfast supporter of industry standards, including those that unlock the power of GPU acceleration,” said Manju Hegde, corporate vice president, AMD Fusion Experience Program. “At AMD, we see the future of computing as being intensely visual, requiring a variety of rich media 2D and 3D applications. With functionality like the OpenGL ES 2.0 driver and technology breakthroughs made possible by AMD Fusion APUs, we aim to deliver the ideal development platform for immersive experiences both online and natively on virtually any PC form factor.”

In addition to enabling 3D and application-like experiences on the web, AMD’s new driver empowers software developers to use desktop PCs and workstations powered by AMD graphics, as opposed to embedded systems, when creating applications based on OpenGL ES 2.0 for smartphones, tablets and other portable devices. And a common OpenGL ES programming environment makes it easier for developers to port software applications between PCs and handhelds, bringing a seamless computing experience, regardless of device, within our grasp.

Industry association The Khronos Group is developing the open, cross-platform WebGL standard, which is expected to be available later this year. According to Khronos, browser vendors Apple (Safari), Google (Chrome), Mozilla (Firefox), and Opera (Opera) are contributors of the WebGL Working Group.

The OpenGL ES 2.0 driver from AMD will be generally available with the upcoming ATI Catalyst™ 10.7 beta for OpenGL ES 2.0, expected to be available later today. The OpenGL ES 2.0 driver will be supported on all currently available AMD graphics products introduced since 2008, including ATI Radeon™ desktop graphics, ATI Mobility Radeon™ graphics, and ATI FirePro™ professional graphics cards.1

This release further strengthens AMD’s support of industry standard development tools, following AMD’s previous “firsts” to support OpenCL™, OpenGL 4.0 and DirectX® 11, among others.2

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About AMD

Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is an innovative technology company dedicated to collaborating with customers and technology partners to ignite the next generation of computing and graphics solutions at work, home and play. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, ATI, ATI logo, Fusion, Radeon, Mobility Radeon, FirePro, and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

OpenCL and the OpenCL logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. used by permission by Khronos.

1 Supported graphics products include ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT, ATI Radeon HD 3000 series, ATI Radeon HD 4000 series, ATI Radeon HD 5000 series, ATI Mobility Radeon 3000 series, ATI Mobility Radeon 4000 series, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5000 series, and ATI FirePro V3700, V3750, V5700, V7750, V8700, V8750, V3800, V4800, V5800, V7800, V8800.

2 In August 2009 AMD was the first to deliver and submit certification for the industry’s first OpenCL Development Platform for x86 CPUs: http://www.amd.com/us/press-releases/Pages/amd-delivers-and-submits-2009aug04.aspx
In September 2009 AMD introduced the first DirectX11-compliant graphics cards: http://www.amd.com/us/press-releases/Pages/amd-press-release-2009sep22.aspx
In March 2010, AMD announced the availability of OpenGL® 4.0 support http://blogs.amd.com/developer/2010/03/25/ready-willing-and-able-%E2%80%93-amd-supports-opengl-3-3-and-opengl-4-0/
In October 2009, AMD was also the first chip supplier to support OpenCL with GPUs and x86 CPUs: http://www.amd.com/us/press-releases/Pages/amd-leads-industry-as-2009oct19.aspx


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