AMD loosens x86 commitment

strategy that could pave the way for using ARM technology in future AMD chips, InfoWorld says.

AMD said last week it will allow the integration of third-party intellectual property in future processors, as part of a new plan to design purpose-built chips for customers.

If a customer needs another architecture besides x86, AMD will combine its own intellectual property (IP) with that of a third party, AMD CTO Mark Papermaster said in an interview.

The new strategy comes amid sweeping changes in the computing landscape, Computerworld UK notes.

Tablet and smartphone use has expanded dramatically, but x86 chips from AMD and Intel have yet to make their mark in those devices. Microsoft's Windows 8 OS for PCs and tablets, due later this year, will run on both x86 and ARM.

The flexibility to include outside IP will allow AMD to adapt quickly to the fast-changing landscape, Papermaster said. Device makers want specialised chips for particular tasks, and AMD has a trove of IP in areas like graphics and display with which to build products. For example, AMD's graphics processor can be mixed with third-party IP for multimedia devices.

The very intriguing possibility of AMD making ARM-based processors aside, Papermaster's stated goal is to try to make AMD more nimble and better able to create custom chips with modular designs, The Verge states.

The chips would combine third-party IP from the likes of ARM, MIPS, or PowerPC with AMD's own graphics IP.

Until AMD announces some concrete partnerships, however, it's hard to know exactly what types of devices AMD would be targeting.