in2ebook Chapter 85 Visiting Jerry Sanders
Chapter 85 Visiting Jerry Sanders
The architectural style of AMD's headquarters differs from Microsoft's modern luxury or Starry Night's minimalism, carrying the pragmatism and slightly outdated industrial feel of a long-established semiconductor company. Guided by his secretary, Ling Yun entered Jerry Sanders' office.
Sanders' office was more cluttered than he had imagined. His desk was piled high with technical documents, chip samples, and industry reports; several abstract paintings hung on the walls, along with a huge map showing AMD's global operations. Sanders himself was standing by the window, talking on the phone, his voice booming and carrying an undeniable air of authority.
"...I don't care what excuse they use, our K6 processors must be delivered to Compaq on time! Tell them that if they can't do it, their project managers should be fired!" He slammed down the phone, turned around, and the fierceness of business warfare on his face had not completely dissipated, but when he saw Ling Yun, he quickly switched to the slightly rough enthusiasm he had shown at the banquet.
"Ling! Welcome to AMD!" Sanders strode over and shook Ling Yun's hand firmly. His palm was thick and strong. "There were too many people at Bill's banquet that day, so I didn't have a chance to talk to you much. Your desktop-less system idea is quite bold!"
"Mr. Sanders, thank you for taking the time." Ling Yun shook hands with him, feeling the direct energy emanating from the other man.
"Call me Jerry." Sanders waved his hand, gesturing for Ling Yun to sit on the sofa in the reception area. He then plopped down opposite Ling Yun, leaning forward with a piercing gaze. "So, young man, what brings you here? I know a busy person like you wouldn't come to visit my old chip factory for no reason."
Ling Yun liked this directness. He opened his briefcase, took out a concise technical memo, and placed it on the coffee table.
"Jerry, I'll get straight to the point. I'm here today hoping that AMD and Starry Sky Systems can engage in in-depth technical cooperation."
Sanders raised an eyebrow, not touching the memo, but looking at Ling Yun, signaling him to continue.
"The next major version of the Starry Sky system is undergoing low-level optimization for multimedia processing and future network applications," Ling Yun explained. "This requires the processor to perform better in floating-point operations, data prefetching, and specific instruction sets. We hope to conduct deep system-level optimizations for AMD's upcoming K6 processor and future processor architectures."
He paused, observing Sanders' reaction, before delivering his core proposal: "This means we need AMD to release some of the processor architecture details and instruction set documentation that haven't been made public yet, so that our kernel and compiler teams can perform targeted development and tuning. Similarly, in the Starry Sky system's driver and application development guidelines, we will prioritize and optimize for the AMD platform."
Sanders leaned back on the sofa, crossed his arms over his stomach, and his eyes sharpened, as if assessing the risks and rewards of an investment. He didn't answer immediately, and a brief silence fell over the office.
"Ling, you know the pressure we're facing right now," Sanders began slowly, his tone no longer as casual as before. "Intel and Microsoft, they're too close. The Wintel alliance is like a wall, keeping us out of the mainstream market. Every time we launch a new product, Intel lowers its prices, and Microsoft's new systems always 'just right' to unleash performance features that require Intel's latest instruction set to function perfectly."
His words were tinged with obvious resentment and suppressed anger. "To survive, every penny must be spent wisely, and every technical collaboration must yield a clear return. Opening up our core architecture documentation to you means investing our precious engineering resources and risking the leakage of technical details. What do I get in return? An operating system with a user base that might be a fraction of Windows'?"
Faced with Sanders's blunt questioning, Ling Yun did not try to persuade him with empty ideals. He responded just as calmly:
"Jerry, you're right. StarCraft's current user base can't compare to Windows'. But the value of this partnership lies not in the present, but in the future, in the possibilities."
"First, break the monopoly dependence. Hardware manufacturers, including your potential customers, do not want to see the Wintel alliance grow stronger and stronger, to the point that it can arbitrarily set rules and prices. The existence of StarCraft, and its deep partnership with AMD, is another option to show the market. This in itself is a strategic value that can enhance your negotiating position when facing Intel and Microsoft."
"Secondly, a technology testing ground. Some of AMD's innovative architectural designs, such as the enhanced 3DNow instruction set you are researching, may not be able to fully realize their potential on Windows, where compatibility is paramount. However, on the Starry Sky system, we can reconstruct it from the system's core based on your architectural characteristics, creating a true 'showcase' that showcases the potential of AMD chips. This will have an immeasurable impact on changing the market's stereotype of 'AMD's performance lagging behind.'"
"Third, a common enemy. Microsoft will not allow any challenger to grow. StarCraft is next on their list. And AMD has always been the target that the Intel and Microsoft alliance has wanted to suppress. We are natural allies. Even if StarCraft ultimately fails, as long as we can help AMD sell even just 100,000 more CPUs or win one more major customer in the process, it will be a worthwhile investment for AMD. This is a breakthrough battle against common pressure."
After Ling Yun finished speaking, he said nothing more, simply looking calmly at Sanders. He wasn't begging, but rather stating the basis of an alliance based on realistic interests.
Sanders stared at Ling Yun, his fingers tapping lightly on the sofa armrest. The clock on the office wall ticked. After a full minute, he suddenly grinned, a wild smile of seeing a kindred spirit, of seeing an opportunity.
"Hahaha! Good!" Sanders slapped his thigh. "That's right! We're always getting beaten up over there, we need to find a chance to kick back!"
He stood up, walked to his desk, and pressed the intercom button: "Have the VP of Technology, David, and the head of the architecture department come to my office in ten minutes!" Then he returned to the sofa, picked up the technical memo that Ling Yun had brought, and quickly flipped through it.
"Open architecture documentation? No problem! I can even send a dedicated engineering team to your Los Angeles office to assist with joint debugging and optimization." Sanders spoke rapidly, his decisiveness astonishing. "Just give my team a list of any technical support you need. I only have one requirement: in all official promotional materials and technical white papers for the Star System, whenever hardware platform optimization is mentioned, AMD's name and logo must be placed in the most prominent position, and the performance improvement data for K6 and later products must be clearly stated!"
"This is a win-win situation, and it should be so," Ling Yun nodded affirmatively.
"Ling, let me tell you," Sanders leaned closer, lowering his voice, a hint of ruthlessness in it, "Intel and Microsoft think they can keep winning forever. But this world needs disruptors. I have faith in you, not because your system is so powerful now, but because you dare to dream, dare to challenge that seemingly unshakeable behemoth. In that respect, we're very similar!"
Ten minutes later, AMD's technical executives filed in. Sanders, directly in front of Ling Yun, issued an order for full cooperation with the Starry Sky System in deep technical collaboration, demanding the establishment of a joint project team to expedite the process.
The Los Angeles sun shone brightly as Ling Yun left AMD headquarters. He got into the car and let out a slight sigh of relief. The first step in their strategic alliance had gone even more smoothly than expected. Sanders' exhilaration stemmed from the immense pressure he faced and his strong desire to break through. He had found a crucial foothold, although that foothold itself was also under immense pressure.
But in any case, the first piece of the anti-Microsoft alliance puzzle has been completed. Now, he'll have to find the next one.