AMD and Architecture for Humanity Launch Global Design Competition to Create One Connected World
9/12/2007

AMD and Architecture for Humanity Launch Global Design Competition to Create One Connected World

San Francisco, Calif. — September 12, 2007 — Architecture for Humanity and AMD (NYSE: AMD) today launched the AMD Open Architecture Challenge, inviting architects, designers, students and others to participate in an open design competition to help bring connectivity and computing power to communities that lack access to the Internet. Participants are charged with designing digital inclusion centers for up to three community organizations: the Kallari Association in Ecuador, SIDAREC in Kenya and Nyaya Health in Nepal. The technology centers will empower community members with the knowledge and information available via the Internet, helping residents to realize greater educational, social and business opportunities and take advantage of health-related resources.

The international competition is the first of its kind and was originally announced by Architecture for Humanity and AMD at this year's TED conference in March. Each year, Architecture for Humanity will select a partner with whom they will execute a competition that reaches beyond the traditional bounds of architecture by challenging participants to develop innovative and sustainable solutions to improve living conditions around the world. Following the conclusion of each competition, Architecture for Humanity will post all design submissions on the Open Architecture Network (OAN), an open source online gathering place, which also launched at the TED conference.

"What sets this competition apart from others is that we are calling upon the global design community to help improve living conditions around the world," said Cameron Sinclair, executive director and co-founder, Architecture for Humanity. "By implementing the winning design, or designs, we are not only assigning a winner, but we are helping people in underserved communities to live and grow through access to technology."

In preparation for the inaugural challenge's commencement, an international panel of 40 reviewers representing the fields of design, techology, environmental science and international development selected three potential community partners from more than 100 proposed sites in 35 countries. The three potential community partners selected to participate in the Challenge include:

• Kallari Association, Ecuador: Connecting a cooperative of indigenous chocolate producers and artisans in the Ecuadorian Amazon with the global marketplace by building a chocolate factory, a fair trade exchange and off-site satellite technology hubs.
  
  
• SIDAREC, Kenya: Empowering the youth of Mukuru Kwa Njenga, an informal slum settlement of 250,000, to connect with other youth and create positive change in their community by building a technology media lab and library.
  
  
• Nyaya Health, Nepal: Enabling families in a remote rural area of Nepal where there is only one doctor for a population of 250,000 to access to health care from top physicians and medical professionals all over the world by building a telemedicine center.

"As a technology company, we spend a lot of time analyzing how the power of technology can be used to help the world grow and evolve," said Dan Shine, director of the 50x15 Initiative, AMD. "This partnership allows us to leverage that power on a whole new level. By building a digital inclusion center, we are empowering a community, but it doesn't end there. By making the designs available online through the OAN web site, we are increasing the odds that many other communities will benefit from this empowerment."

AMD is sponsoring this year's challenge through the 50x15 Initiative, a global initiative that aims to enable affordable Internet access and computing capability for 50 percent of the world's population by the year 2015. The winning solution of the AMD Open Architecture Challenge will be built under the 50x15 Initiative as a 50x15 Learning Lab, a technology-based project used to gain knowledge on how best to foster digital inclusion in a specific region. Additional facilities will be constructed for the other two sites and replicated for additional community partners as funding becomes available.

For more information on the AMD Open Architecture Challenge, or to register, please visit www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/challenge.

About Architecture for Humanity
Architecture for Humanity is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that seeks architectural solutions to humanitarian crises and provides design services to communities in need. For more information, please visit www.architectureforhumanity.org.

About the Open Architecture Network The Open Architecture Network is an online, open source community dedicated to improving living conditions through innovative and sustainable design. For more information please visit: www.openarchitecturenetwork.org.

About AMD
Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is a leading global provider of innovative processing solutions in the computing, graphics and consumer electronics markets. AMD is dedicated to driving open innovation, choice and industry growth by delivering superior customer-centric solutions that empower consumers and businesses worldwide. For more information, visit www.amd.com.

About 50x15
The 50x15 Initiative, launched by AMD in 2004 at the World Economic Forum, is a bold and far-reaching effort to develop new technology and solutions that will help enable affordable Internet access and computing capability for 50 percent of the world's population by the year 2015. More than just goodwill, 50x15 is about fostering long-term economic progress and investment within high-growth markets in ways that benefit a wide range of people and businesses. For more information, visit www.50x15.com.

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AMD
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