Continuing its momentum and leadership in virtualization technology, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. today released the first video and images demonstrating live migration across three generations of AMD processors on VMware ESX 3.5, including the Six-Core AMD Opteron processor code-named "Istanbul." Live Migration of virtual machines across physical servers is key to providing superior flexibility for managing today's data centers. Additionally, AMD is highlighting its continued, cooperative development efforts with Microsoft as evidenced in Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V, which is available today as a beta and adds support for AMD-V technology with Rapid Virtualization Indexing. The new 45nm Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor provides scalable performance for both Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 and has received support from all four global OEMs.

At tomorrow's IDC Cloud Computing Forum in San Francisco, AMD will host a panel discussion on "Building the Business Case for Cloud Computing: Understanding the Opportunities and Benefits." Representatives from Accenture, Amazon, AMD, Red Hat, The Shumacher Group, and IDC analyst Frank Gens will discuss strategies to successfully plot and initiate a cloud computing course. In addition, panelists will explore how cloud computing helps companies advance capacity and capabilities without significantly increasing investments.

"As datacenter demands continue to evolve toward web-based application and data delivery, IT costs and energy consumption can sky rocket. We believe businesses can see both cost-savings and workload efficiencies with a cloud computing environment, particularly when utilizing scalable, high value, power-efficient AMD platforms," said Margaret Lewis, director, commercial software solutions and strategy, AMD. "Next quarter, AMD will take energy-efficient computing to the next level by introducing an even lower power processor specifically designed for the unique demands of cloud computing environments."

AMD today announced the availability of robust new virtualization solutions powered by a combination of technologies from AMD and Microsoft Corp. This new deployment model uses AMD Opteron processors with AMD Virtualization (AMD-V) technology together with Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V to deliver significant efficiencies to enterprises large and small. Mid-market companies in particular, which have traditionally been slower to implement virtualization, can take advantage of the combined AMD and Microsoft product offering to help reduce cost, complexity and energy consumption.

"AMD has taken a leading role in driving virtualization innovation into the x86 processor, helping to meet a compelling need in the commercial market for cost reduction, increased performance and energy efficiency," said Kevin Knox, vice president of Worldwide Commercial Business, AMD. "Now, through our continued partnership with Microsoft, AMD is expanding virtualization's reach and the benefits of resource consolidation to companies that might not have taken advantage of virtualization in the past."