It will come as no surprise to Computergram readers that IBM Corp is to become a foundry for Advanced Micro Devices Inc iAPX-86 compatible processors. God knows, AMD needs it. Big Blue hinted last year its relationship with AMD might be more than just its PC division’s agreement with AMD to use K6 in new IBM Aptiva home computers. That agreement gave IBM the right to brand K6 as an IBM chip. The new deal with AMD is purely a foundry affair where IBM will fabricate K6 using its 0.25 micron process technology. The agreement does not cover the next-generation CMOS7S copper technology. IBM says if AMD wants copper chips it will have to ask for them specifically. IBM’s existing deal with AMD’s rival iAPX-86 chip builder Cyrix Corp – now part of National Semiconductor Corp (CI No 3,229) – allows IBM to build its own versions of Cyrix parts.
