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    AMD hires Apple and Qualcomm senior engineers in bid to expand into new markets

    AMD hires Apple and Qualcomm senior engineers in bid to expand into new markets

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    AMD logo stock
    AMD logo stock

    AMD is hiring two senior engineers who previously worked at the company earlier in their careers before heading to rivals. Wayne Meretsky, a technical lead for Mac OS at Apple before joining AMD in 1999, returned to AMD once again in December after a stint at a robotics company and other roles. Reuters reports that Charles Matar is also returning to AMD as vice president of System-on-Chip Development following his departure from Qualcomm.

    The two hires, described by AMD as an effort to expand into new markets, come shortly after former Apple chip designer Jim Keller joined AMD as chief architect in August last year. AMD has been losing money, struggling to get its chips into PCs, and two rounds of layoffs saw the company let key execs go over the past year or so. The company is restructuring with hopes to save $20 million in Q4 and $190 million in 2013, but it continues to face stiff competition in a period of PC industry decline.

    AMD for the next-generation Xbox and PlayStation consoles?

    Recent rumors suggest that Sony and Microsoft may both opt to use AMD's chipsets for their next-generation consoles. If the reports are accurate, then combined with AMD's Temash tablet processor the company could be set for a healthier year ahead with a focus on new markets away from the traditional PC. With key senior engineers returning to AMD, there's clearly a vote of confidence that the company can turn things around.