Most people in the industry hear about things called “launch events”, but rarely does an end-user get the opportunity to experience a big one. In this blog, I want to give you unprecedented access via video and pictures into the recent “Shanghai” product launch we did in Berlin on November 12, 2008.

Here is the internal memo I wrote and addressed to “All AMD” the day after the event:

“The adrenaline is still pumping and the exhilaration has yet to wear off for most of the attendees of our EMEA Shanghai Launch Event in Berlin yesterday. AMD execs and our customers were joined by 54 tier-one journalists in Berlin to launch “Shanghai,” our newest AMD Opteron Server product. The agenda was crafted with typical German precision. The setting was ideal, the content sharp, the presentations crisp, and the customers engaged. The Strato Datacenter tour was the “belle of the ball,” and with all these ingredient, the Shanghai Launch was simply explosive!”

We accomplished a “first” by having a full rack of Shanghai servers put online in real-time, and running real workloads in front of a live audience at one of the largest datacenters in Germany. This “Bringing Shanghai Live” moment elicited a roaring applause, and set the stage for a tremendous event.

Also, see Emilio Ghilardi’s CNBC Squawk Box interview that aired that same morning:

Emilio Ghilardi, Chief Sales Officer AMD extolling the virtues of AMD’s “Shanghai.”

An industry first! LIVE at Strato’s secret datacenter (located somewhere in Berlin), Emilio Ghilardi, Chief Sales Officer AMD, and Damian Schmidt, CEO of Strato, here together “pushing the button” to bring online a full rack of Shanghai-based Opteron servers.

Damian Schmidt, CEO of Strato, Leslie Sobon (displaying a 45nm Shanghai wafer), VP Worldwide Product Marketing AMD, and Emilio Ghilardi, Chief Sales Officer AMD.

An audience view of the launch event stage

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Wolfgang Tiefensee, Germany’s Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs/Federal Government Commissioner for the New Federal States.

Giuseppe Amato and I standing in front of the rack of Barcelona-based Opteron servers, shortly after we took online the Shanghai-based Opteron servers in the background.

The AMD Shanghai Launch Team that made it all happen!

If you want more “sneak peaks” in my blog, drop me a comment below and I will make it happen.

Cheers!

Ian “Cabrtosr” McNaughton

Ian McNaughton is senior manager of product and platform marketing EMEA at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies, or opinions.