next naming a business story >

previous naming a company story >

AMD product naming strategy revealed: Naming companies have a field day.

SAN FRANCISCO, Apr. 13, 2002. ZDNet News reported that AMD has filed a bunch of trademark applications recently for possible names of new chips coming out later this year and next year in its new ClawHammer and SledgeHammer families.

The names being considered are a veritable methadone clinic for the morpheme addicted: Metaron, Opteron, Forteon, Multeon, and Vanton. Remember, AMD is the Intel competitor that currently puts Athlon inside (but not Athlon Inside) rival PCs.

Why is it with so many of these hi-tech companies that the code names or family names (or whatever) they develop for upcoming products are so rich and evocative, while the actual names are so bland and devoid of meaning, feeling, and soul? Death by focus group would be our guess.