Hercules strikes 3D deal with ATI

Matthew Broersma ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 10 Jan 2002 15:23 GMT

Hercules, the European graphics card maker, and 3D chip company ATI announced a tie-up on Thursday that will give ATI's products greater visibility for European consumers, while giving Hercules the ability to manufacture its own graphics cards using ATI technology.

The deal is a boost for ATI, which is locked in heated competition with rival chipmaker Nvidia in the 3D graphics business. ATI and Nvidia both make the graphics accelerators that are coveted by gamers, and are also used in most PCs and laptops.

Under the partnership, Hercules and ATI plan to develop a range of graphics products for European consumers. Hercules will exclusively carry ATI's All-in-Wonder products, which combine graphics acceleration with PC-TV and digital video recording capabilities, in European retail and distribution channels. Hercules said it will incorporate ATI technology such as the Radeon 8500 chip into its 3D Prophet range.

"Our agreement with Hercules is proof that ATI is accepted as a leading provider of graphics acceleration technology for the gaming community," said Dave Orton, president and chief operating officer of ATI, in a statement.

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