American Megatrends: Difference between revisions

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(Created page with "'''AMI''', formerly (and commonly) known as '''American Megatrends''', is a developer of PC BIOS and UEFI firmware and a manufacturer of various PC hardware founded in 1985 originally as '''Quintessential Consultants Inc. (QCI)''', in Norcross, Georgia, United States. The company was later renamed to American Megatrends Inc., and then in 2020 to AMI. == Foundation == The company was found by Subramonian Shankar and Pat Sarma with funds fr...")
 
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'''AMI''', formerly (and commonly) known as '''American Megatrends''', is a developer of PC BIOS and UEFI firmware and a manufacturer of various PC hardware founded in 1985 originally as '''Quintessential Consultants Inc. (QCI)''', in [[wikipedia:Norcross,_Georgia|Norcross, Georgia, United States]]. The company was later renamed to American Megatrends Inc., and then in 2020 to AMI.
[[File:American Megatrends logo (2020 - Present).png|thumb|Current AMI logo in use since 2020]]
AMI, formerly (and commonly) known as American Megatrends, is a software and hardware development company specializing in the PC BIOS, UEFI firmware, and various PC hardware. The company was founded in 1985 as Quintessential Consultants Inc. (QCI) in [[wikipedia:Norcross,_Georgia|Norcross, Georgia]]. The company was later renamed to "American Megatrends Inc." shortly after its establishment, and then again to "AMI" in 2020.
 
== Background ==
[[File:American Megatrends old logo (1985 - 2020).png|thumb|Old AMI logo (1985 - 2020)]]
Access Methods Inc. (AMI) was an earlier joint venture by Subramonian Shankar and Pat Sarma founded in 1979 in [[wikipedia:Upper_Montclair,_New_Jersey|Upper Montclair, New Jersey]] and incorporated in [[wikipedia:New_York_City|New York City]] two years later.<ref>https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=772900#p772900</ref><ref>https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ny/595237</ref> The company specialized in computer software, including [[AMIBIOS]]; an IBM PC-compatible BIOS firmware that competed primarily with [[PhoenixBIOS]] and [[AwardBIOS]].


== Foundation ==
== Foundation ==
The company was found by Subramonian Shankar and Pat Sarma with funds from a previous consulting venture, '''Access Methods Inc.''' (also AMI), found in 1979 in [[wikipedia:New_York_City|New York City]]<ref>https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ny/595237</ref>. Access Methods was a company owned by Pat Sarma and his partner Shankar. After [[AMIBIOS]] got released in 1985, legal issues between Sarma and his partners occurred, therefore Sarma renamed his new company, Quintessential Consultants Inc. (QCI), to American Megatrends Inc. (to keep the '''AMI'''BIOS acronym still), and bought out the rights for AMIBIOS from Access Methods.
Shortly after the release of AMIBIOS in 1985, legal problems arose between Sarma and his partners. Sarma formed a new company called Quintessential Consultants Inc. (QCI). This new company was later renamed "American Megatrends, Inc." (to keep the "<u>AMI</u>BIOS" acronym) and bought the rights to the AMIBIOS from the older Access Methods Inc.


The new company was owned by both Sarma and Shankar, with Sarma being the owner and Shankar being the vice-president. This partnership continued until 2001, when LSI Logic purchased the RAID Division of American Megatrends; American Megatrends then purchased all shares of the company owned by Sarma, making Shankar the majority owner.
American Megatrends was owned by both Sarma and Shankar, with Sarma as owner and Shankar as vice president.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jYX3sL08Xs</ref> This partnership continued until 2001, when LSI Logic purchased the RAID division of American Megatrends. AMI then purchased all of Sarma's shares in the company, making Shankar the majority owner.<ref>https://twit.tv/shows/triangulation/episodes/226/</ref>


In 2020, the company was renamed again to AMI, and in 2022 the headquarters were moved from Norcross to Building 800 at 3095 Satellite Boulevard in unincorporated [[wikipedia:Gwinnett_County,_Georgia|Gwinnett County, Georgia]], near the city of [[wikipedia:Duluth,_Georgia|Duluth]].
In 2020, the company was renamed "AMI", and in 2022, the headquarters were moved from Norcross to Building 800 at 3095 Satellite Boulevard in unincorporated [[wikipedia:Gwinnett_County,_Georgia|Gwinnett County, Georgia]], near the city of [[wikipedia:Duluth,_Georgia|Duluth]].

Latest revision as of 10:09, 25 July 2024

Current AMI logo in use since 2020

AMI, formerly (and commonly) known as American Megatrends, is a software and hardware development company specializing in the PC BIOS, UEFI firmware, and various PC hardware. The company was founded in 1985 as Quintessential Consultants Inc. (QCI) in Norcross, Georgia. The company was later renamed to "American Megatrends Inc." shortly after its establishment, and then again to "AMI" in 2020.

Background

Old AMI logo (1985 - 2020)

Access Methods Inc. (AMI) was an earlier joint venture by Subramonian Shankar and Pat Sarma founded in 1979 in Upper Montclair, New Jersey and incorporated in New York City two years later.[1][2] The company specialized in computer software, including AMIBIOS; an IBM PC-compatible BIOS firmware that competed primarily with PhoenixBIOS and AwardBIOS.

Foundation

Shortly after the release of AMIBIOS in 1985, legal problems arose between Sarma and his partners. Sarma formed a new company called Quintessential Consultants Inc. (QCI). This new company was later renamed "American Megatrends, Inc." (to keep the "AMIBIOS" acronym) and bought the rights to the AMIBIOS from the older Access Methods Inc.

American Megatrends was owned by both Sarma and Shankar, with Sarma as owner and Shankar as vice president.[3] This partnership continued until 2001, when LSI Logic purchased the RAID division of American Megatrends. AMI then purchased all of Sarma's shares in the company, making Shankar the majority owner.[4]

In 2020, the company was renamed "AMI", and in 2022, the headquarters were moved from Norcross to Building 800 at 3095 Satellite Boulevard in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia, near the city of Duluth.