American Megatrends: Difference between revisions

From SoftHistory
No edit summary
(Grammar and section title fixes)
 
(3 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
[[File:American Megatrends logo (2020 - Present).png|thumb|The AMI logo in use since 2020]]
[[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 developer company specializing in PC BIOSes, UEFI firmware, and various PC hardware. It was founded in 1985 as '''Quintessential Consultants Inc. (QCI)''' in Norcross, Georgia. The company was later renamed "American Megatrends Inc." and then "AMI" in 2020.
'''AMI Inc.''', formerly and commonly known as '''American Megatrends''', is a software and hardware development company that specializes in BIOS/UEFI firmware and various PC hardware. The company was founded in 1985 as Quintessential Consultants Inc. (QCI) in [[wikipedia:Norcross,_Georgia|Norcross, Georgia, United States]]. The company was renamed American Megatrends Inc. shortly after its establishment, and then again as AMI Inc. in 2020.


== Foundation ==
== Background ==
[[File:American Megatrends old logo (1985 - 2020).png|thumb|The old AMI logo (1985 - 2020)]]
[[File:American Megatrends old logo (1985 - 2020).png|thumb|Old AMI logo (1985 - 2020)]]
The company was founded by Subramonian Shankar and Pat Sarma with funds from a previous consulting venture, '''Access Methods Inc.''' (also AMI), founded 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 <u>AMI</u>BIOS acronym), and bought out the rights to AMIBIOS from Access Methods.
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 primarily competed with [[Phoenix Technologies]]' [[PhoenixBIOS]] and [[Award Software]]'s [[AwardBIOS]].


The new company was owned by both Sarma and Shankar, with Sarma being the owner and Shankar being the 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; American Megatrends then purchased all shares of the company owned by Sarma, making Shankar the majority owner.<ref>https://twit.tv/shows/triangulation/episodes/226/</ref>
== Foundation and history ==
Shortly after the release of AMIBIOS in 1985, legal problems arose between Sarma and his partners. Therefore, Sarma founded a new company called Quintessential Consultants Inc. (QCI). This company was later renamed American Megatrends, Inc. (to keep the <u>'''AMI'''</u>BIOS acronym) and it then acquired AMIBIOS from Access Methods Inc. in the same year.


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]].
American Megatrends was owned by both Sarma and Shankar, with Sarma being the owner and Shankar being the vice president.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jYX3sL08Xs</ref> This partnership continued until 2001, when the company's RAID division was acquired by LSI Logic. Shankar then acquired all of Sarma's shares in the company, making him the majority owner.<ref>https://twit.tv/shows/triangulation/episodes/226/</ref>
 
In 2020, the company was renamed AMI Inc. Two years later, its headquarters was moved from Norcross to Building 800 at 3095 Satellite Boulevard in unincorporated [[wikipedia:Gwinnett_County,_Georgia|Gwinnett County]], near the city of [[wikipedia:Duluth,_Georgia|Duluth]].

Latest revision as of 11:01, 23 April 2025

Current AMI logo in use since 2020

AMI Inc., formerly and commonly known as American Megatrends, is a software and hardware development company that specializes in BIOS/UEFI firmware and various PC hardware. The company was founded in 1985 as Quintessential Consultants Inc. (QCI) in Norcross, Georgia, United States. The company was renamed American Megatrends Inc. shortly after its establishment, and then again as AMI Inc. 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 primarily competed with Phoenix Technologies' PhoenixBIOS and Award Software's AwardBIOS.

Foundation and history

Shortly after the release of AMIBIOS in 1985, legal problems arose between Sarma and his partners. Therefore, Sarma founded a new company called Quintessential Consultants Inc. (QCI). This company was later renamed American Megatrends, Inc. (to keep the AMIBIOS acronym) and it then acquired AMIBIOS from Access Methods Inc. in the same year.

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

In 2020, the company was renamed AMI Inc. Two years later, its headquarters was moved from Norcross to Building 800 at 3095 Satellite Boulevard in unincorporated Gwinnett County, near the city of Duluth.