New ATI motto seems to be: Committed to the customer. They invoked a new quality certification process for AIB partners of ATI (manufacturers) to verify their product's quality. Attaining certification helps ensure that customers will have a positive experience when using a graphics product manufactured by an ATI partner. To our partners, this approval means that they have met product reliability standards set by ATI and can display their product's certification on boxes and marketing materials. "When customers see Certified by ATI on a graphics board, they can feel confident that they are purchasing a quality product," said Matt Skynner, Director, Graphics Partner Marketing, ATI Technologies Inc. "We work very closely with our partners at all stages of product development and this is one more way that we demonstrate that." Read more...

The Certified By ATI approval process is available to all ATI partners and covers all areas of the end-user experience including functionality and reliability. The extensive suite of certification tests involves the following: Hardware and driver installation 12 hour 3D application test 12 hour DVD playback test Visual check of display outputs Evaluation of packaging (hardware/accessories, software, and manuals) As a result of the certification process ATI's Customer Service department has access to valuable information about each product that has been certified. This translates into a greater ability to troubleshoot and provide driver support to our partners' valued customers. The following RADEON? 9000 PRO-based products from ATI's board partners have been Certified by ATI: CONNECT 3D'S RADEON 9000 PRO; FIC's AT009; GIGABYTE'S MAYA RADEON 9000 PRO; HIGHTECH'S HIS EXCALIBUR RADEON 9000? PRO; SAPPHIRE's RADEON 9000 ATLANTIS PRO; TYAN's Tachyon G9000 PRO; WISTRON'S ATRV2500-D64 S-Media. Source: ATI