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Discover the meaning of “American Megatrends” on your computer. The truth behind this screen will surprise you. The appearance on the screen has been around for over four decades.
It is very likely that you have already come across the name “American Megatrends” in the first few seconds after turning on your computer. Present on the boot screen of millions of PCs around the world, this brand has become one of the most familiar — and, at the same time, most mysterious — elements of home and corporate computing.
Although it is seen frequently, Few people know what “American Megatrends” really means and what role the company plays in the functioning of computers. Founded in 1985, the American Megatrends Inc. (AMI) is a North American company specialized in the development of firmwares, being the creator of one of the most widely used BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) systems worldwide, especially on personal computer motherboards.
AMI has played a key role in the standardization and evolution of boot systems, enabling a computer's hardware and software to communicate with each other in the first few seconds of operation. Over time, the company has expanded its portfolio to include UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), storage, system diagnostics and even remote management platforms for servers.
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Understand the meaning of “American Megatrends”
Founded 40 years ago, AMI is essential not only for home computers, but also servers, embedded systems, among others. The role of American Megatrends, in a nutshell, is to create BIOSes for motherboards of various brands and platforms.
And when we talk about BIOS, in this case, it is not the software that you access to configure small details of the PC, the one that has the “American Megatrends” logo on your computer, but rather the firmware itself, which makes the input and output data communication with all the hardware.
Loosely translating to Basic Input/Output System, the BIOS is basically a program installed on the motherboard responsible for starting a PC, checking each component and managing the initial data so that the operating system can be started or even installed.
As time went by and BIOS development improved, AMI was able to evolve the firmware to Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) with Aptio technology. This offers more speed, security, additional features and an easier interface, the UEFI BIOS has been present on any modern motherboard for years, and is currently the market standard.
Why American Megatrends Dominate the BIOS Market?
Now that you know the meaning of “American Megatrends” on your computer, it is important to know that the company also offers security solutions, data management for PCs, but with a greater focus on data centers, a segment of this market in which the North American company has a strong presence, being a leader in offering services for this public.
With a strong focus on BIOS development since its founding, it is fair to say that AMI has managed, over the years, to perfect its ability to deliver reliable BIOSes, attracting the attention of major companies such as AMD, Intel, Qualcomm, Arm, among others.
Because of this, AMIBIOS has extensive compatibility with multiple platforms and manufacturers. This is so strong that the company itself claims that almost every significant technology company in the world relies on AMI solutions and boasts the slogan “The world runs on AMI.”
A little bit of AMI's history in the technology market
Even though we know the meaning of “American Megatrends” on your computer, it is important to highlight that the leader also needed to adapt to the demands that arose along the way. One of them, and the most significant, was the transition to UEFI BIOS, a demand from the market, more specifically from partners, so that the BIOS would be more user-friendly and dynamic, in addition to offering the reliability and security of before.
Founded by Pat Sarma and Subramonian Shankar in 1985 in the US, AMI began its work manufacturing motherboards for Dell. The move into the firmware business happened only when the hardware industry migrated en masse to other regions of the world such as Asia.
Despite its greater focus on firmware, AMI continued to work with hardware for years, but on a smaller scale, while also strengthening its position as a BIOS developer. In the mid-2000s, the company stopped producing motherboards and other components to focus entirely on this area.
