Roundup: AMD-Intel, e-government, CPM Braxis, Microsoft

US chip manufacturer Intel (NYSE: INTC) has agreed to pay fellow chipmaker AMD (NYSE: AMD) US$1.25bn to drop several antitrust and patent lawsuits, the companies said in a joint statement. As part of the settlement, both firms obtain patent rights from a new 5-year cross license agreement. Intel and AMD will also abandon statements alleging the violation of the previous agreement. "While the relationship between the two companies has been difficult in the past, this agreement ends the legal disputes and enables the companies to focus all of our efforts on product innovation and development," AMD and Intel said. *** The government of Belize has formed an e-government task force, it said in a statement. The new body, which will include officials from government ministries, the private sector, the press, civil society and labor unions, aims to improve the delivery of public sector services. The program also aims to increase citizen participation in government initiatives. *** Brazilian IT services firm CPM Braxis has tapped Rodrigo Afonso as assistant director for systems project architecture, the company said in a statement. Prior to joining CPM Braxis, Afonso served as the director of product and solutions for the local division of Indian IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Afonso holds an MBA from Brazil's Fundação Instituto de Administração. *** Mexico's economy minister (SE) has signed an agreement with the local division of Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) to help accelerate IT adoption in SMEs, online news source InfoChannel reported. Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will offer a package of solutions to qualified SMEs. The solution suite, which includes programs such as Microsoft exchange online and Microsoft office live, will be available free of charge until March 31, 2010.