SUMA, who used to manufacture only NVIDIA GeForce-based graphics cards in the past and who recently started to sell ATI RADEON powered products as well is now listed in ATI Technologies’ list of vendors.

As we revealed in early-April, SUMA now offers RADEON 9000-, RADEON 9100 and RADEON 9500-series of graphics cards (see this news-story). Since then the company also started to sell its GeForce FX 5200, GeForce FX 5600 and even GeForce FX 5800-based graphics cards, however, it is not listed in NVIDIA’s list of AIB partners.

Remember that SUMA is not in the list of ATI’s AIB partners, but in the list of vendors who sell Powered by ATI graphics cards, together wish such companies as Appian Graphics, Club3D, Colorgraphic, Xelo, Neue ELSA, Jetway Information, Joytech Computer, Manli Technology, Super Grace Electronics, Triplex Corporation and

Unitech Electronics. I actually have no idea what is the difference between a “partner” and a “vendor” since both support ATI Technologies, expand its market share and actually bring some money to the Markham, Ontario, Canada-based graphics chip developer. Something makes me think that ATI considers as partners only those companies, who do not sell anything based on rival’s chips, while those, who do, are considered only as vendors. Well, definitely a not really kind attitude towards friendly-companies, however, NVIDIA simply does not list any firms which utilise competing solutions anywhere at all…