ATI Technologies today announced a major new business relationship between itself and Creative Labs Europe, the European operation of Creative, a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products for PC users.

Creative Labs Europe will provide ATI with an established and trusted partner in the region with proven experience in the retail channel through its dedicated sales, marketing and merchandising force. Creative Labs Europe follows Creative Labs Asia, who started to sell Powered by ATI solutions back in Summer 2002.

“We are delighted to have formed this strategic relationship with Creative Labs Europe. “The combination of Creative’s impressive retail market strength across Europe together with ATI’s strong technology and product portfolio will provide the ideal platform in further helping to increase ATI’s presence within the European retail channel and gamer community,” said Peter Edinger, Vice President, ATI Technologies Europe.

Creative Labs does not produce graphics cards, but buys them from its partners and then resells under its own brand. MSI supplies NVIDIA-based solutions for Creative Labs Europe, while CP Technology and Sapphire Technology produce Powered by ATI RADEON graphics cards for Creative Labs Asia.

At present Creative Labs Europe lists only NVIDIA GeForce FX-based lineup at its web-site and it is not absolutely clear which solutions the company will offer this holiday season, if any. It is pretty obvious that the RADEON products will complement, but not substitute the GeForce FX graphics family offered by Creative Labs Europe.

Currently there are a number of well-known and respected companies to support ATI Technologies’ sales in the European Union, including Hercules, ELSA, ASUS, Club3D, Sapphire and some others.