4 Ways Intel Core Ultra Processors are Transforming Business Computing

In the post-pandemic era, Canadian workers have shown a preference for hybrid work, due to its work-life balance and flexibility. At the same time, explosive growth in AI applications has introduced complexities around their productive use in the workplace, and many workplaces still need to be reconfigured to accommodate these changes.

From an IT perspective, organizations are dealing with a different set of priorities:

• How to enable endpoint security outside company networks
• How can business continuity be managed when employees don’t have a fixed workstation?
• As AI apps and services become prevalent, how could current PCs handle the increased workload?
• How to select the right technologies for hybrid collaboration
• How to manage the rollout of new technology initiatives without stifling growth

These new priorities are causing a shift in how Canadian organizations look at their current technology. An IDC survey of IT decision-makers reported that three out of four respondents are already considering AI capabilities as a key factor for their next PC buying decision.

Therefore, it’s important to plan and understand the deployment of AI PCs for work. To be specific, what capabilities would the AI PC require and how do they fit into current business computing needs?

Let’s explore how Intel’s latest series of processors can help solve this problem.

Our workspace technology partners at Intel have launched the Intel Core Ultra laptops and processors to bring the AI-powered PC experience to the modern workforce.

The processors feature a redesigned architecture that supports the evolving needs of hybrid workers for security and performance while enabling them to harness AI's power.

Let’s understand what’s in it for enterprise customers and how these features translate to business benefits in detail.  

1. Energy efficiency for mobile workers

Hybrid workers often face power supply issues when they work from remote workspaces, as a dependable wall outlet may not always be available. In such cases, they would heavily rely on the PC’s battery.

Intel Core Ultra processors address this challenge with power efficiency optimization for mobile workers. Thanks to advancements in microarchitecture, manufacturing processes and power management software, these processors achieve up to 40 percent lower power consumption for tasks like videoconferencing.

This leap in efficiency means longer battery life and uninterrupted productivity for workers on the go. They can stay connected with other remote workers and choose work locations that suit their needs.

2. New optimized hardware architecture for AI applications

A host of generative AI applications that enhance knowledge work productivity are being developed to run locally on devices to reduce latency. For such scenarios, the PC processor must be able to accommodate the additional pressure.

Intel Core Ultra processors are designed with an AI-optimized architecture that enhances user experiences and readily supports the growing ecosystem of commercial AI applications. The integration of CPU, GPU and a new neural processing unit (NPU) allows for seamless execution of AI tasks.

The NPU is an additional microprocessor designed to accelerate PC performance for AI-specific workloads. This enables work PCs to run multiple AI features simultaneously, such as background blur and noise suppression on video calls, without any lags.

These capabilities extend to other AI-assisted applications such as image and video generation or using AI models to perform complex analysis tasks.

3. Enhanced endpoint protection against security threats

Enhanced endpoint security is a top priority for enterprises with hybrid workers as they have a greater risk exposure outside the closed walls of the office. Intel's new processors deliver enhancements to endpoint security to reduce this expanded attack surface.

They come integrated with Intel Threat Detection Technology, which can leverage all compute engines, including the NPU, to support AI-assisted anomaly detection. This feature makes the PC more capable of identifying on-device threats, such as malware or viruses, and warding them off before they can cause significant harm.

Additionally, the Intel Silicon Security Engine provides hardware-based authentication of system firmware, ensuring a robust defence against security threats. Essentially, it adds an extra layer of security on top of the firmware, making it less vulnerable to tampering – which is often how cyberattackers infect devices.

4. Simpler device lifecycle management for enterprises

IT teams responsible for managing the device lifecycle must carry out maintenance functions such as installing security patches and updating software inventory remotely for hybrid workers. And these tasks become more complex as the fleet grows.

In their latest edition of processors, Intel has made the monitoring and management process easier for IT teams with support for Intel Device Discovery. This feature allows service engineers to leverage cloud services to communicate remotely with devices and collect device data for better management decisions.

The Intel Innovation Platform Framework (Intel IPF) is the interface for service teams to quickly get all the critical data points about the device, such as features, wear and tear history and more.

Since these capabilities are integrated into the devices, the service management experience becomes less cluttered and more accessible to operationalize.

CDW Canada, as a leading Intel partner, ensures that organizations can procure powerful AI PCs built for business productivity, at scale.

Whether it’s selecting the right hardware, optimizing software or implementing security measures, we closely collaborate with Intel to guide organizations toward informed PC purchase decisions for their workspaces.

Our extensive expertise on Intel products and strong industry ties offer enterprises a seamless PC deployment experience. We can walk through the entire journey of estimating technology requirements, understanding your use cases and enabling lifecycle management.

We are known for our post-lifecycle support across Canada that helps you minimize service disruptions.