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Intel takes a page from Nvidia’s book and looks beyond the CPU

Welcome to Protocol | Enterprise, your comprehensive roundup of everything you need to know about the week in cloud and enterprise software. This Thursday: Intel's strategy for moving beyond the CPU, why AWS will be following new FTC chair Lina Khan very closely, and why nothing — even a $40 billion chip deal — can stop summer vacation this year.
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The data centers that run the modern internet were built around Intel's vision (with help from several other folks like VMware and Microsoft, of course). Thanks to changing demand, the insides of the next generation of data centers are going to look slightly different, and this week Intel outlined its plans for this new era.
On Monday Intel introduced the "infrastructure processing unit," its name for a new way of thinking about the fundamental hardware inside a server. The name is a nod to what Nvidia calls the data processing unit, or DPU, without acknowledging how much of Intel's current trajectory is a response to trends that took shape elsewhere.
Intel's IPU is functionally the same idea as Nvidia's DPU. The goal is to free up the CPU by offloading certain tasks to special co-processors and beefier networking processors.
This is being seen as a big shift in thinking for those who have been watching Intel closely over the last several years. While there are a lot of details about this product that Intel didn't spell out during its presentation on Monday, it's clear that CEO Pat Gelsinger — who has had almost half a year to try to turn the Intel battleship around — is starting to make progress.
More information on Intel's IPU strategy is expected to be released later this year.
— Tom Krazit
Tune in to HPE Discover (June 22-24) to hear from CEOs, technologists and superstars – including General Motors Chair and CEO Mary Barra, soccer champion, activist and entrepreneur Megan Rapinoe, 7x FIA World Champion and F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, and Professional Golfer, Major Champion and mother Michelle Wie West. We'll discuss purpose-driven companies, sparking innovation for a data-centric future, and more.
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Trading Exploded: Can Financial Education Catch Up? Join Protocol's Tomio Geron, Benjamin Pimentel and a panel of experts for a live virtual event where we'll explore what's next for financial education after the explosion of retail trading. June 22 at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET. Join us
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Follow the data: Don't miss our comprehensive look at the state of the modern database and data analytics market in The New Database, our latest Protocol Manual. Joe Williams outlined the surge of interest in database startups as well as 10 people shaping the future of one of the most fundamental pieces of the enterprise software stack.
Day Two in D.C.: President Biden named Lina Khan as the new chair of the Federal Trade Commission, a clear sign that antitrust activity — especially when it comes to AWS parent company Amazon — could pick up over the next four years. Protocol's Ben Brody takes a look at what Khan's influence might mean for Big Tech.
What was your first tech job?
My first job was on Wall Street, where I worked on creating tech solutions for trading, execution, sales performance, etc. I ended up spending 25 years on Wall Street and in the corporate world as a tech exec before leaving to start my own company.
What's your favorite pastime that doesn't involve a screen?
When I was (much!) younger, I was a sponsored skateboarder. You won't find me on the skateboard much these days, though, as I scratch that itch with a love of snowboarding.
How can enterprise tech improve its current status around diversity, equity and inclusion?
Diversity, equity and inclusion are more than just boxes to check. As an industry, we need to have actionable strategies that recognize the value that DE&I brings to the company. For example, many tech companies have Employee Resource Groups — communities for employees from underrepresented backgrounds. We made the choice to compensate the employees who lead these groups (on top of their salary) to make sure the value of their work is recognized.
What will be the greatest challenge for enterprise tech over the coming decade?
Legacy code. This isn't a new problem, but it's becoming a larger and more urgent problem. As enterprises race to meet digital demands, they're creating more and more code-based software [and] all of that code immediately becomes legacy. This approach doesn't just waste time and resources; it also produces software that is less secure and lower quality, putting the enterprise at greater risk in the future.
Will AWS end the decade as the market leader in infrastructure cloud computing?
There's no doubt that AWS will always be a dominant player, and they could very well end the decade as the market leader. But over the next decade, I think we're going to see more and more enterprises opting for multicloud systems and leveraging cloud-agnostic services. This moment is all about flexibility: Enterprises want to be able to use the combination of services that works best for them and their unique needs, and that often means having freedom and flexibility when it comes to their cloud provider.
Tune in to HPE Discover (June 22-24) to hear from CEOs, technologists and superstars – including General Motors Chair and CEO Mary Barra, soccer champion, activist and entrepreneur Megan Rapinoe, 7x FIA World Champion and F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, and Professional Golfer, Major Champion and mother Michelle Wie West. We'll discuss purpose-driven companies, sparking innovation for a data-centric future, and more.
Thanks for reading — see you Monday!
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