Intel's roadmap adds mysterious 'hybrid' AI processor featuring x86 CPUs, dedicated AI accelerator, and programmable IP
Intel Q4 earnings reveal rocky path to recovery following weakest full-year revenue since 2010
Intel positioned its On Demand initiative as a flexible way for customers to activate such accelerators as Software Guard Extensions, Dynamic Load Balancer (DLB), Intel Data Streaming Accelerator (DSA), Intel In-Memory Analytics Accelerator (IAA), Intel In-Memory Analytics Accelerator, and Intel QuickAssist Technology (QAT) in its Xeon processors without purchasing higher-tier models upfront. The model supported both permanent feature enablement through a one-time payment and a usage-based license that enabled Intel customers to pay only when additional acceleration capabilities were used.
Despite seeming technical flexibility, the initiative faced significant criticism from the industry. The main concern of the server crowd was the fact that accelerator IP blocks physically existed inside the processors but remained disabled unless customers paid to activate them, which sounds like Intel wanted its customers to pay for select features twice. Given such concerns, it is unclear whether On Demand ever took off. Given that the SDSi support has now been archived at GitHub, it certainly does not seem so.
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/intel-quietly-kills-controversial-software-defined-silicon-initiative-github-repository-was-archived-in-november-2025-allegedly-signaling-the-end-of-active-development#main
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