Intel officially launched “Intel On Demand”: In-chip purchase function for server processors
Security Upgrade
- Intel® Software Guard Extensions
Communications & Storage Suite
- Intel® Quick Assist Technology
- Intel® Dynamic Load Balancer
- Intel® Data Streaming Accelerator (when applicable)
Analytics Suite
- Intel® In-Memory Analytics Accelerator
- Intel® Data Streaming Accelerator (when applicable)
With in-chip purchases, Intel can hide certain features behind a “paywall” while offering fewer models. Even if the user needs to use some functions at a certain time, there is no need to replace the processor. At this stage, the plan is only for server processors, excluding consumer products. However, based on Intel’s past practices, it is also possible for some low-end processors to unlock larger caches or enable hyper-threading in the future.
Intel has yet to confirm the full details of the program, such as pricing for each feature and which processor models will be available used. This may not be made public until the next-generation Xeon scalable processor Sapphire Rapids is officially released, which is January 10, 2023.