Qualcomm poaches Xeon’s chief architect to better compete with AMD and Intel in AI data center CPU market
- Qualcomm currently sells AI accelerator processors, but has the CPU market in its sights
- Sailesh Kottapalli’s expertise is in x86 architecture, not Arm
- But that didn’t stop Qualcomm from bringing him on board to lead the data center team
Qualcomm, known for its Snapdragon processors that power business smartphones and laptops around the world, has secured a potentially major asset as it looks to challenge the likes of AMD and Intel in the processor market.
The company’s latest coup is the hiring of Sailesh Kottapalli, a former chief architect for Xeon processors and a 28-year Intel veteran.
Kottapalli joined Qualcomm in early January 2025 as senior vice president, bringing extensive expertise in designing high-performance x86 server chips.
Kottapalli’s move to Arm
Kottapalli wrote further LinkedIn that “the opportunity to innovate and grow while helping to push new boundaries was extremely attractive to me – a once-in-a-career opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.”
What makes this move important, given Qualcomm’s reliance on Arm-based designs, is Kottapalli’s expertise in x86 architecture. His leadership could help bridge the gap between Qualcomm’s existing technology and the demanding demands of data center CPUs.
A renewed impetus for the data center
Qualcomm had withdrawn from developing server CPUs in 2018, but the company has now unveiled plans to develop high-performance, energy-efficient server solutions tailored to data center applications.
This journey started with the Snapdragon reached a legal crescendo when Arm claimed that its acquisition of Qualcomm violated its licensing terms. Although a federal jury sided with Qualcomm, Arm is seeking a new trial.
But for now, Qualcomm has expanded its presence in the data center sector, with AI accelerator chips under the Qualcomm Cloud AI brand, backed by industry leaders like AWS, HPE and Lenovo.