After gaining Intel partner status to build Next Unit of Compute (NUC) mini PCs, Asus is reportedly preparing to offer custom NUCs.
The news comes from Asus SVP Jackie Hsu, who spoke with The register about the company’s strategy to continue building NUCs for consumer and commercial customers.
According to the report, the Taiwanese computer manufacturer has industrial customers and cloud service providers edge deployments in mind for its upcoming custom NUCs.
Asus will realize Intel’s NUC dream
The news comes about two months after Intel announced it would pull the plug on its own NUC projects and instead hand them over to external partners. Asus was the first to be crowned a partner by Intel.
Hsu explained The register that its NUC IP will allow the company to explore custom NUCs, which would have different I/O configurations as per the requirements of a broader customer base.
The company also hinted at other form factors that could be more suitable for industrial customers – the current NUCs measure 4×4 inches.
Use cases for the emerging market of custom NUCs could include self-service kiosks, POS machines, controlling digital signage and warehouse operations, Hsu says. There could also be room for Asus’ custom mini PCs in edge cloud deployments, where additional processing power is needed to power artificial intelligence.
Earlier this year, Intel hinted at Asus’ expertise in this area of the market, and its decision to explore edge devices is another step to build on its existing experience.
Asus has already started designing its first NUC devices, and Asus’s NUC General Manager KW Chao suggested they could be here early this year or early 2024.
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Through The register