Author: Bill Pearson: Vice President, DCAI Software Solutions & Ecosystems, Intel
In an era dominated by the narrative that “AI equals GPUs,” a quiet revolution is underway—one that shows not all AI needs to be powered by expensive, scarce, and energy-intensive accelerators. At Intel, we’re proud to be at the forefront of this shift through our deep collaboration with NetApp, particularly in the launch of AIPod Mini and Intel AI for Enterprise RAG software, which is optimized for Intel Xeon and leverages open-source ingredients, including the Open Platform for Enterprise AI (OPEA).
Together, these innovations mark a strategic inflection point—not only for enterprises looking to deploy AI faster and cost-effectively, but also for how the industry thinks about accessible, open, CPU-optimized AI infrastructure at the edge and in the data center.
NetApp AIPod Mini with Intel: Bringing Scalable AI to the Edge and the Enterprise
AI is rapidly reshaping how organizations operate, from manufacturing and healthcare to public safety and beyond. But for many enterprises, the cost and complexity of deploying large-scale GPU infrastructure continue to pose substantial challenges.
That’s where NetApp AIPod Mini, powered by Intel® Xeon® 6 processors with Intel® Advanced Matrix Extensions (Intel® AMX), comes in.
A Compact AI Powerhouse for the Real World
NetApp AIPod Mini is purpose-built for businesses that want the benefits of AI without the overhead of a massive GPU deployment. Whether detecting defects on a manufacturing line, accelerating hospital diagnostic workflows, or enabling real-time video analytics for public safety, AIPod Mini delivers high-performance inferencing to a wide range of use cases on standard x86 infrastructure.
That means organizations can tap into advanced AI capabilities using the hardware they already know and trust, dramatically lowering barriers to entry.
Why it Matters for Your Business
- Lower Costs, Faster ROI
By leveraging Intel® AMX within Intel® Xeon® 6 processors, NetApp AIPod Mini delivers the performance needed for demanding inferencing tasks without the expense of GPUs. This reduces upfront investment and speeds time-to-value for AI projects. - Built for the Hybrid Enterprise
NetApp’s unified storage architecture ensures seamless integration across edge, core, and cloud environments. Data can stay where it’s generated and still be part of your AI pipeline, eliminating the need for expensive and risky data movement. - Enterprise Ready from Day One
AIPod Mini isn’t just for experimentation. Its compact design, standardized infrastructure, and hybrid cloud support make it just as effective for production-scale deployments.
Intel® AI for Enterprise RAG powered by OPEA: A Modern, Open Software Foundation for AI
Intel® AI for Enterprise RAG simplifies transforming your enterprise data into actionable insights. Building on the strong foundation of OPEA unlocks the full potential of CPU-based AI solutions. Developed as an open-source project and optimized for Intel architecture, Intel AI for Enterprise RAG provides a modular, opinionated reference stack for AI development, deployment, and operations.
This stack includes:
- Containerized deployment via Kubernetes and Ubuntu Linux
- Data management integrated with NetApp ONTAP® and Trident
- Built-in observability and monitoring tools for model and infrastructure health by Grafana
- Security and compliance guardrails for regulated environments with native ONTAP security integrations
Developers and data scientists can go from prototype to production with confidence. At the same time, IT operators benefit from a pre-validated, scalable reference architecture that seamlessly integrates with their existing cloud-native tools and data platforms.
NetApp + Intel: A Trusted Partnership Driving Real Results
The collaboration between NetApp and Intel isn’t new, but what’s new is the level of joint investment and strategic alignment we’re seeing in AI. Together, our engineering and go-to-market teams have created a tightly integrated solution stack—from silicon to storage to software—that accelerates time to value for enterprise AI deployments.
- Intel’s Xeon processors power inferencing workloads with performance-per-dollar and energy efficiency, running modern AI models efficiently on CPUs, and allow organizations to scale or adopt AI without re-architecting infrastructure or upskilling teams.
- NetApp’s AIPod architecture provides data mobility, governance, and resilience across the AI lifecycle, helping customers manage AI data across edge, core, and cloud.
- Our joint work on OPEA gives enterprises a clear on-ramp to open, scalable, and infrastructure-aware AI.
We’re seeing adoption in sectors ranging from manufacturing and public sector to life sciences and financial services—industries that want AI that works within their existing operational model.
Breaking the GPU Myth: A New Era for Scalable, Sustainable AI
For years, the equation was simple: AI = GPU. If you wanted to build serious AI capabilities, especially for production workloads, you were expected to invest heavily in large-scale GPU infrastructure.
But that paradigm is shifting—and fast.
Today, the industry is waking up to the reality that not all AI workloads require the use of GPUs. Many of the most valuable and scalable AI applications, especially those running at the edge or in production, are better served by optimized CPU-based solutions.
Why This Matters: A More Open, Sustainable AI Future
The joint opportunity for Intel and NetApp is massive—not just because of the technology we’re delivering today, but because of the new foundation we’re building for the future of AI:
- The Rise of OPEA
With continued enhancements to the Open Platform for Enterprise AI (OPEA), we’re expanding support for more model types, deployment patterns, and AI use cases optimized for CPU infrastructure. - Next-Gen Intel® Xeon® processors
Future generations of Intel Xeon processors will bring even more powerful AI acceleration, enabling greater performance without the GPU tax. - Ecosystem-Driven Innovation
By collaborating with the open-source community, ISVs, and technology partners, we’re accelerating the pace of innovation while ensuring that the tools and frameworks we develop are open, interoperable, and enterprise-ready.
What Comes Next
NetApp AIPod Mini with Intel is just the beginning. As the market moves beyond the outdated GPU-centric mindset, a more democratized, sustainable, and scalable AI ecosystem is emerging—one that puts power and flexibility back into the hands of organizations, regardless of their size or budget.
AI is no longer reserved for those with deep pockets and massive GPU farms. With NetApp and Intel, it’s available to everyone.
Learn more about AIPod Mini, OPEA stack, and how Intel and NetApp are rethinking enterprise AI at netapp.com/ai.
Last Thing...
Get the NetApp point of view on the AIPod Mini in this Blog from Jenni Flinders, SVP of the Worldwide Partner Organization for NetApp.
Take a deeper dive by reading this Solution Brief to unlock high-performing, flexible AI solutions
Watch the NetApp AIPod Mini in action in this Video.
Notices and Disclaimers
Performance varies by use, configuration, and other factors. Learn more on the Performance Index site.
Performance results are based on testing as of dates shown in configurations and may not reflect all publicly available updates. See backup for configuration details. No product or component can be absolutely secure.
Your costs and results may vary.
Intel technologies may require enabled hardware, software, or service activation.
© Intel Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo, and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
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