Apple reportedly weighing a return to servers, possibly with Nvidia's help
Apple is said to be planning a comeback to the enterprise server market, potentially partnering with Nvidia, to capitalize on surging AI compute demand. The product likely wouldn't launch before 2029.
Apple may be preparing to re-enter the enterprise server business more than a decade after abandoning it, according to a report from The Information. The company discontinued its Xserve line back in 2011 and has since largely ceded the enterprise hardware space to other manufacturers.
With AI industry growth driving ever-increasing demand for compute power, Apple reportedly sees an opportunity to bring its efficient, ARM-based M-series chips into that market. The company's Mac Mini and Mac Studio have already gained traction among AI developers, a trend that has contributed to shortages of those machines.
Launch could be years away
Whatever it ends up being called — Xserve or something new — the server product isn't expected to arrive before 2029. Reports suggest it would run on either two or four M8 Ultra chips, depending on the configuration. Since Apple only unveiled its M6 chip in August, the M8 generation remains a considerable way off.
Nvidia collaboration in the picture
There's also word that Apple's servers could make use of Nvidia's NVLink Fusion technology, which links multiple chips so they function as a single unit. Despite a historically tense relationship between the two companies behind closed doors, Apple recently began using Nvidia chips to power its overhauled Siri servers. Adopting NVLink could deepen that cooperation further, though nothing is finalized and plans could still shift.
