Apple Eyes AI-Focused Server Revival with Nvidia Partnership

Apple is reportedly exploring a return to the enterprise server market with an AI-focused system built around its own silicon and potentially connected using Nvidia technology. This would mark Apple's return to commercial servers, having discontinued the Xserve in 2011.

The proposed system would be aimed primarily at AI inference, giving companies an option for running trained models on premises rather than relying entirely on cloud infrastructure. A key element under consideration is the inclusion of Nvidia's NVLink Fusion, a combination of hardware and software designed to allow custom processors to connect to Nvidia's high-speed data center infrastructure.

Apple's M-series processors are powerful and integrate CPU, GPU, and other accelerators around a unified-memory architecture. However, for now, they are confined to clients and not servers. Analysts doubt Apple will go into the general server business, despite its potential upside, and predict it will focus on the needs of its own Private Cloud Compute.

Bob O'Donnell, president and chief analyst with TECHnalysis Research, said he 'guesses' Apple is only going to build servers for themselves because they need them for their Private Cloud Compute services. He added that he 'really doubted' Apple would get into business selling servers due to the lack of an enterprise sales force.