NVIDIA Business Platform: A competitive desktop alternative to Intel?

AMD Commercial Stable Image Platform

The NVIDIA Business Platform is synchronized with AMD's Commercial Stable Image Platform (CSIP) microprocessor cadence. The AMD CSIP cycle starts on or around September 1^st of each year with the first three months being the qualification period, followed by a 12-month production cycle. In contrast, the Intel SIPP 3-month qualification process starts on or around June 1^st of each year for the desktop product and on or around January 1^st of each year for the Notebook product platform.

At this time, NVIDIA has enlisted MSI, Asus, Gigabyte, and FoxConn as their certified Original Design Manufacturers. NVIDIA had partnered with these manufacturers to specify motherboard design, approved hardware components, approved peripherals, and required software interfaces. To receive NVIDIA Business Platform certification, the motherboard manufacturers must pass an extensive certification test suite conducted by NVIDIA that validates all on-board component performance.

NVIDIA and its partners are targeting the small-medium sized business, educational, and government desktop markets in North America and Europe at this time. This solution should also scale well into the enterprise market, although this is not a main objective at present. The NVIDIA Business Platform differs from the Intel SIPP by not being available to the Tier-1 suppliers, it does not offer a stable image platform for Notebooks, and is not worldwide in scope. Instead, NVIDIA is concentrating their marketing efforts on desktop platforms by enlisting the Tier-2+ suppliers and will be the only certified stable image PC solution offered through the system builder and value-added reseller channel. NVIDIA is betting this strategy will enable the Tier-2+ system builders and the value-added resellers to compete directly in both price and performance with the Tier-1 suppliers that already have the engineering and marketing capability to design, manufacture, and fully support their stable image platforms.

System builders are required to run a comprehensive compliance test suite on an NVIDIA Business Platform system to verify the use of appropriate motherboard and motherboard components, NVIDIA GPUs and MCPs, NVIDIA Stable Image software, AMD CSIP Processor, and peripherals. System builders then submit results of the compliance test for certification to NVIDIA who will audit all results. If test results are within acceptable levels, the system builder receives an NVIDIA Business Platform certification and can commence offering certified systems for sale.