Intel Ends Pay-to-Use Software Defined Silicon Initiative

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Intel has discontinued its SDSi 'On Demand' initiative, ending paywall hardware features for Xeon CPUs after limited adoption.

Quick Report

Intel has quietly ended its Software Defined Silicon (SDSi) initiative, also known as “Intel On Demand.” The program allowed enterprises to unlock extra features on Xeon CPUs for a fee, but failed to gain traction among hyperscalers and was only sporadically maintained.

Originally, SDSi enabled one-time activation of accelerators and security features like Quick Assist and Data Streaming Accelerator. With the project now dead, hardware paywalls are unlikely to reach consumer CPUs. Intel's previous attempt, the Upgrade Service, was also short-lived. The tech sector welcomes this move, as it removes artificial locks and improves user trust.

Written using GitHub Copilot GPT-4.1 in agentic mode instructed to follow current codebase style and conventions for writing articles.

Source(s)

  • TechPowerUp
  • Phoronix
  • Intel Fact Sheet