Qualcomm targets enterprise PCs with AI and remote management push

Qualcomm has introduced its Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme and Snapdragon X2 Elite processors, designed for Windows PCs with enhanced performance, extended battery life, advanced AI capabilities, and new management features intended to appeal to enterprise users.

The chips feature Qualcomm’s latest CPU and GPU architectures along with an NPU capable of 80 trillion operations per second, which the company says enables more efficient multitasking and support for AI-driven applications.Qualcomm also highlighted Guardian, a remote management tool the company says is designed to let IT teams update or service devices even when they are powered down.

With these additions, Qualcomm is seeking to strengthen its position in the enterprise PC market against incumbents such as Intel and AMD, raising questions about how much CIOs will value AI performance versus new management features like Guardian.

Enterprise adoption at stake

Qualcomm’s launch centers on delivering the fastest AI performance per watt in the PC market, a key factor for CIOs planning three- to four-year refresh cycles and looking to support expanding AI workloads.

“Considering the laptops being purchased will be used for the next 3–4 years, Qualcomm’s X2 Elite with 80 TOPs, a 3rd-gen powerful CPU, deeper Microsoft and growing ISV partnerships, future-proofs enterprises for the Agentic AI wave kickstarting now,” said Neil Shah, VP for research at Counterpoint Research. “The best performance per watt in the industry, with industry-leading on-device AI capabilities, makes the devices with this platform a key differentiator and a no-brainer for CIOs to deploy at scale.”

Beyond performance, Qualcomm is seeking to differentiate with Guardian, which enables remote servicing even when devices are powered down.

“This approach addresses a critical gap, as most successful ransomware attacks originate from unmanaged endpoints,” said Prabhu Ram, VP of the industry research group at Cybermedia Research. “While appealing to mobile-first and distributed workforces, Guardian faces enterprise hurdles around SIM security, regulatory compliance, and endpoint privacy. Sustained success for Qualcomm will depend on demonstrating differentiated value and overcoming established preferences for x86 solutions.”

Others caution that Qualcomm must also contend with entrenched enterprise management standards, where Intel’s vPro has long set the benchmark.

“Intel’s vPro and other enterprise PC management tools allowed fleet management by enterprise IT only when the PC was connected to the corporate network, and not when connected to a cellular network,” said Danish Faruqui, CEO at Fab Economics. “Qualcomm’s Guardian offers out-of-band, hardware-assisted management and control, similar to Intel’s vPro but through the cellular network, which is appealing for managing large fleets of devices even when they are off or disconnected from traditional networks.”

Analysts also suggest that Qualcomm may find its strongest early traction in mobile-heavy and remote-first workforces, where traditional Intel and AMD systems may be overpowered and less efficient.

“Early uptake is expected in niche segments like field service, logistics, and remote offices,” said Manish Rawat, semiconductor analyst at TechInsights.  “Broader enterprise adoption will depend on Guardian proving reliability, security, performance, cost-effectiveness, and ecosystem support. If Qualcomm succeeds on these fronts, Guardian could gradually establish a foothold in hybrid and mobile-first deployments.”

Security risks and hurdles

Analysts say the always-connected approach could expand enterprise risk exposure.

“The expanded attack surface from cellular connections may attract threat actors seeking unauthorized access,” Rawat said. “Multi-jurisdiction operations face regulatory hurdles, including data sovereignty and telecom compliance, as device traffic traverses mobile networks.”

Dependence on carriers introduces additional trust and vulnerability concerns compared with traditional LAN or VPN setups.

“Relying on tech like 5G for PC management also introduces challenges such as a drastically expanded attack surface from more connected devices, increased supply chain vulnerabilities in 5G infrastructure, the potential for more sophisticated and catastrophic cyberattacks, heightened privacy risks, and a global need for a unified 5G security architecture,” Faruqui said.

Cost and connectivity constraints may prove just as significant as security concerns. “Adding cellular connectivity, even low power to full 5G, would add to the overall cost of the device and also the IT needs to pay for the connectivity,” Shah said. “Though this needs to be weighed out with a stronger business case for a particular enterprise, depending on the mix of remote or mobile employees and the amount of remote tracking or support needed.”