Dinesh Sharma, VP of Commercial PCs at ASUS India, shared how ASUS is adapting to meet CIOs’ and tech leaders’ needs.
Vice President of Commercial PCs, ASUS India
As ASUS shifts from its strong gaming foundation to expand into the commercial device market, the company is focusing on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its products. With the rising demand for secure, high-performance computing in enterprise environments, ASUS is introducing laptops designed for enterprises with focus on local AI processing, while addressing concerns about cloud reliance.
To explore this development further, CIO&Leader spoke with Dinesh Sharma, Vice President of Commercial PCs at ASUS India’s System Business Group, who shared insights on how ASUS is adapting to meet the needs of CIOs and tech leaders. Below are excerpts from the interview.
CIO&Leader: Could you explain why ASUS decided to introduce this product now, given the plethora of services already available to CIOs and enterprises?
Dinesh Sharma: That’s an excellent question. AI is indeed making waves, but from an enterprise perspective, it’s still in its nascent stages. Let’s consider practical use cases: you might want Excel to analyze data and autonomously recommend charts—a simple AI application. Currently, utilizing tools like Copilot involves sending your data to the cloud for processing, with the results then returned to you, much like how ChatGPT operates.
CIO&Leader: For CIOs, the idea of sending sensitive data to the cloud is certainly concerning.
Dinesh Sharma: Precisely. Many organizations are hesitant to expose their proprietary data externally. For AI to be widely adopted in enterprises, it’s essential that PCs have the capability to process AI applications locally. This ensures that your data remains on the device, enhancing both security and efficiency. That’s where high-performance AI hardware comes into play.
With our latest launch, we’re introducing laptops on the Intel platform equipped with robust Neural Processing Units (NPUs), capable of handling up to 48 trillion operations per second. This hardware enables the machine to process AI tasks locally at significantly increased speeds.
CIO&Leader: Aside from local AI processing, what sets this product apart from competitors?
Dinesh Sharma: Another critical factor is the scalability of cloud infrastructure. As AI adoption grows, cloud resources may become strained. By shifting AI processing to the PC, we alleviate some of that load. Our new ASUS ExpertBook P5 exemplifies this approach, offering industry-leading AI capabilities directly on the device.
Moreover, we’ve integrated AI functionalities into the hardware itself—not just providing AI-enabled hardware but enhancing native features. This includes an AI camera, AI noise cancellation, and our AI ExpertMeet application. AI ExpertMeet offers automated meeting transcription, live translation, speaker identification, and meeting summaries, all without additional licensing fees.
CIO&Leader: How reliable are these AI features, particularly in a multilingual context like India?
Dinesh Sharma: They are quite accurate, especially in widely used languages such as English. The AI-powered features currently support eight languages commonly spoken in India, facilitating seamless communication and collaboration.
CIO&Leader: Sustained performance is crucial for enterprise users. How does this product maintain its performance over time?
Dinesh Sharma: That’s a vital consideration. CPUs can throttle performance when they overheat, impacting productivity. Drawing from our expertise in gaming PCs, we’ve implemented advanced thermal solutions in the ExpertBook P5, including dual fans and innovative cooling technologies. This allows the CPU to consistently perform at 30 watts, even during extended periods of intensive use, without compromising on weight or portability.
CIO&Leader: Battery life is often a trade-off with performance. How does this model address that?
Dinesh Sharma: Traditionally, improving performance meant sacrificing battery life, and vice versa. However, this model offers both. It delivers excellent battery life without compromising on performance, which is particularly beneficial for business users who travel frequently and prefer not to be tethered to power outlets.
CIO&Leader: From a budgetary standpoint, how does this product fit into the market?
Dinesh Sharma: We recognize that enterprises have diverse needs. The business PC market typically segments into essential, mid-range, premium, and flagship categories. Our ExpertBook series spans all these segments, providing tailored solutions for various organizational requirements, whether on Microsoft or Google Chrome platforms.
CIO&Leader: Security is a significant concern, especially with AI. How does ASUS address potential risks?
Dinesh Sharma: Security is indeed paramount. Many businesses utilize Windows Pro, which offers enhanced data control policies. These policies extend to AI applications as well. IT departments can manage data flow and permissions through backend controls. By processing AI tasks locally on the PC rather than relying solely on cloud-based servers, we reduce potential vulnerabilities and enhance data security.
CIO&Leader: Considering AI’s energy demands, how does ASUS approach sustainability?
Dinesh Sharma: Sustainability is integral to our operations. We’re part of the RE100 initiative and have set ambitious goals for carbon neutrality. Our products are certified for their environmental impact. The extended battery life of our devices contributes to energy efficiency—charging less frequently reduces power consumption, aligning with our sustainability objectives.
CIO&Leader: For CIOs looking to integrate this technology, how seamless is the process?
Dinesh Sharma: Integration is designed to be straightforward. From a CIO’s perspective, these devices can be incorporated into existing environments with minimal disruption. The primary consideration might be establishing new backend policies for data flow control, but beyond that, the transition should be smooth.
CIO&Leader: Could you tell us more about your collaboration with Intel for this launch?
Dinesh Sharma: Our partnership with Intel is longstanding and robust. Our entire commercial series is built on Intel technology. This collaboration extends beyond hardware; we work closely with Intel to provide comprehensive solutions and support to our customers.
CIO&Leader: ASUS is well-known in the gaming sector. What are your aspirations for this venture into the commercial space?
Dinesh Sharma: While our reputation in gaming is strong, we’ve been steadily expanding in the commercial PC market. Recent IDC reports reflect our significant growth in this sector. We’re committed to being an end-to-end provider, delivering high-quality products across all categories to meet the diverse needs of businesses.
CIO&Leader: It’s great to see AI integrated into enterprise laptops. What future innovations can we expect from ASUS?
Dinesh Sharma: There’s much more on the horizon. We aim to continue innovating and collaborating closely with the CIO community. Our goal is to showcase how our products and services can support businesses in their AI journey, enhancing productivity while addressing security and sustainability concerns.