Intel may license NUC mini PC designs to other companies, no plans yet | CRN

July 20, 2023, 11:43 am EDT

Intel plans to strike a definitive deal with Asus on a non-exclusive NUC licensing deal next month, but the partners shouldn’t expect the chipmaker to sign similar deals with other companies anytime soon. It’s unclear whether some Intel NUC employees will move to Asus as part of the deal, but some have already lost their jobs as a result of the chipmakers’ decision to stop investing in the business.

Intel has said it may license its NUC mini PC designs to other companies in the future after reaching a preliminary agreement to do so with Taiwanese electronics giant Asus, but there are no plans for now.

An Intel spokesperson provided the confirmation to CRN on Wednesday, further clarifying the chipmaker’s plan “to enable our ecosystem partners to continue NUC innovation and growth,” the company said when it first announced its plan to exit the NUC business last week.

[Related: The 10 Biggest Intel News Stories Of 2023 (So Far)]

The Santa Clara, California-based company announced the day before that it had agreed a term sheet with Asus that will give the Taiwan-based company a non-exclusive license to Intel’s NUC designs. This will allow Asus to sell 10th to 13th generation NUC products, develop new NUC designs and support NUC customers.

“The non-exclusive licensing means that Intel retains ownership of the technology and can license it to others. Intel currently has no plans to license NUC system designs to others. However, Intel will continue to support and enable our customers’ mini PC designs,” the spokesperson said.

Intel and ASUS plan to close the licensing deal in August

Intel plans to close a definitive deal with Asus on the NUC licensing deal next month, according to the rep. The two companies are now drawing up plans to facilitate a smooth transition for NUC customers, and customers with questions about NUC product availability and ordering through Asus should contact the Taiwanese company, the spokesperson added.

A distribution executive told CRN he would be surprised if Intel ends up licensing NUC designs to other companies, but said it could happen if Asus only licenses a few NUC designs to fill gaps in its existing mini PC portfolio, which is focused on industrial IoT use cases.

“Perhaps there are other parts of the NUC line that Asus hasn’t wanted to try and make,” said Kent Tibbils, vice president of marketing at ASI based in Fremont, California.

Intel NUC employees post information about layoffs

It’s unclear whether Intel employees who have worked in the chipmaker’s NUC business will transition to Asus’ new NUC division, as Intel declined to comment on the matter.

However, several Intel NUC employees posted on LinkedIn last week that they had lost their jobs, with some attributing their departure to the company’s exit from the NUC business. Roles involved include marketing, product management, data science, software engineering, and business management.

Intel has been in a rush to cut costs since announcing a plan last fall to reduce spending by billions of dollars by 2025, leading to an untold number of layoffs and the decision to exit several non-core businesses in recent months, including the company’s NUC division.