Intel vPro® Certified Program Expands with New Partners

Business PCs run a constant stream of security agents, management tools, compliance software and workplace accessories. When they are poorly optimized, battery life, responsiveness and employee productivity suffer. That's why Intel created the Intel vPro® Certified program, bringing Intel engineers together with ecosystem partners to validate and optimize the technologies employees rely on every day. 

The program continues to expand across business applications and workplace accessories, with Nexthink the latest partner to achieve Intel vPro Certified status for the Nexthink Infinity platform. 

A Badge That Means More Than Compatibility

Certification isn't new. But the Intel vPro Certified Program goes beyond compatibility. It evaluates how applications and accessories affect the real-world business PC experience, including power efficiency, responsiveness, interoperability and manageability. Applications and accessories that meet the program's criteria earn Intel vPro Certified status, giving IT departments greater confidence they have been validated for commercial deployments. 

“Compatibility is only the starting point,” said Jennifer Larson, General Manager of Commercial Client Segments at Intel. “The Intel vPro Certified Program helps IT identify applications and accessories that have been validated and optimized for Intel vPro PCs, giving them greater confidence in the technologies they deploy across their fleet.”

Security Doesn't Have to Cost Performance

Security is one of the most important workloads running on business devices, making optimization particularly impactful. ESET, a provider of AI-native endpoint security and managed services, joined the Intel vPro Certified Apps Program to help ensure strong endpoint protection and great user experiences can coexist. In recent testing comparing current and prior releases, ESET's security software reduced busy background activity by 86%, lowering CPU utilization by 72%, and increasing power efficiency by 66%.1

Measuring What Employees Actually Feel

Employees rarely notice when software is working correctly. They notice when meetings stutter, applications lag, or batteries run out halfway through the day. Digital employee experience (DEX) platforms help organizations understand how devices, applications and infrastructure affect employee productivity and satisfaction.

For IT teams, that visibility is increasingly important as more applications and services compete for resources on the business PC. As part of the Intel vPro Certified Apps Program, Nexthink worked to further optimize how Nexthink Infinity operates on Intel vPro PCs. In recent testing, Nexthink Infinity Platform exceeded Intel vPro Certified Apps targets, with average CPU utilization below 0.3%, and less than 10 minutes of battery impact over a typical workday. 2 

Nicolo Raffaele, head of Nexthink’s ecosystem partnerships, said, “The certification is another step toward delivering the digital experience every employee deserves. By combining Nexthink Infinity with the Intel vPro platform, our customers can turn rich endpoint data into proactive, cost-saving actions that keep every device performing at its best, enabling employees to get the most from today’s AI-enabled workplace.” 

 It's Not Just About Apps

The business PC experience is also shaped by the accessories employees use throughout the day. Docks, displays and Bluetooth headsets can affect connectivity, reliability, manageability and productivity. Through the Intel vPro Certified Accessories Program, Intel works with partners to test and optimize these experiences across Intel vPro PCs.

Certified Accessories must meet performance, interoperability and manageability requirements, including Bluetooth pairing, audio switching in less than two seconds, remote manageability for Thunderbolt™ docks and optimized charging. Intel works with a broad ecosystem of accessory partners including Logitech, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Jabra to help deliver seamless, reliable accessory experiences across Intel vPro® platforms. 

“The Intel vPro® Certified Accessories Program gives us an opportunity to optimize end-to-end performance. Our devices are tested and verified by Intel to meet the strict technical specifications to deliver a great user experience. The result: everything connects faster, works more reliably, and requires less IT intervention. It's the kind of seamless integration that actually impacts productivity," said Sudeep Trivedi, head of alliances and strategy, Logitech for Business.

Why IT Should Care

The Intel vPro Certified program helps identify applications and accessories that have been validated and optimized to work efficiently on Intel vPro platforms.

For IT professionals, certified apps and accessories can help deliver:

• Better system responsiveness and battery life
• Reduced background resource consumption
• More predictable fleet behavior
• Greater confidence in software deployments
• More reliable peripheral experiences and seamless connectivity

More:  intel.com/vpro | Intel vPro Certified