What changes when AI workloads move from the cloud onto a company’s own devices?
At IFA 2026, Mena Tech spoke with Massimiliano Rossi, VP Commercial at Acer, about the company’s latest products, the opportunities around agentic and hybrid AI, and how Acer is strengthening its commercial PC business through its partner network and focus on small and medium-sized businesses.
Rossi highlights a mini PC based on NVIDIA RTX technology and discusses its role in running AI workloads locally. As agentic AI develops, he points to the importance of keeping computing power at the edge, close to users and their data, within solutions that combine local processing with cloud services.
He connects this approach to maintaining local control over data and moving AI calculations from the cloud to the edge, with potential cost benefits when implementing new technologies. He also references other small-form-factor solutions developed with Intel as part of a broader product offering built around AI.
Despite the variety of products on display—including a notebook weighing less than 800 grams—Rossi focuses on the longer-term AI opportunity in the commercial market. He sees it as a lasting opportunity that could become one of the major growth drivers Acer will pursue in 2027, supported by its technology alliances and channel partners.
The conversation also explores what sets commercial PCs apart from consumer devices. For Rossi, purchasing decisions extend beyond the product itself to portfolio stability, reliability, repairability, and strong after-sales service, alongside close relationships with customers and an understanding of their needs.
He discusses Acer’s investments in commercial tools, improved services, its online portal, and its partner program. Rossi emphasizes that Acer operates through a fully indirect sales model, reaching commercial end customers through its reseller network, with the Synergy program supporting its channel relationships.
On market focus, Rossi identifies education, higher education, government, and SMBs as important areas for Acer. While the company also offers products for larger enterprises and participates in corporate deals and global tenders, he describes SMBs as a core strength, with a portfolio designed to fit their requirements.
From local AI processing to repairability, support services, and channel strategy, the interview examines how Acer is building a commercial offering that brings together hardware, services, and the tools partners need to serve their customers.
