Dell Joins Nvidia For Generative AI
"Dell And Nvidia Team Up For Server And GPU Initiative, Ideal For On-premises Generative Modeling."
Date: May 24, 2023. The following information was posted on a blog. The message talked about an event that happened in the past. It stated that as a result of the event, some changes were made. The blog was posted online for people to read. That's all there is to know about the blog.
Dell Technologies entered the generative AI market.
Dell teamed up with Nvidia to offer on-premises customers access to generative AI tools. The project will help businesses meet their AI needs using their Dell hardware and software.
On May 23, Dell announced Project Helix at the Dell Technologies World 2023 meeting in Las Vegas.
There will be Dell servers available for customers to use. These servers include PowerEdge XE9680 and PowerEdge R760xa. Customers can use them for training and AI inferencing. Nvidia H100 Tensor Core GPUs and Nvidia Networking will also be accessible. The project also includes Nvidia AI Enterprise software. This software helps customers use Nvidia's large language model framework, NeMo. It also helps customers create responsible generative AI chatbots using NeMo Guardrails.
The Power Of AI In A Box
An analyst at J. Gold Associates named Jack Gold said that Dell aims to provide AI in a box.
Dell's primary focus is on enterprises that require their own infrastructure. This sets them apart from cloud providers such as Google and Microsoft. Dell's goal is to cater to the needs of these enterprises. They aim to provide infrastructure that is entirely dedicated to the enterprise. This approach allows the enterprise to have control over their data and better govern their infrastructure.
Gold said that Dell will give the hardware and software together. They will sell the whole box.
Dell's got an advantage with its Apex service. It sets them apart from SambaNova Systems. They both have full generative AI setups, but Dell's got more momentum. That's what Gold said.
Gold expects that more providers will offer similar services soon. If you buy from Dell, it may be attractive to use their service since they can provide a new capability.
It costs a lot to start an on-premises generative AI infrastructure. But it could be less than using LLMs on the cloud.
Karl Freund, an analyst at Cambrian AI, said that on-premises options can be cheaper in the long run. You won't have to pay for service provider's profits. Although it might be pricey at first, it's cheaper for larger operations.
There is a problem with security, according to Gold. People have to believe that Dell and Nvidia will keep their data safe. They cannot risk losing it if someone breaks in.
Gold says companies might depend on Dell's IT team to make sure the infrastructure functions properly.
But this can also benefit businesses that require additional expertise, according to him. Companies that require more IT workers to oversee their infrastructure will find it helpful to have the assistance of Dell's team.
Dell needs to show how its infrastructure is unique. This is tough because they are a big OEM.
An analyst named Daniel Newman stated that every OEM will find a way, but IT users may not know how to do it. Dell and others have to prove what makes them different from the rest.
Dell will make Project Helix system available in July. It will be sold through their normal sales channels. It will also be available through Apex flexible consumption options.
Dell conference began on May 22. It is happening both in-person and virtually. It will continue till May 25.
Esther Ajao writes about AI software and systems.
