Equinix and Nvidia have joined forces to provide corporate clients direct access to Nvidia’s supercomputing systems, enabling companies to own and control their artificial intelligence computing infrastructure. The collaboration addresses growing privacy concerns by allowing businesses to purchase Nvidia systems and delegate the operational responsibilities to Equinix while retaining ownership, offering an alternative to renting chips from cloud providers.
24 January 2024 – Data center operator Equinix and chip firm Nvidia announced a strategic partnership aimed at facilitating corporate access to Nvidia’s supercomputing systems. This collaboration aims to empower companies with greater control over their artificial intelligence (AI) computing systems, allowing them to own and manage the technology rather than relying on cloud computing providers such as Amazon.com or Microsoft.
The joint service offered by Equinix and Nvidia addresses the growing interest among large businesses to own AI computing systems for privacy and security reasons. This approach diverges from the prevalent practice of renting Nvidia’s high-performance chips from major cloud service providers. The initiative aims to provide a solution for companies seeking enhanced control over their data while utilizing Nvidia’s advanced computing capabilities.
Traditionally, the adoption of Nvidia’s systems has presented challenges due to differences in infrastructure, including specialized networking cabling and the need for liquid cooling. To overcome these barriers, Nvidia has conducted training for Equinix staff, equipping them with the expertise to build and operate the specialized systems efficiently.
Under the terms of the partnership, corporate customers will purchase Nvidia’s supercomputing systems but delegate the responsibility of building and running them to Equinix. This arrangement allows companies to benefit from the advanced technology while maintaining ownership and control over their AI infrastructure.
Jon Lin, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Data Center Services at Equinix, highlighted the privacy concerns of large customers and the importance of controlling their own destiny. The collaboration aims to address these concerns, providing a solution that combines advanced AI computing with efficient and secure operation.
While the partnership offers a compelling alternative for companies seeking control over their AI infrastructure, the implementation of AI data centers introduces new operational challenges. Jon Lin emphasized the need for specialized capabilities in efficiently and effectively managing AI data centers, acknowledging that this represents a new frontier of expertise.
The Equinix-Nvidia offering became available on Wednesday, with a focus on empowering businesses to harness the potential of Nvidia’s supercomputing systems while ensuring operational efficiency. However, the announcement did not disclose immediate customers for the newly introduced service. – ref: Reuters
