Intel is deploying artificial intelligence (AI) accelerators as a service on the IBM cloud.

This offering, which is expected to be available in early 2025, aims to help cost-effectively scale enterprise AI and drive innovation underpinned with security and resiliency.

This collaboration will enable support for Intel’s Gaudi 3 AI accelerators within IBM’s WatsonX AI and data platform. IBM Cloud is the first cloud service provider (CSP) to adopt Gaudi 3, and the offering will be available for both hybrid and on-premise environments.

“Unlocking the full potential of AI requires an open and collaborative ecosystem that provides customers with choice and accessibility,” said Justin Hotard, Intel executive vice president. “By integrating Gaudi 3 AI accelerators and Xeon CPUs with IBM Cloud, we are creating new AI capabilities and meeting the demand for affordable, secure and innovative AI computing.”

While generative AI has the potential to accelerate transformation, the required compute power needed emphasises the importance of availability, performance, cost, energy efficiency and security as priorities for enterprises. Through this collaboration, Intel and IBM aim to lower the total cost of ownership to leverage and scale AI, while enhancing performance.

Gaudi 3, integrated with fifth-generation Xeon, supports enterprise AI workloads in the cloud and in data centres, providing users with visibility and control over their software stack, simplifying workload and application management. IBM Cloud and Gaudi 3 aim to help users more cost-effectively scale enterprise AI workloads, while prioritising performance, security and resiliency.

For generative AI inferencing workloads, IBM plans to enable support for Gaudi 3 within IBM’s WatsonX AI and data platform, providing WatsonX clients with additional AI infrastructure resources for scaling their AI workloads across hybrid cloud environments, helping optimise model inferencing price and performance.

“IBM is committed to helping our clients drive AI and hybrid cloud innovation by meeting their business needs,” said Alan Peacock, general manager of IBM Cloud. “Our dedication to security and resiliency with IBM Cloud has helped fuel IBM’s hybrid cloud and AI strategy for our enterprise clients. Leveraging Intel’s Gaudi 3 accelerators on IBM Cloud will provide our clients access to a flexible enterprise AI that aims to optimise cost performance. We are unlocking potential new AI business opportunities, designed for clients to more cost-effectively test, innovate and deploy AI inferencing.”

IBM and Intel are collaborating to provide a Gaudi 3 service capability to support clients leveraging AI. To help clients across industries, including those that are heavily regulated, IBM and Intel intend to leverage IBM Cloud’s security and compliance capabilities.

IBM Cloud and Intel offer scalable and flexible options that allow clients to adjust computing resources as needed, which has the potential to lead to cost savings and operational efficiency.

Integrating Gaudi 3 into IBM Cloud (www.ibm.com/cloud) virtual servers for VPC should help enable x86-based enterprises to run applications faster and more securely than before the integration, enhancing user experiences.

Intel (www.intel.com) and IBM have a long-standing collaboration, from the development of the IBM PC to the creation of enterprise AI with Gaudi 3 (www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/details/processors/ai-accelerators/gaudi3.html). IBM Cloud with Gaudi 3 offerings will be generally available at the beginning of 2025.