Dell Technologies, listed on NYSE as DELL, is extending its Dell Generative AI Solutions range, offering comprehensive support to companies throughout their generative AI (GenAI) journeys.
Jeff Boudreau, Chief AI Officer at Dell Technologies, emphasized the necessity of a robust data foundation encompassing infrastructure, software, and services for maximizing AI efforts and accommodating workloads across public clouds, on-premises setups, and edge computing.
One of Dell’s offerings, the Dell Validated Design for Generative AI with NVIDIA for Model Customization, features pre-trained models designed to extract insights from data without necessitating the creation of models from scratch. This solution delivers best practices for customizing and fine-tuning GenAI models according to specific objectives while ensuring data security on-site. With its adaptable design, organizations gain the flexibility to tailor GenAI models to suit diverse tasks involving proprietary data. The solution accommodates various computational demands, including training diffusion, transfer learning, and prompt tuning.
Furthermore, Dell Validated Designs for Generative AI now support both model tuning and inferencing, streamlining the deployment of GenAI models using proven infrastructure, including the Dell PowerEdge XE9680, renowned as the industry’s top-performing AI server. Customers also have the option of the Dell PowerEdge XE8640, which offers a selection of NVIDIA Tensor Core GPUs and NVIDIA AI Enterprise software, featuring frameworks, pre-trained models, and development tools such as the NVIDIA NeMo framework and Dell software. By combining computational power with storage choices like Dell PowerScale and Dell ObjectScale, organizations can efficiently supply models with a variety of storage data types in line with the validated design. This infrastructure is additionally available through subscription via Dell APEX.
Sanjeev Arora, the Charles C. Fitzmorris Professor in Computer Science at Princeton, highlighted the implementation of Dell PowerEdge XE9680 servers equipped with NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs in the university’s high-performance computing cluster. This system aids research across multiple disciplines, including natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, and humanities, facilitating the application of potent AI models in areas like visualization, modeling, and quantum computing.
Dell aims to facilitate better and faster business outcomes for its customers by expanding its GenAI professional services capabilities. These services include Data Preparation Services, which ensure a clean and precise dataset in the appropriate format to facilitate smooth AI project execution, simplified data integration, and high-quality data output. Dell Implementation Services establish operational GenAI platforms for inferencing and model customization, accelerating time-to-value. When combined with Dell Managed Services, this offering allows Dell to operate the complete NVIDIA-based GenAI solution, improving operational efficiency and enabling customers to concentrate on creating their proprietary GenAI applications. Furthermore, Education Services provide customers with essential skills to close the GenAI capabilities gap.
Bob O’Donnell, President, and Chief Analyst at TECHnalysis Research, stressed the importance of organizations being able to customize key foundation models with their own data. He noted that Dell’s recent GenAI solutions and partnerships offer a comprehensive array of capabilities that enable companies to leverage this potential, bridge knowledge gaps, and ensure data-driven, impactful business results.
In line with the modernization of data infrastructure for AI and analytics, Dell is collaborating with Starburst to bolster customer AI and analytics endeavors. This collaboration will culminate in an open, modern data lakehouse solution, integrating Starburst’s analytics software with Dell’s PowerEdge compute platform and industry-leading storage. This solution empowers customers to extract valuable insights from data, regardless of its location, and offers easy, secure access to multicloud data to maximize the value of analytics and AI-driven workflows and deployments.
Justin Borgman, CEO of Starburst, emphasized customers’ need for a robust data platform that enables access to distributed data across multicloud environments to drive and operationalize AI initiatives. He noted that the integration of Starburst’s analytics capabilities with Dell’s leading infrastructure and global enterprise services will provide customers with an open, multicloud data lakehouse solution, ensuring quick and easy access to data for AI workflows, regardless of location.
The availability of these solutions varies, with the Dell Validated Design for Generative AI: Model Customization becoming available globally through traditional channels and Dell APEX starting in late October. Dell Professional Services for Generative AI will be available in select countries starting in late October. The Dell open, modern data lakehouse solution with Starburst is planned for global availability in the first half of 2024.
