Cloudera upgrades AI services for secure on-premises deployment
Cloudera has announced an update to Cloudera Data Services, enabling enterprises to run private, GPU-accelerated generative AI applications securely within their own data centres.
The latest release focuses on addressing the persistent challenge of AI adoption in enterprise settings, where concerns over data protection and intellectual property have created significant barriers. According to a recent study by Accenture cited by Cloudera, 77% of organisations lack the essential security practices needed for safe deployment and management of AI models, data pipelines, and cloud infrastructure.
Cloudera's Data Services update allows organisations to build and scale their own sovereign data cloud on-premises, incorporating governance capabilities and hybrid portability. This approach maintains full control over sensitive data by keeping it behind the firewall, moving away from solely relying on public cloud infrastructure.
The company noted that through the new offering, users will have access to cloud-native tools, which can be delivered both on-premises and in public cloud environments. This flexibility is designed to help customers efficiently scale their data operations and move more quickly from AI prototype to production deployment.
Security and control
Concerns regarding data security in the use of artificial intelligence remain central for businesses, particularly in highly regulated sectors. By making both Cloudera AI Inference Service and AI Studios available within enterprise data centres, the company seeks to extend secure AI infrastructure to on-premises environments. Both offer previously cloud-only capabilities like GPU acceleration, streamlined model deployment, and low-code development options tailored to generative AI applications.
The company emphasised that using AI services on-premises enables significant reductions in infrastructure costs and can streamline the data lifecycle. The integration of automated features is aimed at improving productivity and time-to-value for enterprise AI projects without forcing data to leave secure environments.
Cloudera AI Inference Service, now accessible within the data centre and supported by NVIDIA technology, embeds NVIDIA NIM microservice capabilities to accelerate large-scale AI model deployment and management. This helps enterprises to keep their data within secure boundaries while operationalising AI at scale. Meanwhile, Cloudera AI Studios offers teams the ability to develop and deploy applications and agents with minimal coding, democratising application development across departments.
Productivity and efficiency improvements
A "Total Economic Impact" study conducted by Forrester Consulting, commissioned by Cloudera, found that a composite organisation using Cloudera Data Services on-premises achieved an 80% faster time-to-value for workload deployment. The study also reported a 20% boost in productivity for data practitioners and operational teams, with total savings cited at 35% due to the modernised cloud-native approach. Efficiency gains were also highlighted, as hardware utilisation improved from 30% to 70% and companies could reduce capacity needs by 25% to over 50% after modernising their stacks.
Perspectives and feedback
"Historically, enterprises have been forced to cobble together complex, fragile DIY solutions to run their AI on-premises," said Sanjeev Mohan, industry analyst. "Today the urgency to adopt AI is undeniable, but so are the concerns around data security. What enterprises need are solutions that streamline AI adoption, boost productivity, and do so without compromising on security."
"Cloudera Data Services On-Premises delivers a true cloud-native experience on-premises, providing agility and efficiency without sacrificing security or control," said Leo Brunnick, Cloudera's Chief Product Officer. "This release is a significant step forward in data modernization, moving from monolithic clusters to a suite of agile, containerized applications."
"BNI is proud to be an early adopter of Cloudera's AI Inference service," stated Toto Prasetio, Chief Information Officer of BNI. "This technology provides the essential infrastructure to securely and efficiently expand our generative AI initiatives, all while adhering to Indonesia's dynamic regulatory environment. It marks a significant advancement in our mission to offer smarter, quicker, and more dependable digital banking solutions to the people of Indonesia."
Both the Cloudera AI Inference Service and AI Studios can now be deployed within the security perimeter of corporate data centres, aligning with increased regulatory requirements and company policies for data privacy and sovereignty across different jurisdictions.
