SUSE launches SUSE AI for enterprise-grade AI solutions

SUSE has unveiled a new initiative, SUSE AI, to provide open, secure, and enterprise-grade generative AI solutions. This announcement was made at SUSECON 2024 in Berlin, where the company described its vision and strategy for addressing the increasing demand for secure and open generative AI in the enterprise environment.

SUSE AI is offering a turn-key platform that allows enterprises to run private generative AI solutions with their preferred large language models (LLM) either on-premises or in the cloud. Pilar Santamaria, VP of AI Worldwide at SUSE, highlighted the challenges customers face implementing generative AI. “As the value of GenAI - and the need for it - becomes more and more apparent, we are seeing customers struggle with compliance risks, shadow AI, and a lack of control, not to mention the vendor lock-in and skyrocketing costs associated with early-stage AI solutions,” she said.

In an effort to collaboratively shape the future of generative AI, SUSE is launching the SUSE AI Early Access Program. This initiative will bring together customers and partners with SUSE’s generative AI experts to help inform the future direction of SUSE AI solutions. The program will provide early access to the latest builds of SUSE AI solutions and will offer consultation and technical support to leverage these solutions effectively.

Santamaria remarked, “SUSE’s approach to AI, delivered in our SUSE AI solutions and the SUSE AI Early Access Program, will help address many of these issues for customers, as well as for SUSE, as we also face the same challenges as enterprises in implementing GenAI.”

The planned SUSE AI solutions, set to launch later in 2024, are designed to be modular, secure, vendor-agnostic, and LLM-agnostic. This platform aims to dissolve silos and reduce the costs traditionally associated with enterprise generative AI implementations. SUSE will employ its open-source, enterprise-grade SUSE Linux, Rancher Prime Kubernetes management, and NeuVector Prime security offerings to enable secure and private data flow environments, reducing regulatory compliance risks and enhancing security.

Frank Feldmann, Chief Strategy Officer at SUSE, emphasised the need for flexibility in choosing AI technologies. “The rapid evolution of AI, both as a technology and a market, has left many enterprises lacking the right fit solutions for their specific needs,” he stated. “With so much at stake, customers need flexibility to choose which AI technologies, including LLMs, to build with, to innovate faster in a secure way.”

Part of the strategy includes fostering a collaborative ecosystem. Fujitsu, a global partner for digital and sustainability transformation, has developed a private generative AI solution using SUSE's Rancher Prime and SUSE Linux Enterprise platforms.

Udo Wrtz, Chief Data Officer, European Platform Business at Fujitsu, said, “Generative AI is helping to unlock innovation within our world. Our customers' employees already use Generative AI in their private lives and naturally want to use this technology at work too. With our solution, they can do this in a secure and protected setting. As a trusted partner, SUSE supports us with our GenAI product strategy through their collaboration, expertise and commitment to choice for customers.”

SUSE’s AI strategy is built on open-source principles, a firm commitment to security, and a belief in providing customer options that include privacy by design. Feldmann remarked on the broader implications of their approach, saying, “SUSE’s AI roadmap will usher in a wave of enterprise-ready AI, focused on protecting data and putting customers in control.”