Thrive launches Managed AI services for secure mid-market growth

Thrive has introduced a new Managed AI services offering designed to assist mid-market businesses in developing and deploying AI strategies securely.

The latest service from the technology outsourcing provider offers customers a dedicated team to help build AI roadmaps and implement them at scale. This includes secure private generative AI services and data and AI assessment tools tailored for organisations seeking to move forward with artificial intelligence technology.

Industry research reveals a significant gap between the interest in AI and the preparedness of businesses to adopt and manage it effectively. Gartner reports more than 60% of Chief Information Officers include AI in their innovation planning, yet fewer than half believe their organisation is capable of managing AI-related risks.

Thrive's Managed AI services are structured to address these challenges by providing tailored solutions for businesses at any stage of AI adoption. The process begins with helping clients gauge their data readiness, define use cases that have real business value, and then identify appropriate solutions and workflows to meet their objectives. The offering extends to managing and maintaining AI systems over time.

"Many businesses recognise the necessity of adopting AI to remain competitive, yet numerous mid-sized companies struggle with where to begin or lack the resources to implement this technology strategically and securely," said Bill McLaughlin, CEO of Thrive. "At Thrive, we are committed to ensuring our customers are not left behind, understanding that AI can significantly impact their business. Developing our Managed AI services offering was a strategic decision and investment, enabling our customers to receive the support they need to lead in adoption while benefiting from the exceptional service and substantial ROI they expect from Thrive."

The Managed AI services draw on Thrive's consultative approach and a high-touch customer experience. The offering comprises a set of key components to support clients throughout the AI journey from development through to deployment.

The use case identification feature addresses a common pitfall where organisations fail to achieve a return on investment due to vaguely defined applications for AI. Thrive's experts work closely with customers to establish clear, actionable use cases tailored to specific business needs and industries.

Data assessment is integral to the process, ensuring that clients have the necessary data infrastructure and quality. Security implementation builds on Thrive's longstanding cybersecurity expertise; the company applies comprehensive monitoring and governance to protect data and AI systems from unauthorised access or malicious activity.

AI policy and governance are also included, with Thrive's team guiding customers on compliance requirements and best practices for responsible AI use within their businesses. These measures help establish when and where AI is deployed and ensure it aligns with internal policies.

Employee training is a further element of the Managed AI services, with experts providing guidance on the use of AI tools, adherence to policies, and application of predetermined use cases. The training aims to enhance staff productivity while mitigating risks associated with AI use.

"From getting data sources organised and ready to ensuring the cloud capabilities are in place and optimised, there is so much technical prep that has to be done to ensure a business is ready to deploy AI and use it successfully," said Michael Gray, Chief Technology Officer at Thrive. "That's why Thrive has gone out of its way to build a team of AI experts completely dedicated to just this practice. From data readiness to customisation to deployment, Thrive's Managed AI services support businesses in the entire adoption process."

Thrive is already supporting Copilot implementations for customers across several industries, aimed at increasing efficiency and productivity. The new Managed AI services expand upon this by offering custom, private AI deployments which aim to minimise the risks of sensitive data being entered into public AI models.

As businesses gradually increase their use of generative and other forms of AI, Thrive's services are set up to manage workflows and ensure AI tools function as intended. The company will also be involved in developing vertical-specific models to provide more accurate outputs tailored to various industry requirements.