Forrester Analysis exhibits how Azure helps enterprises scale generative AI securely, overcoming infrastructure and compliance challenges to unlock actual enterprise worth.
Generative AI is a transformative power, redefining how fashionable enterprises function. It has shortly turn out to be central to how companies drive productiveness, innovate, and ship affect. The stress is on: organizations should transfer quick to not solely undertake AI, however to unlock actual worth at scale or danger falling behind.
Reaching enterprise-wide deployment of AI securely and effectively is not any straightforward feat. Generative AI is like rocket gasoline. It might propel companies to new heights, however solely with the fitting infrastructure and controls in place. To speed up safely and strategically, enterprises are turning to Microsoft Azure as mission management. Tapping into Azure’s highly effective cloud infrastructure and superior safety options permits groups to successfully construct, deploy, amplify, and see actual outcomes from generative AI.
To grasp how companies are making ready for AI, we commissioned Forrester Consulting to survey Azure clients. The ensuing 2024 Forrester Whole Financial ImpressionTM examine uncovers the steps companies take to turn out to be AI-ready, the challenges of adopting generative AI within the cloud, and the way Azure’s scalable infrastructure and built-in safety helps companies deploy AI with confidence.
Challenges with scaling generative AI on-premises
Scaling generative AI is like designing transportation techniques for a quickly rising metropolis. Simply as city growth calls for fashionable transportation infrastructure to perform effectively, AI leaders perceive that implementing AI in a significant method requires a cloud basis that’s highly effective, versatile, and constructed to deal with future demand. AI leaders acknowledge that the facility and agility of the cloud is required to realize their desired outcomes.
- In truth, 72% of surveyed respondents whose group migration to Azure for AI-readiness reported that the migration was obligatory or diminished the limitations to enabling AI.
- 65% of enterprise leaders agreed that deploying generative AI within the cloud would meet their organizational goals to keep away from restrictions and limitations of on-prem deployments.
Companies that run most or all of their generative AI workloads on-premises face vital roadblocks. On-premises techniques, usually missing the agility supplied by the cloud, resemble outdated roadways—liable to congestion, troublesome to take care of, costly to broaden, and ill-equipped for right this moment’s calls for. Companies making an attempt to scale AI in these environments encounter sophisticated obstacles—together with infrastructure limitations, a scarcity of specialised expertise, and integration challenges that gradual innovation—which are irritating to beat. Challenges like restricted community bandwidth and fragmented knowledge environments additional complicate adoption.
Deploying generative AI safely is essential to defending delicate knowledge, sustaining compliance, and mitigating danger. Surveyed decision-makers recognized 4 key areas of issues:
- Information privateness dangers, particularly with the proliferation of AI-generated content material.
- Lack of awareness relating to generative AI safety finest practices.
- Compliance complexities with evolving laws round AI use and knowledge safety.
- Shadow IT dangers, as customers flip to unauthorized instruments and apps, exposing organizations to vulnerabilities.
To beat these challenges, it’s essential to companion with a cloud platform that gives built-in safety and regulatory compliance. Cloud migration supplies the scalable infrastructure, built-in functions, and AI-ready knowledge basis obligatory for generative AI success. Survey respondents who’ve already transitioned many or all AI workloads to Azure report enhanced international attain, scalability, and suppleness, all main benefits in right this moment’s quickly evolving AI panorama.
Why enterprise chooses Azure for AI-readiness
Infrastructure limitations are a barrier to scaling generative AI. On-premises environments usually hinder efficiency, improve prices, and gradual innovation. In keeping with our survey, 75% of organizations migrating to Azure for AI-readiness reported that the migration was obligatory or it considerably diminished limitations to generative AI adoption.
Whereas the advantages of deploying generative AI within the cloud are clear, groups nonetheless face hurdles in adopting AI responsibly. Vulnerabilities, restricted experience in AI safety, and knowledge privateness dangers are essentially the most outstanding issues. Azure addresses these issues with complete frameworks that safeguard generative AI workloads end-to-end, from growth to runtime.
Surveyed leaders cited Azure’s colocation technique as a prime purpose for partnering with Azure for deploying generative AI, eliminating knowledge silos and optimizing efficiency. Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Sentinel improve safety and make Azure a trusted platform for secure, enterprise-grade generative AI deployment.
4 key differentiators for deploying generative AI with Azure
1. Enterprise-grade safety and compliant options
Safety issues are a main problem when deploying generative AI within the cloud. Azure protects AI workloads from code to cloud. Azure’s multi-layered strategy helps fashionable organizations meet compliance requirements and minimizes dangers throughout all the AI lifecycle. Key options together with Defender for Cloud, Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Azure Key Vault, and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) present end-to-end safety for generative AI workloads, making certain knowledge privateness, growth lifecycle safety, and risk administration. Backed by Microsoft’s enterprise-grade safety, compliance, and accountable AI commitments, Azure empowers groups to construct AI options that aren’t solely highly effective but additionally moral, clear, and compliant.
2. Scalable cloud infrastructure
Azure’s cloud infrastructure permits companies to keep away from the constraints of legacy environments, enabling them to launch AI initiatives effectively and securely. Azure brings a set of superior AI and machine studying instruments to the desk which are mission vital for generative AI success, enabling organizations to interrupt free from siloed knowledge, outdated safety frameworks, and infrastructure bottlenecks. By deploying generative AI within the cloud, companies can speed up innovation, streamline operations, and construct AI-powered options with confidence.
3. Unified knowledge and AI administration
Efficient AI begins with a strong knowledge basis. Azure’s knowledge integration and administration options—Microsoft Material, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Azure Databricks—allow organizations to centralize knowledge, enhance governance, and optimize AI mannequin efficiency. By transferring past the restrictions of legacy on-premises environments, companies acquire seamless knowledge entry, higher compliance, and the scalability wanted to drive AI innovation for enterprise. With Azure, organizations can harness high-quality, well-governed knowledge to energy extra correct and dependable AI outcomes.
4. Sooner innovation
By adopting Azure, sources may be redirected from infrastructure upkeep to AI-powered innovation. Azure’s versatile, safe cloud setting allows companies to experiment, adapt, and evangelize AI options with much less danger than conventional on-premises deployments. Surveyed organizations utilizing Azure reported greater than twice the arrogance of their means to construct and refine AI and machine studying functions in comparison with these counting on on-premises infrastructure. Key advantages embrace better flexibility, diminished danger when modifying AI options, and the flexibility to reinvest infrastructure sources into AI upskilling and innovation.
The enterprise affect of safe generative AI on Azure
Migrating to Azure for AI deployment enhances efficiency and operational effectivity. Advantages embrace:
- Optimized useful resource allocation: Migrating to the cloud frees IT groups from infrastructure administration, permitting them to concentrate on strategic initiatives—equivalent to creating generative AI use instances—that drive significant enterprise affect.
- Accelerated time to worth: Azure AI providers empower knowledge scientists, AI and machine studying engineers, and builders, serving to them to ship high-quality fashions quicker.
- Enhanced safety and compliance: Azure’s built-in safety instruments defend workloads, scale back breach dangers, and meet evolving compliance requirements.
- Increased AI utility efficiency: Deploying generative AI with Azure improves utility efficiency—driving innovation and progress.
Innovation with out compromise
As IT professionals and digital transformation leaders navigate the complexities of AI adoption, Azure stands out as a trusted companion for enterprise AI-readiness. With superior infrastructure, secure and accountable AI practices, and built-in safety, Azure gives a safe and scalable basis for constructing and operating generative AI within the cloud. With Azure, organizations can unlock the total potential of generative AI to drive innovation, speed up progress, and lasting enterprise worth.
