Microsoft and NVIDIA announced a collaboration to help developers build AI-enabled applications using Azure AI and NVIDIA AI. This partnership aims to make advanced AI capabilities more accessible and reduce the complexity and cost of AI development.
What are Azure AI and NVIDIA AI?
Azure AI is a comprehensive suite of cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) services offered by Microsoft. It provides developers with the tools and resources needed to create, train, and deploy AI-powered applications. These services include pre-built models, APIs, and the ability to build custom models. These make it easier for developers to integrate AI into their applications.
NVIDIA AI is a platform designed to enhance the performance of AI applications at every stage of their development and deployment. It leverages NVIDIA’s advanced graphics processing units (GPUs) and networking technologies to ensure that AI applications run efficiently and effectively. This platform supports high-performance computing, enabling developers to handle complex AI workloads with ease.
Together, Azure AI and NVIDIA AI provide a powerful combination of tools and infrastructure.
Key Features
- Flexibility and Choice: Use pre-built models and APIs or build and train custom models. Supports various frameworks and languages like TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Python.
- Productivity and Efficiency: Integrates with Visual Studio Code and GitHub. Use extensions and GitHub Actions to simplify and accelerate AI development.
- Performance and Scalability: Leverages NVIDIA GPUs and InfiniBand networking for high performance and scalability.
- Innovation and Creativity: Build applications that understand, interact, and learn from users and environments.
Integrating Azure AI and NVIDIA AI: What is new?
Advancing AI Infrastructure:
- Integration with Azure: NVIDIA Grace Blackwell GB200 and NVIDIA Quantum-X800 InfiniBand networking are now part of Azure.
- Trillion-Parameter Models: Azure delivers powerful models for natural language processing, computer vision, and speech recognition.
- New Virtual Machines: Azure NC H100 v5 VM virtual machines, based on the NVIDIA H100 NVL platform, are now available.
- Flexibility and Scalability: NVIDIA Multi-Instance GPU (MIG) technology offers enhanced flexibility and scalability.
Healthcare and Life Sciences Breakthroughs:
- Rapid Innovation: Microsoft Azure integrates with NVIDIA DGX Cloud and the NVIDIA Clara suite to accelerate clinical research and care delivery.
Industrial Digitalization:
- Omniverse Cloud APIs: NVIDIA Omniverse Cloud APIs are now available on Microsoft Azure.
- Data Interoperability: Enhanced data interoperability, collaboration, and physics-based visualization.
- 3D Digital Twins: Real-time factory data visualization using 3D digital twins in Microsoft Power BI.
NVIDIA Triton Inference Server and Microsoft Copilot:
- AI Inference Predictions: NVIDIA GPUs and NVIDIA Triton Inference Server support AI inference predictions in Microsoft 365 Copilot.
From AI Training to AI Deployment:
- NVIDIA NIM Inference Microservices: These microservices are coming to Azure AI to enhance AI deployments.
- Part of NVIDIA AI Enterprise: Available on the Azure Marketplace, NIM offers cloud-native microservices for optimized inference on over two dozen popular foundation models, including NVIDIA-built models.
- Prebuilt, Run-Anywhere Containers: These containers, powered by NVIDIA AI Enterprise inference software (including Triton Inference Server, TensorRT, and TensorRT-LLM), help developers quickly bring performance-optimized AI applications to market.
FAQ
What tools can I use with Azure AI and NVIDIA AI?
You can use Visual Studio Code, GitHub, and other popular developer environments.
What languages and frameworks are supported?
Supported languages and frameworks include TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, Python, and R.
How does this collaboration benefit developers?
It reduces development time, lowers costs, and enhances collaboration and communication among team members.
More information
Find the announcement here: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/build-ai-enabled-applications-with-azure-ai-and-nvidia/ and https://news.microsoft.com/2024/03/18/microsoft-and-nvidia-announce-major-integrations-to-accelerate-generative-ai-for-enterprises-everywhere/.
Watch the keynote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsWtiop4IJA.
Find the product page here: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/ai.
For our vendor page of Microsoft, please visit: https://www.schneider.im/software/microsoft.
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