Cloud compute provider Gcore is increasing the number of Graphcore IPUs available to customers with the addition of a new cluster based in Newport, Wales.
The UK facility is the third point-of-presence for Gcore’s IPU-powered AI Cloud, which already has sites in the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
In addition to serving users worldwide, the physical location of Graphcore IPUs in the UK allows Gcore to support those British companies and public-sector users that require full data sovereignty, limiting their ability to use overseas datacentres and other services.
Existing data protection rules, as well as the prospect of new regulations relating to artificial intelligence, mean that organisations are increasingly seeking out infrastructure providers, such as Gcore, that can offer a range of compliant solutions.
“The opening of Gcore’s AI Cloud cluster in Newport, in partnership with Graphcore, is an important step towards building the first European AI infrastructure. This move will enable businesses of all sizes to integrate innovations and easily access cutting-edge AI technology,” said Seva Vayner, Director of Edge Cloud stream at Gcore.
Gcore users can choose from a range of virtual IPU-Pod configurations starting at €1.99/hour for a one PetaFLOPS VPOD4, with the option to scale up to larger systems, including the 16 PetaFLOPS vPOD64.
For more information on specifications, pricing and to start using IPUs, visit Gcore’s website.
Expanding AI infrastructure
Gcore’s IPU-powered AI infrastructure is helping new AI-centric businesses build innovative products and services, while allowing longstanding industries to explore and scale their use of artificial intelligence with flexible, cost-effective compute.
A growing number of AI-as-a-Service companies are choosing IPU compute on Gcore cloud to power their businesses and provide the reliable, leading-edge performance that their end-users depend on. Pienso, Aleph Alpha and NLP Cloud are among the businesses that have recently made IPUs on Gcore part of their essential compute infrastructure.
Public sector organisations around the world are also using Graphcore IPUs in the cloud to take advantage of this transformative technology. The UK’s Atomic Energy Authority has been using Graphcore IPUs for nuclear fusion energy research. The compute facility is provided by the Hartree Centre, part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), in partnership with Gcore.
