Swisscom commissions first Nvidia supercomputer for AI
Six months after the announcement, Swisscom is putting the first Nvidia supercomputers for AI applications, known as SuperPods, into operation in Switzerland. Companies can use them to rent computing power for artificial intelligence (AI) applications.
From the outside, the 16 computer units of the American graphics chip giant look like a high-end version of a server block: where normally small lights blink, Nvidia has fitted a square stainless steel cover, as a tour of a Swisscom data center shows.
Nvidia's 16 computer units take up relatively little space. Over three quarters of the space in the "blue giant's" data center is still empty.
However, each of Nvidia's modules weighs 130 kilograms and had to be lifted into the server rack using a small crane, said the head of the data center during a tour. The power requirement is also enormous and the capacity per server room is therefore limited.
With the 16 computer units from Nvidia, Swisscom has put half a SuperPod from the US company into operation. This means that Switzerland is half as well equipped as Italy. The Milan-based Swisscom subsidiary Fastweb already has an entire SuperPod in operation, consisting of 32 modules.
Computing power for AI data volumes
Swisscom is using the brand new IT power for its Swiss AI platform for companies, which was officially launched on Thursday. Thanks to the SuperPod's high computing power, corporate customers can process large volumes of data - for example to train, fine-tune and operate AI models.
The new platform guarantees that the data will be processed and stored in Switzerland. Companies can decide for themselves which data they want to transfer to the platform, Head of Business Customers Urs Lehner told the media. In principle, data could only be accessed in Switzerland, whereby companies could share their data with their international units. Nvidia itself also has no access to the data of corporate customers.
In addition to access to Nvidia supercomputers, Swisscom's Swiss AI platform offers customers generative AI services, a work hub for the development of AI solutions and a generative AI studio.
Swisscom is testing the first applications on the AI platform: together with Thurgauer Kantonalbank, it is testing a chatbot. This will allow bank employees to query internal directives instead of having to laboriously search for them from PDFs. The telecoms group is also working with Thurgauer KB on a solution for automated responses to online inquiries from customers.
Swisscom is also testing the automatic transcription of calls to emergency organizations. It transcribes the calls in standard German, saving the employees at the emergency centers a lot of documentation work. Swisscom is also working on its own automated response to inquiries from corporate customers.
Swisscom satisfied with demand
Executive Board member Lehner was satisfied with the interest shown by companies in the AI platform. Swisscom is in very advanced talks with over 50 companies and organizations and is already implementing test projects. Demand is particularly strong from the financial sector and the public sector. (SDA/swi)
