Published 19. November 2024

Phoenix Technologies has implemented an AI supercomputer using servers from Dell Technologies

This sovereign and highly secure platform enables businesses to leverage Artificial Intelligence "as a Service." In the next phase, Phoenix plans to significantly expand the supercomputer.

Dell

The AI supercomputer by Phoenix Technologies was installed in collaboration with IBM Research in the Basel region and became operational in September 2024. The high-performance GPU cluster and network provide massive parallel computing power and enable data transfers with minimal latency. At the core of the platform are Dell PowerEdge XE9680 rack servers. Designed specifically for AI and ML workloads, this 6U server model supports eight GPUs, delivering extreme computational power for demanding data processing and advanced AI applications. Additional Dell PowerEdge servers are used for other applications, storage, and administration.

Phoenix runs its kvant AI platform on the supercomputer, allowing businesses to utilize Artificial Intelligence as a service. Companies can select from various pre-existing machine learning models and GenAI language models, train them with their own data on the platform, and deploy the trained models for production use. This offering is particularly tailored to large enterprises in industries such as life sciences, pharmaceuticals, banking, insurance, media, and luxury goods.

The supercomputer not only provides businesses with a high-performance platform but also ensures sovereignty and security. Operated entirely within Switzerland and free from ownership ties to any U.S. company, it is not subject to the U.S. Cloud Act. This means companies do not need to worry about data being accessed by U.S. authorities. Additionally, the platform employs a "Bring Your Own Key" approach, enabling businesses to use their own encryption keys, ensuring full control over their data at all times.

Phoenix also utilizes Confidential Computing technology, which protects data during processing ("in process"). Unlike conventional cloud environments that only encrypt data at rest ("at rest") or during transfer ("in transit"), Confidential Computing creates secure, encrypted environments known as Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs), safeguarding sensitive data from unauthorized access even during processing.

The supercomputer is already being used in areas such as customer service, media search and processing, image generation (e.g., in consumer goods), and is especially suitable for organizations requiring highly secure environments, such as life sciences companies, banks, hospitals, governments, and public authorities. By March 2025, Phoenix plans to expand the supercomputer further with additional Dell Technologies servers. Its waste heat is already being used to supply households in the Basel region with district heating.

In addition to the supercomputer expansion, Phoenix, together with Dell Technologies, is planning to expand into Germany and the Netherlands. Using Dell Technologies servers, Phoenix aims to establish sovereign, highly secure, and sustainable AI clouds in these two countries as well.

“We have been active in big data, cloud, and AI for over 16 years and are currently experiencing a period of significant growth. The experience we gained from building and operating our supercomputer with Dell Technologies’ systems, services, and collaboration has been outstanding. This is why we have chosen to pursue this growth phase with Dell Technologies as our IT partner.”

Thomas Taroni, Executive Chairman, Phoenix Technologies

Thomas Taroni

Executive Chairman, Phoenix Technologies