Hitachi iQ integrates NVIDIA HGX for AI infrastructure

Hitachi Vantara has announced the global availability of Hitachi iQ integrated with the NVIDIA HGX platform, designed to provide scalable, high-performance infrastructure solutions for modern AI systems.

The announcement came in response to findings by ESG Research, which highlighted that while 97% of organisations consider GenAI a crucial focus, only 37% feel adequately prepared in terms of infrastructure and data ecosystems for implementing such solutions.

Hitachi iQ aims to maximise AI performance with its integration of storage, networking, and servers alongside options for NVIDIA H100 and H200 Tensor Core GPUs, in conjunction with the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software platform, to facilitate the development and deployment of generative AI applications.

Jason Hardy, Chief Technology Officer for Artificial Intelligence at Hitachi Vantara, stated, "Our customers are looking for advanced solutions to meet the ever-evolving demands of AI, and the Hitachi iQ offering with NVIDIA HGX is the latest example of how we are at the forefront of AI innovation."

"As one of the only vendors to offer a complete, end-to-end AI infrastructure solution, we marry world-class technology with deep industry expertise for a powerful, one-stop-shop experience."

The solution also enhances data processing through distributed file systems for pattern identification and benefits from a zero-copy architecture to eliminate data redundancy and latency, thereby improving the economics and sustainability of AI processes.

Shar Narasimhan, Director of Data Center GPUs and AI at NVIDIA, commented, "Pairing NVIDIA's accelerated computing platform with the deep industrial expertise of Hitachi Vantara helps address the growing demand for enterprise-grade AI infrastructure and applications, delivering high-performance computing capabilities for AI workloads to enable faster training, fine-tuning, and inferencing."

Hitachi iQ includes an updated version of its Content Software for File, featuring the latest AMD EPYC processor technology and NVIDIA ConnectX-7 400Gb/s InfiniBand or Ethernet NICs, which increases performance capabilities for mission-critical AI and high-performance computing workloads.

The platform also offers high-density object storage integrated with Hitachi Content Software for File, which allows users to scale compute and storage independently to accommodate varying data sizes and types.

Allen Lee, Managing Director of Genesis Networks Pte Ltd, noted the importance of ROI in AI investments, particularly within the education sector.

"There is immense pressure to leverage AI right now but in the education space, it needs to tie directly to ROI," he said. "Optimized to drive industry specific results from a partner with the experience to help us make it happen, that's what we see in Hitachi iQ."

Hitachi's iQ portfolio, which became available in July 2024, continues to evolve, addressing key areas such as integration of IT infrastructure with business applications and providing customers with flexible consumption models to suit their specific needs while ensuring strong returns on investment.