Cisco to deliver its first server for artificial intelligence and machine learning workloads

Cisco has unveiled a new version of Cisco UCS, its first server designed specifically for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) workloads.

In a statement on Monday, the firm said that its Cisco UCS C480 ML will offer a complete range of computing options designed for each stage of the AI and ML lifecycle, including data collection, analysis near the edge and real-time inference at the heart of AI.

It will also speeds up deep learning, the compute-intensive form of machine learning that uses neural networks and large data sets to train computers for complex tasks. Cisco UCS C480 ML will also accelerate many of today's best-known machine learning software stacks.

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According to Gartner, only 4% of CIOs worldwide report that they have AI projects in production though Cisco believes it is positioning itself perfectly for when that number grows dramatically over the next few years.

"Over the next few years, apps powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning will become mainstream in the enterprise," said Roland Acra, SVP and GM for Cisco's Data Center Business Group. "While this will solve many complex business issues, it will also create new challenges for IT. Today's powerful addition to the Cisco UCS lineup will power AI initiatives across a wide range of industries."

Aditya Akella, Professor, University of Wisconsin--Madison, commented: "We look forward to testing the new Cisco UCS deep learning computing system. Our researchers are focused on evaluating the platform for research to improve the efficiency of training models in multi-tenant and shared usage scenarios."