We needed it
for our own data.
Our products handle sensitive information: invoices and payroll in Pulse Suite, contracts and tax data in Nordovi. At first we used a cloud AI service, like almost everyone. Every query left the company and was paid for by usage.
We decided to build our own AI infrastructure in Europe and move our products' AI features there. We moved seven out of eight. The cost per query dropped to zero and the data stopped leaving.
“If an employee pastes customer data into an external AI service, that data is no longer only yours.”
Along the way we learnt what really takes the effort. It isn't the hardware: it's connecting AI to real systems and making sure each person only sees what they should. In Suite, each company's assistant can only access that company's information.
We also learnt that your own model doesn't have to be worse: with your information properly prepared and controlled steps, it answers accurately, cites its sources and says ‘I don't know’ when it should.