Principled Technologies study shows faster AI time to value with Dell Services

Content provided by the Principled Technologies (PT) team

Independent testing found Dell ProDeploy Services cut installation time by 84%—saving over 47 hours—with minimal customer involvement vs. in-house deployment.

Deploying AI infrastructure in-house can strain IT teams, requiring specialized expertise in GPU clusters, high-speed networking, Kubernetes, and AI software stacks. These complex environments often divert skilled staff from core business priorities and delay time to value. Utilizing professional services for deployment can help alleviate some of the burden.

To quantify the potential impact of using a skilled services team, Principled Technologies (PT) conducted a side-by-side comparison of the deployment of a Dell AI Factory solution. The study evaluated the time, effort, and resources required to deploy the solution with in-house engineers versus with Dell ProDeploy Services.

Independent study: Dell ProDeploy Services significantly reduces deployment time

In the independent test, Dell Services delivered a pre-racked, pre-configured Dell AI Factory platform directly to the PT facility. A Dell Services technician completed the full deployment in less than one day.

By comparison, experienced PT engineers required:

• Extensive pre-engagement planning and preparation
• Additional ramp-up time to re-learn tools like NVIDIA Base Command Manager (BCM)
• Four full days of hands-on deployment work

The results highlight how Dell ProDeploy Services, including factory rack integration and on-site installation, can dramatically streamline AI infrastructure deployment.

Why AI infrastructure deployment is challenging for in-house IT teams

According to the PT report, “AI workloads require far more than standard deployments. IT teams must actively design, deploy, and manage environments that include GPUs, high-speed networking, storage, and tightly integrated software stacks. Because these components must operate in precise coordination, they significantly increase planning and configuration effort.”

Building an on-premises AI environment requires coordinating:

• GPU-accelerated compute nodes
• Low-latency networking (e.g., InfiniBand)
• Kubernetes orchestration
• AI platform software

These systems require advance skills in integration, performance tuning, and lifecycle management—expertise many organizations do not maintain in-house.

Additionally, infrequent use of specialized tools can lead to:

• Longer setup and troubleshooting times
• Delayed project timelines
• Increased operational complexity

Dell Services simplifies AI deployment and improves time to value

Dell Services aims to eliminate these challenges by delivering end-to-end AI infrastructure deployment. In the PT study, Dell Services provided:

• Factory integration: Preassembled, validated AI infrastructure delivered ready to deploy
• Expert implementation: On-site Dell Services technicians completed installation quickly and accurately
• Reduced complexity: No need for in-house teams to manage intricate configurations

Key business benefits of Dell ProDeploy Services

The PT report shows that organizations using Dell Services for AI deployment can achieve:

• Faster time to value: Deployment completed in under a day versus nearly a week in-house
• Reduced operational risk: Fewer errors in complex AI infrastructure setup
• Lower skill burden: Avoids reliance on scarce expertise in GPU networking, Kubernetes orchestration, and BCM
• Increased IT productivity: Frees internal teams to focus more time on AI innovation instead of infrastructure setup

Accelerate AI adoption with Dell Services

The PT study demonstrates that while even experienced in-house teams may spend days preparing and deploying AI infrastructure, Dell Services has the potential to deliver a faster, more efficient path to production.

Learn more

To compare the deployment approaches and see how Dell Services can help significantly accelerate AI time to value, read the full Principled Technologies report.

About Principled Technologies

Principled Technologies, Inc. is the leading provider of technology marketing and learning & development services.

Principled Technologies, Inc. is located in Durham, North Carolina, USA. For more information, please visit www.principledtechnologies.com.

Company Contact

Principled Technologies, Inc.

1007 Slater Road, Suite #300

Durham, NC 27703

press@principledtechnologies.com