CIQ Partners with NVIDIA to Transform AI and HPC Workflows
CIQ is the premier Enterprise Linux provider empowered to include NVIDIA CUDA in all AI and HPC stacks built on its optimized version of Rocky Linux.
CIQ, recognized as the foundational support and services partner for Rocky Linux, recently unveiled a vigorous collaboration with NVIDIA to seamlessly integrate the NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit into its commercial offerings. This partnership is geared toward revolutionizing the industry’s approach to accessing and operationalizing GPU acceleration. It offers users ready-to-use environments that significantly reduce complexity, risk, and time-to-value for various performance computing workloads, spanning across AI, machine learning, and high-performance computing (HPC).
NVIDIA CUDA: A Robust Platform for AI and Scientific Breakthroughs
NVIDIA CUDA stands as NVIDIA's acclaimed accelerated computing platform and programming model that has proven essential in achieving substantial advances in AI and scientific computing. The CUDA Toolkit encompasses NVIDIA's honed libraries and development tools crucial for crafting and deploying NVIDIA accelerated workloads. Through this native integration, CIQ provides enterprises with immediate GPU acceleration while rigorously adhering to licensing compliance.
Game-Changing Partnership
Gregory Kurtzer, the CEO of CIQ, states, "This partnership marks a watershed moment for the global HPC and AI ecosystem. By integrating native NVIDIA CUDA support within Rocky Linux, we diminish deployment risks and drastically shorten time-to-production from weeks to mere minutes. As Rocky Linux gains traction among enterprises, this collaboration fuels faster innovation and dependable GPU performance across various use cases, from laboratories to data centers and the cloud."
Rocky Linux’s Ascendancy in Enterprise Linux
Rocky Linux has secured its position as the leading distribution within the Enterprise Linux realm and is prominently listed among NVIDIA's officially recognized Enterprise Linux distributions. Recent metrics indicate that Rocky Linux commands more than 40% of all EPEL downloads, showcasing its rapid adoption since its launch just over three years ago. This overwhelming acceptance, coupled with NVIDIA's extensive support and commitment to testing, positions Rocky Linux favorably as the go-to platform for environments reliant on GPU acceleration.
Eliminating Deployment Challenges
CIQ's Rocky Linux platform, enhanced with CUDA, tackles significant deployment challenges by providing a fully tested, validated, and optimized stack readily available for use. The integration curtails the necessity for manual installations or custom setups that have historically contributed to delays and risks associated with configuration errors. Organizations now have the opportunity to unleash the complete potential of NVIDIA accelerated computing as they transition from development to production seamlessly.
By minimizing the technical challenges and time lags typically tied to GPU software deployment, CIQ's Rocky Linux platform with CUDA mitigates the risk of misconfiguration while accelerating the time-to-value for commercial AI deployments. The entire system is rigorously tested, validated, and optimized, compressing deployment times from weeks to mere minutes. This translates into decreased operational strain for teams managing GPU-accelerated applications at scale, whether it involves training large language models (LLMs), conducting inference pipelines, or facilitating advanced scientific simulations.
Empowering Users Through Collaboration
"The synergy between CIQ and NVIDIA is fundamentally about empowering users," remarked Bjorn Hovland, CIQ's COO. "By delivering GPU-ready infrastructure with Rocky Linux, we’re streamlining deployment and allowing customers to harness the utmost machine performance and efficiency right from the outset."
This collaboration has already attracted substantial support from major industry software providers. Wim Slagter, Sr. Director of Partner Programs at Ansys, expressed, "This integration greatly simplifies deployment, accelerates customer onboarding, and ensures peak performance on NVIDIA GPU-enabled infrastructure. We view this partnership as a pivotal enabler for our shared clients and anticipate ongoing alignment with CIQ and NVIDIA to provide a seamless, high-performance experience."
Future Ready with CIQ
As part of this collaboration, CIQ will offer prebuilt Rocky Linux with CUDA images via its registries and major cloud marketplaces. These environments guarantee consistency, portability, and regulatory compliance, facilitating streamlined deployment throughout the entire GPU development lifecycle for organizations operating in regulated or performance-sensitive domains.
About CIQ
CIQ is at the forefront of creating next-generation secure and efficient software infrastructure aimed at the AI epoch. Established in 2020 by open-source visionary Gregory Kurtzer, CIQ is dedicated to aiding organizations in simplifying, unifying, and democratizing high-performance computing and enterprise IT frameworks. As the founding support and services partner for Rocky Linux, the company also develops innovative products like Fuzzball and Ascender, delivering scalable and open infrastructure solutions that fuel innovation—right from the operating system upwards. With a community-first approach, CIQ continues to be a trusted partner for organizations transitioning to a future characterized by data and AI.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main focus of CIQ's partnership with NVIDIA?
The partnership aims to integrate NVIDIA CUDA into CIQ's solutions, enhancing AI and HPC workloads.
How does CIQ's Rocky Linux with CUDA benefit enterprises?
It minimizes deployment challenges, reduces operational burdens, and accelerates GPU-based performance applications.
What is the significance of NVIDIA CUDA?
NVIDIA CUDA is a computing platform that facilitates advancements in AI and scientific computing.
How does this collaboration affect the market for Rocky Linux?
It positions Rocky Linux as the leading enterprise distribution for GPU-accelerated environments.
What role does CIQ play in the ecosystem?
CIQ builds secure software infrastructure that powers high-performance computing and supports the AI era.
