Executive summary - Purpose-built platform to deploy, protect, and scale AI inference and agentic apps at the network edge - Globally distributed compute with specialized NVIDIA GPUs for low-latency, high-throughput inference - Open, Kubernetes-native developer experience with pre-integrated AI tooling (KServe, vLLM, NVIDIA NIM/NeMo) - AI-aware security at the edge to defend prompts, models, data, and APIs - Clear, portable architecture with no-cost egress, full K8s control, and transparent pricing
Why edge inference now - The market is shifting from training to inference. Real-time apps and agentic systems need predictable low latency, local tools/memory, and global scale — conditions centralized clouds struggle to meet. - Running inference closer to users reduces round trips and variability, improving responsiveness and cost efficiency for chat, vision, personalization, and decisioning use cases. Learn more about AI inference and why latency matters.
What is Akamai Inference Cloud? A full-stack, edge-native cloud platform to build, protect, and optimize intelligent applications. It brings GPU-powered compute, data, orchestration, traffic control, and AI-aware security closer to users so models can reason, respond, and act in real time — globally.
How it works - Distributed edge + specialized GPUs: Routes requests to the best GPU region on Akamai’s global edge to minimize latency and maximize consistency. - Unified stack for AI apps: Foundation (compute/networking/storage), models, data, and execution with agent lifecycle control. - Open, K8s-first developer experience: Deploy on managed Kubernetes (LKE) with preconfigured AI components and open APIs; keep full cluster control and portability. - Built-in protection and visibility: Adaptive AI security and unified observability protect models and endpoints and help tune performance and cost.
Key capabilities - Compute and acceleration - NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs, optimized for inference at scale - Optionally build clusters with up to 8 RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPUs, BlueField-3 DPUs, 128 vCPUs, 1,472 GB DRAM, and 8,192 GB NVMe - Optimized for time to first token (TTFT) and tokens per second (TPS) - Kubernetes and platform - Managed Kubernetes (LKE) with a pre-engineered platform for LLMs, agents, and knowledge bases - Integrated stack including vLLM, KServe, NVIDIA NeMo, NVIDIA NIMs - App Platform runs on LKE and is portable to any conformant Kubernetes cluster - Security and governance - AI-aware defenses at the edge against prompt injection, model abuse, scraping, and malicious agents - Network-level defense, API security, configurable access controls, and observability - Data and storage - High-performance block and object storage, managed vector databases, and distributed data services - Traffic and networking - Global traffic management, load balancing, and edge routing to the best region for each request - Portability and cost control - Open APIs, full K8s control, no-cost egress, and clear pricing designed for scale
Who it’s for - MLOps engineers: Automate the ML lifecycle to continuously retrain, deploy, and monitor models in production. - AI engineers: Build end-to-end agentic applications using pretrained or custom models and deliver production software. - Agentic system architects: Design and operate complex, autonomous systems that can reason, plan, act, and adapt.
Common use cases - Agentic assistants and chatbots: Faster, more accurate responses with edge inference and adaptive security. - Personalization and recommendations: Real-time, context-aware experiences using your LLMs and custom models. - Automation and decision engines: High-frequency inference for fintech, healthcare, and ecommerce. - Computer vision at the edge: Automated quality control on assembly lines, dynamic retail experiences, and real-time video analytics. See additional examples on AI Inferencing.
What makes Akamai different - Edge-first architecture with more than 4,400 points of presence for global reach and speed - Integrated AI-native security and traffic control to protect the entire AI interaction layer - Open, portable platform (Kubernetes everywhere) with clear economics and no-cost egress
Get started and pricing options - Create a cloud account to start deploying on GPUs and Kubernetes. Create a Cloud Account - Talk with an expert about sizing, architecture, and cost optimization. Book an AI consultation - Be among the first to access NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell for inference. Join the GPU waitlist - See if you qualify for cloud credits. Visit AI Inferencing or contact sales.
Helpful resources - Product overview: Akamai Inference Cloud - Docs: Build an AI chatbot and RAG pipeline on LKE. View documentation - White papers: Improve efficiency and cut costs. - AI Inference Efficiency: Spend Less and Do More - Optimizing AI inference: Build a foundation for scalability and efficiency - Perspective: Why inference at the edge matters. - Edge Is All You Need - Distributed Inferencing — The Next AI Frontier - Announcement: Akamai Inference Cloud transforms AI from core to edge with NVIDIA
Buyer-focused FAQ - How is Akamai Inference Cloud different from GPU hosting? - It’s a purpose-built platform for AI inference with compute, networking, and security at the edge, plus model-aware defenses and AI-native traffic control. - What GPUs are available? - NVIDIA RTX PRO Servers featuring RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs, integrated with NVIDIA AI Enterprise software. - What developer tools are supported? - Managed K8s (LKE), App Platform, vLLM, KServe, NVIDIA NeMo, NVIDIA NIMs, and open APIs for portability. - How do you secure models and data? - Edge-based network defense, API security, agent- and model-aware protections, and configurable access controls around data and models. - How does the edge reduce latency? - Requests are routed to the most suitable GPU region near users, cutting round trips and improving time to first token and tokens per second.
Ready to evaluate? - Spin up infrastructure and test your models. Create a Cloud Account - Plan a pilot or discuss pricing and credits. Contact sales - Explore best-fit GPU profiles for your workload. Book an AI consultation