NTT DATA expands AI Factory network to Singapore & Paris

NTT DATA has expanded its AI Factory network with new sites in Singapore and Paris, extending its footprint across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

The new locations join existing sites in Plano, Texas, and Riyadh. A separate facility in Munich provides a production environment where organisations can test their own models, data and workloads before making investment decisions.

The sites are designed to give business and technology teams hands-on access to AI systems, helping them assess whether projects that succeeded in pilot programmes can be deployed more widely. Areas under review include infrastructure architecture, security, governance, workload placement, performance and cost.

Each site combines NTT DATA's consulting and technical services with technology from partners including Cisco and NVIDIA. The programme also includes discovery workshops, technical reviews, proof-of-concept planning and solution design.

Pilot gap

The expansion comes as many companies continue to test AI tools in limited use cases but face obstacles when trying to move those projects into day-to-day operations. Concerns over infrastructure limits, governance, security requirements and operating costs often slow broader deployment, according to NTT DATA.

The facilities are intended to let clients test use cases across employee productivity, customer experience, intelligent operations, cyber security, networking, software development and sector-specific business processes.

Munich plays a distinct role in the network. Located in NTT Global Data Centres' Munich 2 data centre, the facility allows organisations to run their own AI assets in a production setting rather than a demonstration environment.

That distinction reflects a wider market issue: companies often need to verify not only whether a model works, but whether it can run reliably under operational constraints such as data controls, latency, resilience and budget limits.

"AI at scale is ultimately about turning intelligence into measurable business impact," said Dilip Kumar, President, Technology Solutions, NTT DATA. "That requires organizations to balance innovation with responsibility and make informed choices about where AI creates value and how it can be deployed sustainably and economically. Our AI Factories help clients build that confidence before they scale."

Partner role

Cisco is among the companies supporting the initiative through its work with NVIDIA on infrastructure for AI deployments. Partner technologies underpin the environments available to clients at NTT DATA's AI Factory sites.

"Scaling AI goes beyond computing. Enterprises need a secure and resilient infrastructure foundation that spans infrastructure, security, performance and operations - while maintaining control of their data and AI economics," said Cassie Roach, Global Vice President, AI Infrastructure & Connectivity Partner Sales, Cisco. "Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA, combined with NTT DATA's global presence and expertise, gives organizations a strong foundation for moving AI workloads from experimentation into successful production."

The approach reflects a broader trend in the technology services market, where suppliers are trying to address client hesitation over large AI spending by offering test environments and advisory work before full deployment decisions are made.

Research cited by NTT DATA indicates that enterprise leaders want greater confidence in performance and business value before committing to broader investment. That demand has created an opening for service providers that can offer controlled settings in which clients compare technical options and operating models.

Industry analysts say the challenge is not only computational. Data governance, security controls, operational processes and integration with existing systems can be just as important when organisations move beyond experimentation.

"Realizing AI outcomes starts with building the right AI Factory foundation with strong governance," said Chris Barnard, Vice President, Networking and Infrastructure Services, IDC. "That requires infrastructure, data, security and operations to work together, supported by the right ecosystem of partners. NTT DATA's AI Factory approach brings these capabilities together to help organizations build operational maturity, manage complexity and turn AI investments into business outcomes."