Why Federal AI Needs a Secure Path to Scale
Federal agencies need powerful AI to serve the nation more effectively. However, moving artificial intelligence projects from a pilot phase to full production is often slow and complex. Strict security rules, compliance demands, and unpredictable costs create significant hurdles. For teams working with sensitive data, even in government-authorized public cloud regions, cloud can introduce limitations on computing power, data access and model availability.
Introducing Leidos AI Factory
The Leidos AI Factory provides a direct path forward. It offers government agencies a dedicated, high-performance AI environment that runs in its own data center. This on-premises approach accelerates the timeline from testing to mission-scale deployment. Agencies gain complete control over their data, achieve predictable costs, and ensure the highest levels of security for their most critical workloads.
The case for on-premises AI
Cloud services offer flexibility, but they come with trade-offs. Agencies often face variable costs that make long-term budgeting difficult. Dependence on a commercial provider can also mean navigating strict rules and waiting for access to the latest AI tools.
An on-premises environment removes these barriers. By bringing the solution in-house, agencies gain:
Predictable costs: Analysis shows that an on-premises approach can save agencies up to 63% compared to cloud alternatives over four years. Agencies can break even on their investment in as little as 18 months.
Maximum security: Keeping sensitive workloads within a controlled environment provides the strongest possible protection for government data.
Reliable performance: An on-premises approach provides dedicated access to the computing power needed, when needed, without competing for resources.
Delivering big AI outcomes in government doesn’t happen through proofs of concept — it’s about getting secure, powerful AI solutions into production. With the Leidos AI Factory, agencies gain enterprise-grade performance in their own data centers, keeping sensitive workloads protected and accelerating the timeline for delivering transformative capabilities.
Ron Keesing
Leidos Chief AI Officer
Built for performance and trust
The Leidos AI Factory is a powerful solution built to meet the rigorous demands of federal organizations, offering a robust, scalable, secure platform that integrates seamlessly into existing systems.
At its core, the factory is powered by NVIDIA's accelerated compute. Its advanced GPUs and NVIDIA AI Enterprise software provide the engine for training, fine-tuning and running modern AI models securely and efficiently.
"Advancing mission-critical AI requires a high-performance foundation," said Anne Hecht, NVIDIA's senior director of enterprise platforms. "With NVIDIA accelerated computing and NVIDIA AI Enterprise software, the Leidos AI Factory equips government teams to develop, deploy and scale modern AI — from training to high-volume inference — within a secure, independent environment."
Dell Technologies provides the reliable and scalable hardware backbone with PowerEdge servers designed specifically for demanding AI workloads. This ensures consistent performance as projects grow from pilot to full production.
“AI factories represent a fundamental shift in enterprise computing — purpose-built to transform data into intelligence at scale. The Dell AI Factory brings AI directly to the data, enabling seamless integration across data centers, edge and cloud environments,” said Suri Durvasula, vice president at Dell Technologies Federal. “Our collaboration is driving the future of federal AI — delivering secure, high-performance solutions that turn ambitious goals into mission-driven outcomes.”
Sterling, Leidos’ 2025 Small Business Channel Partner of the Year, leads the secure deployment and training. Their top‑secret, security-cleared engineers ensure federal teams can operate and deploy with confidence from day one.
“Sterling ensures federal agencies unlock the full potential of the Leidos AI Factory," said Chris Cyr, chief technology officer at Sterling. "Our cleared engineering teams provide the expert deployment, optimization and training needed for secure, confident operations from day one, enabling seamless scaling for critical missions.”
Key benefits of the Leidos AI Factory
This comprehensive, collaborative solution is engineered to deliver practical outcomes for federal agencies:
Faster AI adoption: Get from pilot to production faster with a fully integrated platform.
Enhanced security and compliance: Safeguard data and meet strict federal mandates with an on-premises system.
Consistent AI resource access: Gain reliable access to modern computing power for the demands of today's missions.
Cost predictability and scalability: Transition from variable fees to a stable, growth-oriented financial model.
Mission-ready performance: Leverage enterprise-grade AI and machine learning designed for defense, disaster response, healthcare and advanced research.
Building the future of autonomous AI
The Leidos AI Factory represents the future of government innovation. It provides agencies with the freedom to build solutions, compliance with regulations and the power to lead. With trusted partners and a purpose-built system, Leidos is redefining what secure, scalable AI can achieve for the mission.
DIVE DEEPER AT NVIDIA GTC WASHINGTON, DC
Learn more about the Leidos AI Factory in booth #653 at NVIDIA GTC Washington, DC from Oct. 27-29. Be sure to also check out “Driving Mission Agility for Government’s Toughest Challenges: AI at Leidos,” a lightning talk by Dr. Corey Hendricks, vice president and chief engineer of Leidos' Commercial and International Sector, on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 5 p.m. Dr. Hendricks' remarks will highlight the emergency response command and control (C2AI) use case and more.
