---
title: AI Appliance
date: 2026-06-01T17:19:00+02:00
author: Hannes Heckel
canonical_url: "https://www.fast-lta.de//en/glossary/ai-appliance"
section: Glossar
---
Organizations wanting to operate AI locally face a choice between three options: cloud AI services (data leaves the organization), self-built GPU servers (high effort, no ready-made connectors, no SLA) and AI appliances (tested complete solution, deployment in days).

An AI appliance combines all components in a tested unit: dedicated GPU hardware for LLM inference, storage for the vector database and source documents, pre-installed and configured software stack, ready-made connectors for common enterprise applications and a manufacturer support contract.

The key advantage over DIY solutions lies in predictability and accountability: a manufacturer stands behind functionality and support. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is calculable from the outset — unlike usage-based cloud costs that scale with usage.

Silent AI is an AI appliance by German manufacturer FAST LTA. The Silent AI Controller (model X8020) contains an Nvidia A6000 Pro Blackwell GPU with 96 GB GDDR7, an Intel Xeon Silver processor and two slots for Silent AI Vault Bricks as local storage. Licenses are issued in packages of 25, 50 or 100 named users.

### Disaster Recovery

Disaster recovery refers to the structured processes and technical measures that ensure IT systems can be restored within defined timeframes (RTO) with maximum data loss (RPO) after a severe failure — ransomware attack, hardware failure or data center outage.

[Mehr erfahren →](https://www.fast-lta.de//en/glossary/disaster-recovery)

 

## Frequently asked questions

#### What does an AI appliance cost compared to cloud AI?

An AI appliance requires a one-time hardware and license investment. Cloud AI is billed on a per-token basis (input + output). Beyond a certain usage volume, the appliance is more cost-effective — and costs are predictable without surprises at high usage levels. CARE maintenance contracts for Silent AI are available for 1, 3 or 5 years at consistent terms.

#### How long does deployment of an AI appliance take?

Deployment of Silent AI typically takes a few days: hardware installation and network connection, configuration of AD/LDAP integration, setup of connectors and initial indexing of source documents. Unlike DIY GPU servers, no separate setup of the model, vector database and connectors is required.