SHI International Corp., a global leader in technology solutions, recently announced its cutting-edge AI & Cyber Labs facility in Piscataway, New Jersey that was designed to accelerate business innovation and guide organizations through every stage of their AI journey from ideation to adoption. “The introduction of SHI’s AI & Cyber Labs will empower many organizations to bring both clarity and speed to their AI efforts, helping them identify use cases with strong ROI and the best way to achieve the shortest time to value,” shares Thai Lee, President and CEO of SHI. “With the new AI & Cyber Labs, we are fulfilling our ongoing promise to help our customers solve what’s next.”
Bringing AI Use Cases to Life
The state-of-the-art facility provides cutting-edge generative AI solutions that can help guide customers through initial ideation and prototype development to the deployment of large-scale datacenter infrastructure. “The core purpose of the lab is to help our customers bring their AI use cases to life—use cases that are focused on solving real business problems,” explains Lee Ziliak, Field Chief Technology Officer and Managing Director of Architecture at SHI International. “We’re here to help them iterate quickly and move from concept to production faster than traditional models allow.”
SHI’s approach, known as Imagine, Experiment, Adopt, supports customers no matter where they are in the AI journey. “In the ‘Imagine’ phase, we sit down with customers to explore what’s possible with AI based on their specific business challenges,” shares Ziliak. “Some are very advanced in their journey, while others are just getting started. We work closely with them to define the use case and assess whether it’s something we can build and test in the lab. The ‘Experiment’ phase is where the lab really shines. We bring those ideas to life, typically in two to six weeks, which is a key differentiator. We’re not spending a year solving a problem. Even with complex challenges, we break them down into manageable pieces and iterate quickly to deliver measurable value.”
Beyond rapid prototyping, Ziliak emphasized the value of testing assumptions before committing major resources. “One of the most valuable things we do is helping customers avoid costly mistakes. We’ve had situations where we’ve proven a use case works, and others where we’ve shown it doesn’t. That insight can save millions in unnecessary investments in infrastructure or development. We’ve also had cases where a customer thought their data could support a use case, but once we got into the experiment phase, it became clear it couldn’t. That’s a critical part of what the lab offers, validating what works, but also uncovering what won’t before major investments are made.”
“One of the greatest strengths of the higher education community is its collaborative spirit. Networks like Edge and CENIC enable institutions to pool resources, share ideas, and collectively overcome funding and infrastructure challenges. SHI sees real value in supporting and contributing to these efforts. Sometimes the most impactful thing we can do is help raise awareness, whether it’s about available technologies, new approaches, or shared infrastructure. That kind of knowledge exchange accelerates innovation across the board, and is not just about advancing a single institution’s goal, but about moving the entire field forward.”
— Lee Ziliak
Field Chief Technology Officer and Managing Director of Architecture,
SHI International
Over the course of a typical engagement, the lab delivers a tangible output: a minimum viable product (MVP). “At the end of that experiment phase, we deliver an MVP,” Ziliak explains. “That MVP can then be taken into production, and we can assist with that, whether it’s on-premises or in the Cloud. Once the experiment phase is completed, we can help customers scale that into production as part of the ‘Adopt’ phase. As a top reseller of software and hardware, we can help deploy the solution on the right infrastructure, including a physical environment, cloud-based, or hybrid.”
SHI’s AI & Cyber Labs are built to reflect the diverse environments customers may use in the real world and are equipped with on-prem hardware from nearly every major AI provider using NVIDIA-accelerated infrastructure. “We have DGX-based systems, Dell AI Factories, HPE AI infrastructure, Lenovo systems, and storage solutions from vendors like DDN, NetApp, and Pure,” says Ziliak. “The idea is to match each use case to the right infrastructure to see how that workload performs in a real-world environment. We also leverage various cloud providers to create landing zones wherever our customers want to run their workloads. Depending on the scale, a solution might start small or move into supercomputing-class infrastructure. With a variety of GPUs and platforms available, we help size workloads correctly and demonstrate performance before going live. This flexible infrastructure is designed to help customers bring their use cases to life, size them appropriately, and scale into production. Whether you’re just starting your AI journey or looking to deploy enterprise-grade workloads, we’re here to help you get there with clarity and speed.”
Solving Real-World Problems
SHI’s AI & Cyber Labs are powered by advanced NVIDIA infrastructure, reflecting SHI’s growing role as a strategic NVIDIA partner in delivering end-to-end AI solutions. “When people think of AI, it’s very natural to think of NVIDIA, since they are one of the pioneers in the space, especially from a hardware and software perspective,” notes Ziliak. “As a complete stack of infrastructure designed to support AI, NVIDIA includes accelerated hardware and NVIDIA AI Enterprise (NVAIE) software—a comprehensive suite of development tools that enables us and our customers to build and run AI workloads effectively. The partnership we’ve built with NVIDIA really took shape last year, and both SHI and NVIDIA have leaned in, investing not just in infrastructure for the lab, but in people and training to ensure we can deliver true AI expertise.”
SHI has trained hundreds of team members through NVIDIA’s AI Advisor and advanced certification programs, enabling the company to deliver enterprise-grade AI support from ideation to implementation. “NVIDIA has recognized us as one of their top five partners,” shares Ziliak. “They’ve even called SHI their most complete partner, not just because of our infrastructure capabilities, but also due to our full-stack development expertise. The lab isn’t just about testing infrastructure, it’s also where we build. We have a team of over 120 professionals, including data scientists, MLOps engineers, application developers, and UX specialists who can bring customer use cases to life.”
SHI is also one of a select few NVIDIA SuperPod partners who is capable of delivering NVIDIA’s most powerful infrastructure solutions. “At the end of last year, NVIDIA announced that their SuperPods, previously deployed only by NVIDIA directly, would be made available through key partners,” explains Ziliak. “SHI was chosen as one of those partners, which is a testament to our capabilities and commitment. For SHI and NVIDIA, there’s investment on both sides and it’s all focused on bringing AI use cases to life for our customers. It’s been a strong partnership so far and we’ve helped each other open new doors, collaborate on opportunities, and most importantly, solve real customer problems.”
SHI’s partnership with NVIDIA helps customers across many sectors, including healthcare, education, and enterprise. “The advantages to our clients are manyfold,” says Ziliak. “NVIDIA brings an incredible suite of hardware and software solutions to the table, but just as important, they bring unmatched expertise. They’re on the cutting edge of developing the technologies that power AI workloads today. When you pair NVIDIA’s innovation and tools with SHI’s enterprise know-how and development capabilities, the result is a complete, end-to-end solution. I can honestly say we haven’t been presented with a problem that we couldn’t solve through this partnership. This type of collaboration is so exciting; we’re not just deploying technology, we’re solving real business problems every day.”
The Power of Visionary Leadership
In thinking about SHI’s leadership that continues to drive their future-forward mission, Ziliak reflects on the role of CEO, Thai Lee, whose vision and passion has helped shape SHI into the largest woman-owned business in the United States. “Before I ever worked here, I was actually an SHI customer,” shares Ziliak. “I spent 26 years at Verizon, and during that time, I worked closely with SHI, including Melissa Graham, who was employee number one after Thai Lee. Whatever problem we brought to SHI, they always found a way to solve it. Thai has been in this business for over three decades, and the company’s laser focus on solving customer problems begins with her. She has embedded this into the culture, and it shows up in every person across the organization. Thai also believes diverse perspectives lead to better problem solving. If everyone approaches things the same way, you get the same results. At SHI, we welcome new ideas and different ways of thinking, and that helps us keep delivering for our customers.”
Dr. Forough Ghahramani, Assistant Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Sponsored Programs, Edge, adds, “SHI International is a key innovation leader rooted right here in New Jersey. The launch of its AI & Cyber Labs, under the strategic leadership of Thai Lee and technical guidance of Lee Ziliak, represents a powerful commitment to accelerating applied AI and cybersecurity solutions. These labs offer immense opportunities for collaboration across sectors, including higher education and research. As we build regional AI and Quantum hubs, SHI’s expertise and infrastructure in partnership with Research and Education Networks, such as Edge, can play a vital role in shaping a more connected, secure, and forward-looking innovation ecosystem.”
“We love our higher ed customers and have built an entire team dedicated to supporting this sector. These institutions are often the source of thought leadership, and staying connected to that gives us insights that help shape SHI’s future. We partner with universities to help turn their research into real solutions. That’s where SHI’s AI & Cyber Labs come into play, by offering infrastructure, resources, and expertise to help higher ed institutions develop and test their use cases, especially in fields like health and life sciences. We go beyond selling products, we’re making actual investments in some of the universities we work with. Whether that’s through lab resources, technical support, or co-developing solutions, we see it as a true partnership.”
— Lee Ziliak
Field Chief Technology Officer and Managing Director of Architecture,
SHI International
As the landscape of higher education continues to evolve rapidly, often with tight budgetary and operational challenges, SHI sees the sector not just as a customer base, but as a strategic partner in innovation and growth. “We love our higher ed customers and have built an entire team dedicated to supporting this sector,” says Ziliak. “These institutions are often the source of thought leadership, and staying connected to that gives us insights that help shape SHI’s future. We partner with universities to help turn their research into real solutions. That’s where SHI’s AI & Cyber Labs come into play, by offering infrastructure, resources, and expertise to help higher ed institutions develop and test their use cases, especially in fields like health and life sciences. We go beyond selling products, we’re making actual investments in some of the universities we work with. Whether that’s through lab resources, technical support, or co-developing solutions, we see it as a true partnership.”
SHI’s approach to higher education is built on a symbiotic relationship that supports both innovation and real-world application across research, operations, and the student experience. “We’re here to help our customers solve problems, and colleges and universities have some unique challenges,” says Ziliak. “It’s not just about the research happening on campus; universities are also large, complex businesses. We look at both sides: how AI can support their academic innovation, and how it can improve operational efficiency.”
“We’re actively partnering with several institutions right now,” continues Ziliak. “In some cases, we’re investing in bringing their AI use cases to life. In others, we’re working on the business side, like improving the student experience or helping identify students who might be struggling before they fall behind. AI can help with things like streamlining prerequisites, enhancing course success rates, or even back-office functions like fraud detection. We also recently launched our Digital Ambassador, which is a web- or kiosk-based chatbot that features a digital human interface. You can walk up and ask questions like, ‘Where’s the registrar’s office?’ It’s all designed to improve the user experience, and I think students, especially digital natives, will be comfortable engaging with that kind of interface.”
Expanding Access to AI and Cybersecurity Innovation
SHI’s lab environment is designed to support not just AI experimentation, but also the increasing need for robust cyber defense. “AI & Cyber Lab is not just a good tagline, we built our AI Lab directly on top of our Cyber Lab,” says Ziliak. “Everything we do is secured, from the data access center where the internet enters the building, down to GPU-level isolation. And we do it in close partnership with our field CISOs to ensure every layer is protected. As AI introduces new threat vectors, the need for secure experimentation environments becomes more urgent and SHI’s lab addresses this reality head on. Things like prompt injection attacks on large language models (LLMs) weren’t even on the radar a few years ago. Now, we have to think about how data from different silos gets synthesized by AI, and how to protect that newly combined data set as a unique, secure domain.”
“Before I ever worked here, I was actually an SHI customer. I spent 26 years at Verizon, and during that time, I worked closely with SHI, including Melissa Graham, who was employee number one after Thai Lee. Whatever problem we brought to SHI, they always found a way to solve it. Thai has been in this business for over three decades, and the company’s laser focus on solving customer problems begins with her. She has embedded this into the culture, and it shows up in every person across the organization. Thai also believes diverse perspectives lead to better problem solving. If everyone approaches things the same way, you get the same results. At SHI, we welcome new ideas and different ways of thinking, and that helps us keep delivering for our customers.”
— Lee Ziliak
Field Chief Technology Officer and Managing Director of Architecture,
SHI International
Ziliak continues, “AI is being used to do amazing things like accelerate medical research, but it’s also being weaponized by threat actors. Our lab lets us test and validate AI-powered security solutions, so we can help customers protect their environments against increasingly intelligent and adaptive threats. In today’s digital landscape, AI and cybersecurity are inextricably linked. You can’t innovate responsibly in AI without addressing how to secure it, and that’s exactly what our lab is designed to do.”
With AI and cybersecurity increasingly intertwined, customers are bringing more complex and nuanced challenges into SHI’s AI & Cyber Lab. “One of the most common problems we hear about is prompt injection,” explains Ziliak. “That’s when users try to manipulate an AI system, usually by finding clever ways to bypass its guardrails and get it to do something it shouldn’t. For example, attempting to get an LLM to respond to a prohibited prompt, like providing instructions for illegal or harmful activity, by disguising the request in roundabout language. Many organizations now rely on SHI’s lab to test the integrity of their AI systems, fine-tune protections before deployment, and actively strengthen their security postures.”
SHI also helps clients use AI to detect and respond to threats and help secure their infrastructure. “For instance, using NVIDIA Morpheus to scan logs for anomalies—either in real-time or after an event—can catch things traditional tools might miss,” notes Ziliak. “Organizations can also turn to SHI’s AI & Cyber Lab to explore infused cybersecurity software or test an “applied AI” solution in a safe, scalable space. No matter if you’re building something from scratch or validating a third-party tool, the lab allows us to pressure test those solutions in a realistic, secure, and accelerated environment.”
As SHI continues to push the boundaries of emerging technologies, quantum computing is firmly on the radar, but with a grounded, practical focus. “While large-scale quantum computing is still a few years away, SHI is already taking proactive steps to help customers prepare for the coming shift,” explains Ziliak “Right now, we’re actively working in the post-quantum cryptography space. The concern is that once quantum computing becomes viable, the encryption standards we rely on today could be broken almost instantly. SHI is already testing and validating encryption products designed to be resilient in a post-quantum world. As far as actually testing quantum computers or doing more direct work, we’re not there yet, but with the pace of innovation, I wouldn’t be surprised to see real-world quantum use cases start to appear in the next three to five years. There’s definitely a lot of investment flowing in from startups and governments. Even the UN is calling this the ‘year of quantum.’ For now, it’s about readiness, and that means helping organizations protect their data today from the threats of tomorrow.”
As New Jersey accelerates its investment in emerging technologies through initiatives like the NJAI Hub, SHI sees a natural opportunity to integrate its AI & Cyber Labs into the state’s growing innovation ecosystem. “We see a lot of value in partnering with these initiatives and we’re actively exploring how we can contribute by providing hardware, but more importantly, by offering our expertise,” shares Ziliak. “Whether that’s data scientists or infrastructure specialists, it’s an investment we’re making to help support and scale these environments effectively. We’re also exploring lead times. As research projects spin up, hardware may not be readily available. We’re identifying ways SHI can help these hubs accommodate workloads while their infrastructure catches up. That includes multi-tenancy strategies, GPU isolation, and advanced configurations that require hands-on experience.”
“One of the most valuable things we do is helping customers avoid costly mistakes. We’ve had situations where we’ve proven a use case works, and others where we’ve shown it doesn’t. That insight can save millions in unnecessary investments in infrastructure or development. We’ve also had cases where a customer thought their data could support a use case, but once we got into the experiment phase, it became clear it couldn’t. That’s a critical part of what the lab offers, validating what works, but also uncovering what won’t before major investments are made.”
— Lee Ziliak
Field Chief Technology Officer and Managing Director of Architecture,
SHI International
This focus on collaboration and expertise naturally extends to research and education networks, which play a vital role in expanding access to AI and cybersecurity innovation. Ziliak sees these collaborative environments as essential to progress. “One of the greatest strengths of the higher education community is its collaborative spirit. Networks like Edge and CENIC enable institutions to pool resources, share ideas, and collectively overcome funding and infrastructure challenges. SHI sees real value in supporting and contributing to these efforts. Sometimes the most impactful thing we can do is help raise awareness, whether it’s about available technologies, new approaches, or shared infrastructure. That kind of knowledge exchange accelerates innovation across the board, and is not just about advancing a single institution’s goal, but about moving the entire field forward.”
