Building the right foundations for AI in Azure to deliver business value faster

It feels like many technology conversations these days somehow have an AI slant. Whether it’s boardroom discussions, team stand-ups or coffee chats with colleagues, the topic keeps circling back to how organisations can “do AI right”. And the truth is - they’re right to think hard on this point.

While it’s easy to experiment with AI tools and large language models in isolation, turning those early potential opportunities into something enterprise-grade is a different story altogether.

It’s one thing to get a proof of concept running; it’s quite another to deploy AI in production at scale across departments, with the right level of security, governance and control.

There is no doubt that AI can be game changing for many businesses but there is a real challenge in establishing the right architecture and operational foundations that allow businesses to realise value at speed and do so safely.

The AI hype is real - but so is the operational complexity

We see many businesses already experimenting with tools like Azure OpenAI and Copilot, using them for things like content generation, intelligent search or summarisation. But what starts as an experiment can quickly become something much bigger - and riskier - if the right guardrails and controls aren’t in place.

We’ve seen it play out more than once: different business units start trialing AI tools in isolation, usage spikes, and before long, no one’s quite sure who’s using what, where the data is going, or how to keep it all secure and compliant with that business’ own standards and regulations.

Why foundations matter as much as features

Strong AI foundations are essential. Before organisations can even think about scaling AI responsibly, they need a well-architected Azure platform to support it - secure, governed and built to scale efficiently with the right operational framework wrapped around it.

That means:

• Role-based access and clear usage policies

• Centralised monitoring and logging

• Integration into existing pipelines and gated release processes

• Controls to keep costs in check and reports that clearly articulate spend patterns

• Clear ownership of curation, release and gating processes

• And compliance that doesn’t keep your risk teams up at night

It’s not the shiny AI features that make or break an enterprise deployment - it’s building the right foundations to support them.

Helping customers get ahead of the curve: BlakYaks Azure AI Foundations Accelerator Pack

Some of the most forward-thinking businesses we work with are the ones who pause before jumping in. They ask: "How do we give our teams the freedom to innovate, but without chaos?"

That’s the sweet spot - providing a solid, secure AI platform that enables business units to explore, build and deploy AI use cases, but on a scalable, operable platform. Think of it as a well-lit runway, rather than a dark field to land in.

At BlakYaks, we’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this challenge. And it’s why we built our Azure AI Foundations Accelerator Pack, a pre-engineered solution that removes a lot of the heavy lifting when setting up those core Azure AI components.

We have engineered and tested a solution framework that helps large businesses deploy a secure, scalable AI platform quickly, with:

• Automated deployment using Infrastructure as Code

• Enterprise-grade security and monitoring baked in

• Integration with Azure DevOps and existing environments

• Role-based access control and API-driven governance

In short, it’s everything you need to start using AI across the business - minus the headaches. Read more here.

Common use cases that the right platform can unlock

Once the foundations are in place, that’s when business value can be unlocked and the real fun begins.

We’ve seen organisations use this setup in a variety of creative and practical ways - and because the AI foundations are enterprise-ready, they can drive adoption faster with confidence.

Here are a few common (and valuable) use cases we’re seeing:

• Safe sandbox environments to experiment with OpenAI
  Give your teams the freedom to explore what large language models can do - whether it’s prompt engineering, summarisation or automating internal processes - all within a secure, contained environment. Guardrails are in place, so curiosity doesn’t turn into chaos.

• Build internal tools that embed LLMs for employees
  We’re seeing more customers build chatbots, knowledge assistants and intelligent agents that integrate with internal systems. These aren’t just toys - they’re solving real problems, from speeding up onboarding to answering compliance queries, all powered by Azure OpenAI and securely accessed through your own platform.

• Create API gateways for AI-enabled apps
  For development teams, the ability to programmatically access LLMs through secure, monitored APIs means AI can be embedded into customer-facing products, internal applications and mobile apps - all while maintaining visibility and control.

• Track and manage AI usage across departments
  With usage monitoring and role-based access in place, IT teams can get ahead of the "shadow AI" problem. You’ll know who’s using what, how often, and where costs are coming from - with the ability to scale up (or clamp down) as needed.

• Stay audit-ready for compliance and data protection reviews
  Whether you’re in a regulated industry or just taking governance seriously, our foundation provides the logging, audit records, controls and policies to provide the visibility business leaders need. If and when auditors come knocking, you're not scrambling to piece together documentation that describes and demonstrates your AI usage controls.
  

Looking ahead

It’s easy to get caught up in the hype - the flashy demos, the big language models, the "game-changing" use cases. But the organisations that are getting real value from AI are the ones that put in the groundwork, building the right foundations from the start and treat AI not as a side project, but as a core capability that’s integrated, governed and aligned with the wider strategy by defining clear policies and giving teams the tools they need to innovate safely.

Whether it’s through our Accelerator Pack or something bespoke, we’re here to help make sure that AI isn’t just the latest shiny tech tool, but a potential game changer for some businesses that is practical, scales effectively, enterprise-ready that supports your long-term strategy.

Get in touch if you’d like to hear more directly from our CTO, Stuart Anderson, about our Azure AI Foundations Accelerator Pack.