Private AI, deployed
inside your own walls.
Skilak Consulting provides private AI consulting and on-premise AI deployment for organizations whose data cannot go to a public AI API: local language models, self-hosted RAG and document search, and secure chat — running on hardware inside your network, designed to operate within your CMMC, HIPAA, or ITAR program.
We're software engineers, not resellers: we build, integrate, and hand off a system your IT team owns — with the option of Skilak Spool, our on-premises private AI appliance, when you want delivered hardware.
Cloud AI vs. "compliant" cloud vs. true on-premises
"HIPAA-compliant AI" usually means someone else's cloud with a signed agreement. For CUI, ITAR, and truly confidential data, the architecture — not the paperwork — is the control.
| Approach | Where your data lives | Cost model | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public cloud AI (ChatGPT, Copilot) | Leaves your network; shared cloud tenancy | Per-seat / per-token, grows with usage | General business data with no regulatory constraint |
| "Compliant" cloud AI wrappers | Still lives in someone else's cloud, under BAA/GovCloud terms | Per-seat subscription | HIPAA-tolerant workflows where cloud tenancy is acceptable |
| True on-premises AI (what we deploy) | Never leaves your building — your rack, your network, air-gap capable | Fixed hardware + implementation; no per-token bills | CMMC / CUI, ITAR, HIPAA, client-confidential, and sovereignty-bound data |
Assess → Pilot → Hand off
Assess
We inventory your documents, workflows, and compliance boundary, then size models and hardware against your real workload. Deliverable: sizing, architecture, and a written go / no-go recommendation — not a slide deck.
Pilot
A working deployment on your data behind your firewall — local models, governed retrieval with citations, role-based access. Measured against acceptance criteria you set.
Deploy & hand off
Production hardening, SSO integration, audit logging, backup/restore, and an operating runbook your IT team owns. We stay available for support — you keep the keys.
Who needs true on-premises AI
Defense suppliers & manufacturers
CMMC Level 2 flow-downs and CUI mean many primes' subcontractors simply cannot use cloud AI. On-prem models and retrieval keep controlled data inside your boundary while your team still gets modern AI tooling.
Healthcare & clinics
Summarize, search, and draft over PHI without a business associate's cloud in the loop. Local deployment keeps patient data on hardware you control, supporting your HIPAA program.
Legal & professional services
Client confidentiality doesn't pause for productivity tools. Self-hosted document Q&A lets attorneys and accountants query case files and workpapers without sending a byte to a third party.
Federal agency or defense prime? Skilak is a SAM-registered Native American-owned WOSB — see our federal capabilities for set-aside and teaming details.
Frequently asked questions
What is private AI deployment?
Private AI deployment means running language models, document search (RAG), and chat entirely on infrastructure you control — your server room, your rack, your network — instead of a vendor's cloud. Models, indexes, prompts, and answers never leave your environment.
Is on-premises AI actually good enough to be useful?
Yes. Current open-weight models running on a single well-specified server handle document Q&A, summarization, drafting, and internal chat for teams of 5 to 500+. We benchmark against your real documents during the assessment, so you see the quality before committing.
Does on-prem AI make us CMMC or HIPAA compliant?
No vendor can sell you compliance. Our deployments are designed to operate within your CMMC, HIPAA, or ITAR program — data residency, access control, audit logging — and we document the architecture so your compliance team and assessors can verify it. We do not certify or confer compliance.
Should we buy Skilak Spool or build on our own hardware?
Either works. Skilak Spool is our pre-integrated on-premises private AI appliance — the fastest path if you want delivered hardware with an operating handoff. If you already have GPU hardware or a preferred stack, we deploy on that instead. The assessment tells you which is cheaper for your workload.
Can the system run fully air-gapped?
Yes. Air-gapped deployment — no internet connectivity at all — is supported for SCIF-adjacent, ITAR, and high-sensitivity environments. Model updates and maintenance are handled through controlled offline procedures your security team approves.
What does an on-premises AI deployment cost?
Entry single-server deployments typically start in the low five figures including hardware; multi-server enterprise deployments scale from there. Unlike per-seat cloud AI, the cost is fixed — heavy usage doesn't raise the bill. The assessment produces an exact quote for your user count and workload.
Let's build something real.
Have a project, a legacy system that needs attention, or a contract to discuss? We respond within one business day.