Enterprise Azure AI Solutions

Azure AI Consulting: Azure OpenAI & Machine Learning

EPC Group provides enterprise Azure AI consulting, including:

• Azure OpenAI Service (GPT-4)
• Machine Learning
• Cognitive Services
• AI governance

We implement a 7-pillar AI governance framework. Our team configures Azure AI to ensure compliance with:

• HIPAA
• SOC 2
• FedRAMP

With Microsoft consulting experience Since 1997, we hold all six Solutions Partner designations.

Key facts

• Azure OpenAI Service provides access to GPT-4, GPT-4 Turbo, Codex, and DALL-E models — all on Azure's compliance-certified infrastructure.
• Azure AI services can be configured for HIPAA compliance with a Business Associate Agreement (BAA), private endpoints, encrypted data, and audit logs.
• EPC Group implements a 7-pillar AI governance framework: Model Risk Management, Responsible AI, Data Governance, Security & Privacy, Bias Detection, Explainable AI, and Continuous Monitoring.
• Azure Confidential Computing (DCadsv5/ECasv5 series) protects data IN USE — not just at rest and in transit — using AMD SEV-SNP and Intel TDX enclaves.
• EPC Group has Microsoft consulting experience since 1997 and core Microsoft Solutions Partner designations.

Azure AI services we implement

• Azure OpenAI Service — GPT-4, GPT-4 Turbo, Codex, and DALL-E. Custom fine-tuning on your data. Private deployment in your Azure subscription.
• Azure Machine Learning — ML pipelines, model training, AutoML, and MLOps for custom predictive models.
• Azure Cognitive Services — Vision, Speech, Language, and Decision AI services pre-built for common scenarios.
• AI Builder (Power Platform) — no-code AI for Power Apps and Power Automate workflows.
• Copilot Studio — custom AI agents grounded in your SharePoint, Dataverse, and Azure data.
• Azure AI Search — vector search, semantic ranking, and RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) architectures.

The 7-pillar AI governance framework

EPC Group implements AI governance across seven pillars on every Azure AI engagement:

1. Model Risk Management — risk classification, model cards, and audit trails for every AI model.
2. Responsible AI principles — fairness, transparency, accountability, and safety controls mapped to Azure AI services.
3. Data governance — content remediation, sensitivity labeling, and Purview integration before AI deployment.
4. Security and privacy controls — private endpoints, CMK encryption, DLP for AI outputs, and role-based access.
5. Bias detection and mitigation — automated fairness testing on model outputs using Azure Responsible AI tooling.
6. Explainable AI — human-readable explanations for AI decisions using Azure InterpretML and Responsible AI dashboard.
7. Continuous monitoring — model drift detection, performance dashboards, and incident response alerts.

Compliance: HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP

HIPAA

• Azure AI services configured with Microsoft HIPAA BAA.
• PHI encrypted at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.3).
• Private endpoints prevent PHI from traversing the public internet.
• Audit logs capture every API call to Azure OpenAI for 6-year retention.

SOC 2

• Azure holds SOC 2 Type II for all AI services.
• EPC Group maps AI workloads to SOC 2 Trust Service Criteria (Security, Availability, Confidentiality).
• Evidence packages produced for annual SOC 2 audits.

FedRAMP

• Azure Government Cloud holds FedRAMP High authorization.
• Azure OpenAI Service is available in Azure Government for FedRAMP workloads.
• IL4/IL5 workloads are supported in Azure Government with appropriate controls.

Azure Confidential Computing

Azure Confidential Computing safeguards data while it is being used, not just when it is stored or being transferred. It employs two key technologies:

• AMD SEV-SNP
• Intel TDX

These hardware enclaves ensure that even the Azure host operator cannot access the data.

This is the right choice for regulated workloads that require cryptographic proof of data isolation. Use cases include:

• Clinical analytics on PHI running on shared Azure infrastructure.
• Financial services M&A modeling with confidential deal data.
• Federal IL5 workloads requiring hardware-attested isolation.

Supported on DCadsv5 and ECasv5 series VMs in Azure.

FinOps for Azure AI

Azure AI workloads have predictable and variable cost components. EPC Group applies FinOps controls to manage both:

• Azure Reservations (1-yr or 3-yr) — 30–72% savings on predictable GPU and compute VM workloads.
• Azure Savings Plans — extend compute discounts across instance families for flexible AI workloads.
• Azure Hybrid Benefit — BYOL Windows Server and SQL Server licenses cut compute costs by an additional 40–49%.
• Azure OpenAI token monitoring — track prompt and completion token consumption per model, per team.

Frequently asked questions

What is Azure OpenAI Service?

Azure OpenAI Service is Microsoft's managed deployment of OpenAI's models. It features GPT-4, GPT-4 Turbo, Codex, and DALL-E. This service runs within your Azure subscription, keeping your data secure in your Azure environment.

The service offers compliance with:

• HIPAA BAA
• SOC 2
• FedRAMP

Is Azure OpenAI HIPAA compliant?

Yes — with proper configuration. The Azure OpenAI Service is covered by Microsoft's HIPAA BAA. To ensure compliance, you need to configure:

• Private endpoints
• Audit logging
• Encryption
• Access controls

EPC Group manages all HIPAA configuration for Azure OpenAI deployments in healthcare settings.

What is the difference between Azure AI and Azure OpenAI?

Azure OpenAI Service focuses on OpenAI's large language models, including GPT-4, DALL-E, and Codex. In contrast, Azure AI encompasses a wider range of services. This includes:

• Cognitive Services (Vision, Speech, Language)
• Machine Learning
• AI Search
• Responsible AI tooling

Azure OpenAI is part of the larger Azure AI platform.

What is Azure Confidential Computing?

Azure Confidential Computing uses hardware-based trusted execution environments (AMD SEV-SNP or Intel TDX enclaves) to protect data while it is being processed.

This encryption protection is designed for data IN USE. It prevents even Azure's host operator from accessing data within the enclave. This feature is crucial for the most sensitive regulated workloads, which include:

• Financial services
• Healthcare
• Government data

• IL5
• Clinical PHI analytics

How much does Azure AI consulting cost?

Each engagement is quoted as a fixed fee after a scoping call. The AI Readiness Assessment, an Azure OpenAI deployment (single use case, governance included, 8–12 weeks) and AI Governance Implementation are each sized to the tenant and the use case rather than sold by the hour.

Ongoing managed services include monitoring, retraining triggers, and quarterly compliance reviews.

Schedule a consultation

EPC Group delivers enterprise Azure AI solutions with compliance-first architecture. Call (888) 381-9725 or request a discovery call to discuss your Azure AI project.