(See also: Advisory & Education, Our Approach)
LLM Application Development
Deploying LLM-based systems requires coordination of infrastructure, model behavior, and ongoing support. ZTS develops applications that integrate LLM capabilities into business operations, with emphasis on reliability, portability, and maintainability.
Work includes API-based solutions using commercial providers, on-premises deployments with open-source models, and hybrid approaches. Applications are built as self-contained, manageable solutions that reduce operational complexity and adapt to organizational requirements. Deployments are designed to be portable, supporting flexible integration and minimizing dependencies on third-party platforms or proprietary stacks.
Production Deployment Focus:
- Reliability: Systems configured and tested for predictable performance in real-world use, including fallback and monitoring strategies
- Portability: Containerized or modular solutions supporting varied environments, whether for internal use, secure edge deployments, or hybrid configurations
- Maintainability: Documentation, observability, and lifecycle planning to reduce friction and ensure long-term usability
On-Premises Infrastructure
For organizations requiring data privacy, cost control, or independence from commercial providers, ZTS provides on-premises LLM infrastructure design and deployment.
On-premises deployments provide complete control over data and models, eliminate per-token costs, and allow customization for specific use cases without vendor dependencies.
Hardware Specification: System design based on workload requirements, performance targets, and budget constraints. This covers GPU selection, memory configuration, storage architecture, and cooling considerations. We work with both purpose-built inference hardware and consumer-grade components where appropriate, matching hardware to actual requirements rather than overbuilding or underspecifying.
Model Selection and Quantization: Evaluation of which open-source models fit specific use cases, considering capability, licensing, resource requirements, and ongoing support. Quantization reduces model memory requirements and improves inference speed, with tradeoffs in output quality that vary by model and use case. We help determine appropriate quantization levels and validate that output quality meets requirements.
Inference Optimization: Configuration for production performance, including batching strategies, memory management, context handling, and throughput optimization. This includes monitoring and alerting for operational visibility.
System Integration & Automation
LLM technology typically provides value when integrated with existing systems rather than deployed as standalone tools. ZTS designs integrations connecting LLM capabilities to databases, applications, documentation systems, and business processes.
API Design and Implementation: Building interfaces that connect LLM capabilities to existing applications, with attention to authentication, rate limiting, error handling, and logging.
Model Context Protocol (MCP): Implementation of MCP servers that expose organizational data and tools to LLM applications, enabling context-aware responses without custom integration code for each data source.
Workflow Automation: Connecting LLM capabilities to business processes, including document processing, content classification, and decision support systems.
Guardrail Implementation: Technical implementation of content classification and filtering systems, including classifier-based guardrails that check inputs and outputs for safety and policy compliance.
Integration work focuses on practical workflows that fit existing operational patterns.
Additional IT Services
ZTS continues to provide core IT infrastructure and development services established since 2012:
- Infrastructure Planning: System architecture design, capacity planning, and infrastructure deployment
- Application Development: Custom applications, including database design and API development
- Legacy System Support: Maintenance, documentation, and modernization of existing systems
- Technical Documentation: System documentation, user guides, process documentation, and technical specifications