# Axio Intelligence

> Axio Intelligence is a veteran-founded US engineering firm in San Antonio, Texas. Established companies bring us in to build what they are launching next: go-to-market platforms for new product lines and divisions, data and AI platforms, cloud infrastructure as code on AWS, Google Cloud and Azure, and connected hardware — firmware, cellular and satellite connectivity, device-to-cloud platforms and edge AI. We also cut cloud costs, modernize legacy systems, run DevOps/SRE, and provide fractional CTO leadership.

- Headquarters: San Antonio, TX, United States. Engineering team is US-based.
- Founder: Brice Ayres, U.S. Army veteran. While serving in the U.S. Army, Brice built a telecom company that gave away more than one million minutes of talk time to troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Engagements: scoping sprint, fixed-scope fixed-fee builds, implementation partner for connectivity/hardware vendors, and retained fractional CTO or DevOps/SRE support. Mainframe and IBM i migration has no upfront fee and is priced as a percentage of the net savings in licensing and compute spend. Database migration (Oracle/SQL Server to PostgreSQL/MySQL) is a fixed fee or a share of the license savings, depending on the job.
- Works with the customer’s existing connectivity provider; does not move referred customers to another network.
- Defense work is unclassified; the company does not hold a facility clearance.
- Contact: contact@axiointelligence.com · booking: https://axiointelligence.com/book

## Services
- [New product line platforms](https://axiointelligence.com/services/product-platforms): Axio Intelligence builds the complete software platform behind a new product line or division — product site, customer and dealer portals, quoting, ordering and subscription billing, CRM and ERP integrations, analytics, and the cloud infrastructure underneath — so an established company can launch a new business without pulling its core engineering team off the roadmap or hiring a department first.
- [Data & AI platforms](https://axiointelligence.com/services/data-ai-platforms): Axio Intelligence builds data and AI platforms — ingestion and transformation pipelines, human-in-the-loop labeling workflows, workforce and project management, automated quality control, and Kubernetes-orchestrated containerized workloads — that turn raw multimodal data (video, audio, images, text and 3D) into model-ready datasets. We engineered the platform MLtwist uses to deliver AI data work, including its U.S. TSA contract.
- [Performance & legacy modernization](https://axiointelligence.com/services/legacy-modernization): Axio Intelligence makes slow or aging systems fast and maintainable again — profiling and fixing performance bottlenecks, tuning databases and APIs, migrating platforms, and rewriting legacy components incrementally behind stable interfaces so the business never has to stop shipping.
- [Database migration](https://axiointelligence.com/services/database-migration): Axio Intelligence migrates legacy Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server databases to PostgreSQL or MySQL — self-managed, or on Amazon RDS and Aurora, Google Cloud SQL and AlloyDB, or Azure Database. We convert schemas, PL/SQL and T-SQL stored procedures and application queries, keep old and new in sync during the move, and cut over with a rollback path, so you stop paying per-core license fees without a risky big-bang weekend.
- [Fractional CTO & engineering](https://axiointelligence.com/services/fractional-cto): Axio Intelligence provides fractional CTO and fractional engineering leadership for hardware, IoT and defense-technology companies — owning architecture decisions, the technical roadmap, hiring, vendor and connectivity selection, and investor or customer technical diligence — part-time, until a full-time leader is justified.
- [IoT product engineering](https://axiointelligence.com/services/iot-product-development): Axio Intelligence builds the software layer that turns a connected device into a product you can sell: embedded firmware, device-to-cloud ingestion, command-and-control APIs, secure over-the-air updates, and the fleet console your operations team and customers use every day. We take a device from working prototype to a managed fleet in the field.
- [Cellular & satellite connectivity](https://axiointelligence.com/services/cellular-satellite-connectivity): Axio Intelligence designs and integrates the connectivity path for devices in the field — LTE-M, NB-IoT and Cat-1bis cellular, eSIM, satellite (NTN and L-band), and private LTE — including failover between links, power and data budgets, and carrier certification support. We build on the provider you already use.
- [Edge AI & computer vision](https://axiointelligence.com/services/edge-ai-computer-vision): Axio Intelligence deploys machine learning where the data is created: computer vision detection and tracking on edge hardware such as NVIDIA Jetson, anomaly detection on sensor and fleet telemetry, and the data pipelines, labeling workflows and model monitoring needed to keep models accurate in the field.
- [Hardware design & manufacturing](https://axiointelligence.com/services/hardware-manufacturing): Axio Intelligence designs and manufactures connected hardware alongside the software that runs on it — electronics, enclosures, design for manufacturing, factory test and provisioning, and production builds — so one team is accountable from the circuit board to the cloud console.
- [Cloud infrastructure & IaC](https://axiointelligence.com/services/cloud-infrastructure-iac): Axio Intelligence designs, builds and supports cloud infrastructure on AWS, Google Cloud (GCP) and Azure, written as code in Terraform, OpenTofu, Pulumi or native tooling — landing zones and account structure, networking, identity and security baselines, Kubernetes platforms (EKS, GKE, AKS), CI/CD and GitOps — and provides ongoing Infrastructure as Code support for teams whose infrastructure has drifted from its code.
- [Cloud cost reduction](https://axiointelligence.com/services/cloud-cost-reduction): Axio Intelligence reduces cloud spend on AWS, GCP and Azure. A read-only diagnostic inventories every resource, maps spend to workloads and quantifies what is recoverable; a senior engineer validates the findings and presents a prioritised, fixed-fee plan. Published optimisation benchmarks commonly put recoverable spend at 20–50% for teams that have never done this work.
- [Mainframe & IBM i migration](https://axiointelligence.com/services/mainframe-migration): Axio Intelligence helps US manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and mid-size retailers cut IBM, Broadcom and BMC mainframe licensing and compute cost by moving COBOL workloads to AWS, Azure or Google Cloud in a modern language — starting with the peak batch and extract jobs that cost the most: inventory, replenishment, pricing feeds and nightly reports. Go as far as a full migration, or stop when the savings stop. There is no upfront fee: we are paid a share of the net savings.
- [Infrastructure evaluation](https://axiointelligence.com/services/infrastructure-assessment): Axio Intelligence evaluates software and cloud infrastructure independently — architecture, security posture, reliability, scalability, cost and team practices — and delivers a ranked findings report with a practical roadmap. Leaders use it before a scale-up, a fundraise, an acquisition or a major customer’s security review.
- [DevOps, SRE & ongoing support](https://axiointelligence.com/services/devops-sre): Axio Intelligence runs DevOps and site reliability engineering for teams that ship connected products — CI/CD for cloud services and firmware, infrastructure as code, observability, SLOs and alerting, incident response, and ongoing support on a monthly retainer after launch.

## Industries
- [Connectivity providers & IoT platforms](https://axiointelligence.com/industries/iot-connectivity-providers): Axio Intelligence is an IoT systems integrator and implementation partner for connectivity providers — cellular MVNOs, eSIM platforms, module makers, satellite IoT networks and private LTE operators. When a customer buys SIMs or modules and then stalls on firmware, cloud, command-and-control or dashboards, we build that layer on your stack, and the customer stays yours.
- [Energy & DER devices](https://axiointelligence.com/industries/energy-der): Axio Intelligence builds the software that lets utilities, aggregators and virtual power plants dispatch your devices — a reliable cellular command path, IEEE 2030.5, OpenADR 2.0b/3.0, SunSpec Modbus and OCPP interfaces, aggregator and DERMS integrations, fleet telemetry for measurement and verification, and secure OTA — for makers of home and commercial battery storage, solar inverters and backup power systems, EV chargers and load-control equipment.
- [Defense & dual-use](https://axiointelligence.com/industries/defense-dual-use): Axio Intelligence builds the software around defense and dual-use hardware — drones, counter-UAS sensors, radios and SATCOM terminals: integrations with TAK/Cursor on Target and other C2 systems, ground control and operator consoles, fleet health, remote configuration and secure OTA, cellular/SATCOM failover for DDIL conditions, edge AI, and the data pipelines from field to model. Engagements start unclassified.
- [Industrial & remote assets](https://axiointelligence.com/industries/industrial-remote-assets): Axio Intelligence builds monitoring and control for assets far from the network — wellheads, pump stations, tanks, cold storage, water systems and municipal infrastructure: telemetry over cellular and satellite, Modbus and SCADA integration, anomaly detection that warns before failure, and dashboards and alerts for operations teams. We also modernize the monitoring platforms that already run these fleets.
- [Manufacturing & distribution](https://axiointelligence.com/industries/manufacturing-distribution): Axio Intelligence works with US manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and mid-size retailers that still run the business on IBM mainframes (z/OS and COBOL), IBM i (AS/400 and RPG), or legacy Oracle and SQL Server databases. We move those workloads — starting with inventory, replenishment, pricing feeds, nightly reports and partner file exchanges — to AWS, Azure or Google Cloud and PostgreSQL or MySQL, cutting licensing and compute cost and the dependence on the last person who understands the code.

## Partner program
- [Implementation partner for connectivity & hardware vendors](https://axiointelligence.com/partners): referral, overflow engineering, solution co-development and platform connector models.

## Work
- [The AI data platform behind MLtwist](https://axiointelligence.com/work/mltwist-ai-data-platform): MLtwist. Axio designed and built the MLtwist platform. The platform is the operating system for MLtwist’s delivery — the foundation for its U.S. TSA multimodal labeling contract and its U.S. Department of Energy materials-data work.
- [Multimodal AI data for the U.S. TSA](https://axiointelligence.com/work/tsa-multimodal-ai-data): MLtwist · for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration. MLtwist holds the TSA contract. Axio engineered the MLtwist platform the work runs on. MLtwist reports that its pilot cut processing time from eight weeks to three. In February 2026 the TSA awarded MLtwist a $590K contract for multimodal AI data labeling and processing.
- [PRIMED: fast materials-data search for U.S. Department of Energy researchers](https://axiointelligence.com/work/doe-materials-data-search): MLtwist · for the U.S. Department of Energy (SBIR). Axio led an augmented engineering team that built PRIMED for MLtwist. Researchers can find candidate materials by the properties they need — measured or projected — instead of by the paper they happened to read. PRIMED was funded through MLtwist’s $198,834 U.S. Department of Energy SBIR award.
- [Dealer telematics and lot management, rebuilt from scratch](https://axiointelligence.com/work/dealer-telematics-platform): Automotive telematics provider · confidential. Axio built the platform end to end — software, hardware sourcing, field testing and production rollout. The new platform is in production, replacing the client’s previous telematics and lot-management system on lower-cost hardware.
- [An AI-first platform rebuild behind a company’s pivot](https://axiointelligence.com/work/ai-first-platform-pivot): Connected-device software company · confidential. Axio led the client’s software team through the pivot: we scaffolded the infrastructure and platform, then handed the team a codebase built for AI-assisted development. With the guardrails in place, the client’s own team finished the platform overhaul in under two weeks. The new platform runs in production on AWS and air-gapped on customer premises, and every developer runs the same stack locally.

## Key facts (FAQ)
- What does Axio Intelligence do? Axio Intelligence is a US engineering firm in San Antonio, Texas. We build go-to-market platforms for new product lines, data and AI platforms, and cloud infrastructure as code on AWS, Google Cloud and Azure; we build connected hardware end to end — firmware, cellular and satellite connectivity, device-to-cloud and edge AI; and we cut cloud costs, modernize legacy systems — including moving COBOL and RPG workloads off IBM mainframes and IBM i, and Oracle and SQL Server databases to PostgreSQL or MySQL — run DevOps/SRE and provide fractional CTO leadership.
- Can Axio build the platform for a new product line or division? Yes — it is one of the most common reasons established companies hire us. We build the product site, customer and dealer portals, commerce and billing, CRM and ERP integrations, and the cloud infrastructure for a new line, so it can launch without pulling the core engineering team off the roadmap.
- Which clouds do you work with? AWS, Google Cloud (GCP) and Microsoft Azure. We build and support infrastructure as code with Terraform, OpenTofu, Pulumi, AWS CDK or Bicep, including landing zones, Kubernetes (EKS, GKE, AKS), CI/CD and ongoing IaC support.
- Do you work with IBM mainframes or IBM i (AS/400)? Yes. For US manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and mid-size retailers still running on IBM Z (z/OS and COBOL) or IBM i (AS/400 and RPG), we move COBOL and RPG workloads to AWS, Azure or Google Cloud in a modern language, starting with the batch and extract jobs that cost the most — inventory, replenishment, pricing feeds, reports. It starts with a diagnostic of the bill and the job list, and there is no upfront fee: we are paid a percentage of the net savings in licensing and compute spend.
- Who hires Axio Intelligence? Mostly established companies launching something new — a product line, a division, an AI or data capability, or a connected product — plus IoT connectivity providers who need an implementation partner, energy and DER device makers, defense and dual-use hardware teams, and industrial operators. We also built the AI data platform behind MLtwist.
- Can you build firmware and cloud software for our IoT device? Yes. We build the embedded firmware, the connectivity path, the device-to-cloud pipeline, command-and-control APIs, secure OTA updates and the fleet console, and we can design and manufacture the hardware too. One team is accountable from the board to the dashboard.
- How do engagements work and how are they priced? Most work starts with a short scoping sprint, followed by a fixed-scope, fixed-fee build with a written plan and dates. After launch, systems can move to a monthly support retainer. Fractional CTO work is a monthly retainer for a set number of days. Mainframe and IBM i migration is the exception: no upfront fee, priced as a percentage of the net savings we deliver. Database migrations can be either a fixed fee or a share of the license savings, depending on the job.
- Do you work with our existing connectivity provider? Yes. We build on the provider you already use, which is why connectivity providers refer their customers to us as an implementation partner.
- Where is Axio Intelligence located? Axio Intelligence is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, and works with clients across the United States. Our engineering team is US-based.

## Optional
- [Company](https://axiointelligence.com/about)
- [Capability statement](https://axiointelligence.com/capability-statement)
- [All FAQs](https://axiointelligence.com/faq)
- [Same-SIM satellite IoT: what works today](https://axiointelligence.com/blog/satellite_iot_same_sim): Satellite IoT can now run on the same SIM as cellular through 3GPP Release 17 NTN, but only when the module, the connectivity provider's satellite agreement, the antenna and the firmware all support it. In our testing, many providers advertising satellite IoT connected intermittently or not at all, so ask for a test SIM and written coverage before you commit.
- [What actually sets your z/OS software bill](https://axiointelligence.com/blog/zos_peak_software_cost): IBM's monthly-licensed z/OS software, including z/OS, CICS, Db2, IMS and MQ, is usually billed on the highest rolling four-hour average of MSU use in the month, so the busiest four hours set the bill. To lower it, find the batch jobs in that window with SCRT, SMF and scheduler data, rank them by share of the peak rather than total CPU, then reschedule them or rebuild them in the cloud one at a time with a dual run.
- [How we usually find 30–50% of a cloud bill in the first week](https://axiointelligence.com/blog/quietly_cutting_cloud_bills): Most cloud waste hides in orphaned resources, forgotten environments and over-provisioned workloads, not where leadership expects. In the first week we inventory every billable resource (typically 5–15% of the bill is things that should have been turned off), right-size the top spenders from 30 days of p95 data, and only then decide on savings plans and spot. The result is a cut-now, cut-next and guardrails list delivered as pull requests.
- [Migrating clouds without the migration freeze](https://axiointelligence.com/blog/migration_without_downtime): Cloud migrations finish on time when there is no cutover weekend. Map everything you run first, migrate one small slice to prove the supporting pieces, move stateful services through dual writes and shadow reads, shift traffic gradually at the load balancer, and turn the old system off two weeks after it stops taking traffic. For a company with about a dozen services, plan on 8–14 weeks while the team keeps shipping features.
- [Infrastructure-as-code that survives the team that wrote it](https://axiointelligence.com/blog/iac_that_survives_the_team): Terraform and OpenTofu codebases rot because of their architecture, not the tool. Split state by blast radius, write modules only for real repeated patterns, keep state in a locked remote backend with no applies from laptops, post a plan on every pull request, run drift detection, and limit policy-as-code to a few guardrails. The test is whether a new senior engineer can ship a safe change in their first week without asking anyone.
- [Kubernetes, the boring way](https://axiointelligence.com/blog/kubernetes_the_boring_way): A production Kubernetes cluster that a team of eight can run without a dedicated platform engineer needs a managed control plane (EKS, GKE or AKS), one cluster per environment and region, Terraform or OpenTofu for the bootstrap, and GitOps with ArgoCD or Flux for every change after that. Keep secrets in a real secret manager through External Secrets Operator, give every service metrics, logs and traces by default, and upgrade one minor version per quarter.