Phase 0: Platforms & Inference Economics · ~60 minutes · Python (stdlib · toy cost-and-latency comparator)

Managed LLM Platforms — Bedrock, Vertex AI, Azure OpenAI

Three hyperscalers, three distinct strategies.

Hiring signal: Can operate managed llm platforms in production

What you will learn

Name the three platform strategies (marketplace vs exclusive vs Gemini-first) and match each to a product use case.
Explain what Provisioned Throughput Units (PTUs) buy you in Azure OpenAI and why on-demand Bedrock typically reads ~25 ms slower at the 405B scale.
Diagram the FinOps attribution surface for each platform (Bedrock Application Inference Profiles vs Vertex project-per-team vs Azure scopes + PTU reservations).
Write down a "two-provider minimum" policy and explain why single-vendor lock-in is the expensive mistake in 2026.

Introduction

AWS Bedrock is a model marketplace — Claude, Llama, Titan, Stability, Cohere behind one API. Azure OpenAI is an exclusive OpenAI partnership plus Provisioned Throughput Units (PTUs) for dedicated capacity. Vertex AI is Gemini-first with the best long-context and multimodal story. In 2026 Artificial Analysis measures Azure OpenAI at ~50 ms median and Bedrock at ~75 ms on Llama 3.1 405B equivalents — PTUs explain the gap because dedicated capacity beats shared on-demand. The decision rule is not "which is fastest" but "which model catalog and FinOps surface match my product." This lesson teaches you to pick with the tradeoffs written down, not vibes.

Type: Learn Languages: Python (stdlib, toy cost-and-latency comparator) Prerequisites: Phase 11 (LLM Engineering), Phase 13 (Tools & Protocols) Time: ~60 minutes

Objective

Learning objectives

Name the three platform strategies (marketplace vs exclusive vs Gemini-first) and match each to a product use case.
Explain what Provisioned Throughput Units (PTUs) buy you in Azure OpenAI and why on-demand Bedrock typically reads ~25 ms slower at the 405B scale.
Diagram the FinOps attribution surface for each platform (Bedrock Application Inference Profiles vs Vertex project-per-team vs Azure scopes + PTU reservations).
Write down a "two-provider minimum" policy and explain why single-vendor lock-in is the expensive mistake in 2026.

Unlock the full lesson

You've read the first 2 sections. The rest of this lesson covers The Problem, The Concept, Build, Check Yourself, Key Terms & Next — plus a hands-on lab, quiz, and project artifact.

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