ActiveManage does not choose a provider for you and does not automatically fall back from one to another.
The considerations, in order of importance
- Where your data may go, and what may be done with it. This is usually the deciding factor. Check each provider's data residency and training-use terms against your own obligations before sending anything real.
- Amazon Bedrock keeps traffic within an AWS account you control, which is frequently the simplest answer to a data governance question.
- Capability and cost vary considerably and change often — check current documentation rather than relying on what was true when a decision was last made.
Setting it up
Obtain an API key from your chosen provider and give it to whoever administers your installation. Keys should be treated exactly as you treat database credentials — kept out of version control, restricted by file permissions, and rotated if ever exposed.
Confirm it works before relying on it
Exercise the feature that uses it and confirm you get a sensible answer rather than a "not configured" message.
Cost control
Every request costs money, and a feature that quietly calls a model on every page view can produce a surprising bill. Set spending limits at the provider, and be deliberate about how often requests are made.
Worked Examples
- Public sector or healthcare: Bedrock in a UK region, so data residency is answerable in one sentence.
- Startup prototyping: whichever provider you already have a key for; revisit before launch.
- High volume, simple classification: a smaller, cheaper model rather than the flagship.