VMware Cloud Foundation 9: The Strategic Platform for Modern IT

What should private cloud look like? With Broadcom's upcoming release of VMware Cloud Foundation version 9, the tech giant is about to make a major leap in powering private clouds in the data center.

VMware Cloud Foundation 9 (VCF 9) is a strategic reimagining of enterprise infrastructure management and deployment, poised to transform how organizations manage their IT environments. It aims to streamline the transition from siloed IT environments to a unified, integrated private cloud platform, simplifying operational complexity and accelerating digital transformation. Essentially, VCF 9 enables enterprises to modernize their data centers and create a seamless on-premises cloud experience, offering public cloud-like scalability, agility and management within a secure private cloud environment.

The release comes at a critical moment when organizations are focused on reducing operational costs, enabling faster innovation, managing complex workloads and preparing for advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). By bridging traditional infrastructure management with cloud-native capabilities, VCF 9 offers a smarter approach to managing IT infrastructure, addressing these multifaceted challenges. 

A unified approach to IT infrastructure

Historically, VMware's product portfolio consisted of independent solutions like VMware vSphere, VSAN and NSX that operated in relative isolation. Broadcom dramatically changed this paradigm by aligning all these products toward a singular outcome: creating a comprehensive, streamlined infrastructure platform — VMware Cloud Foundation 9. 

At the core of VCF 9's transformation is the alignment of all technological components, with individual products like vSphere becoming more aware of its role within the broader ecosystem. This approach shifts the focus from managing individual components to managing the entire infrastructure holistically, fundamentally changing how organizations approach infrastructure operations and lifecycle management. Additionally, VCF 9 delivers consumable services like Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), AI and application platforms in a centralized or single pane of glass, simplifying deployment, consumption and management into a unified system.

Furthermore, VCF 9 will simplify the daily tasks of setting up and managing a private cloud platform. With built-in features for lifecycle management, fleet management, upgrades and patching maintenance, VCF 9 enables private clouds to be operated effortlessly and at scale. 

Key features

Although Broadcom has not yet announced release dates for VCF 9, it is anticipated to feature multi-tenant capabilities, unified security management, and distributed intrusion detection and prevention capabilities.

Additional notable features include:

• The ability to create a private cloud directly from VMware's central management tool, vCenter, which previously required multiple tools.
• Single sign-on across the various components of a private cloud.
• Enhanced license management tools.
• Improved automation that shifts technical resources from routine maintenance to strategic initiatives, speeding up resource provisioning and reducing manual intervention. This streamlining should lower operational labor costs and help organizations adapt to evolving technological demands.
• Simplified deployment of applications across private, hybrid, and public clouds via a unified infrastructure platform, improving multi-cloud compatibility.
• Enhanced self-service provisioning of virtual machines, Kubernetes resources and storage, along with optimized AI workload support via advanced memory tiering, and strengthened infrastructure for data-intensive applications, all managed through a unified platform.

AI: An argument for private cloud

VCF 9 emerges as a pivotal solution in the private cloud and AI landscape, emphasizing the importance of keeping an organization's private data on premises and maintaining control. It provides a sophisticated, simplified pathway for enterprises seeking to develop and deploy private AI capabilities without the complexity of building and managing another platform. 

"WWT has seen a resurgence in private data center spend because customers are absolutely determined — if I'm going to run AI against my most sensitive intellectual property, I'm going to run it on prem in my own data center. I want to control it," said Neil Anderson, WWT's vice president of cloud, infrastructure and AI solutions, in a previous interview with CRN

The platform also offers a particularly compelling advantage for organizations with existing VMware infrastructure. The familiarity of the VMware ecosystem allows enterprises to leverage existing technical expertise to rapidly develop private AI capabilities, reducing implementation challenges. 

Conclusion 

VMware is undergoing a significant transformation, shifting its focus from traditional virtualization to embracing private cloud solutions. This strategic move emphasizes delivering consumable services over mere infrastructure components, thereby simplifying infrastructure complexities. By doing so, VMware enables organizations to concentrate on providing the essential services that business owners require, aligning technology more closely with business needs and enhancing overall operational efficiency. 

VMware Cloud Foundation 9 isn't just about infrastructure; it's a strategic platform designed to help businesses innovate more rapidly, manage technology with greater precision and stay ahead of emerging technological trends. Those who fully embrace VCF 9 as their operating model will likely find the most success compared to those who opt to use its components separately. 

As we await the release, we are looking forward to getting VCF 9 up and running in the Advanced Technology Center in our VCF Foundations lab and VMware Private AI lab to test out its capabilities and showcase how this innovative platform can drive significant advancements for our clients.