At VMware Explore Las Vegas 2025, cybersecurity took center stage. With ransomware costs soaring and data breaches hitting even the largest global enterprises, Hock Tan and VMware leaders made one thing clear: cyber resilience is now a business survival issue, not just an IT responsibility.

The Rising Cost of Cyber Threats

The keynote highlighted how ransomware attacks and data leaks are redefining risk across every industry. Some sobering examples included:

Marks & Spencer: $440M lost after ransomware downtime crippled operations. Snowflake breach: A credential attack affecting 165 companies worldwide. U.S. Government Database leak: 2.9 billion records exposed, raising questions of national resilience.

These incidents underscore the stakes: one breach doesn’t just impact IT—it can destroy brand trust, erode customer confidence, and disrupt entire supply chains.

Introducing PCS Advanced Cyber Compliance

VMware’s answer is PCS (Private Cloud Services) Advanced Cyber Compliance—a new extension of the VMware Cloud Foundation platform designed to bake in resilience from day one.

Key capabilities include:

Multi-factor authentication & encryption: Protects data both at rest and in motion. Live patching & runtime protection: Vulnerabilities are addressed without downtime. Zero-trust security model: Assumes no implicit trust, enforcing strict access controls across every layer. vDefend & AVI Security: Deliver real-time visibility, intrusion detection, and web application protection. Continuous compliance enforcement: Ensures workloads meet regulatory standards (PCI, HIPAA, GDPR) automatically. Automated ransomware recovery: Detects, isolates, and recovers workloads while preserving compliance states.

This is security not as a bolt-on, but as a core design principle—reducing the need for endless third-party agents and tools.

Security vs. Agility – A False Trade-off

Traditionally, enterprises faced a painful choice: move fast or stay safe. Security was often seen as the blocker to innovation. VMware’s message at Explore 2025: those days are over.

With VCF 9.0 and PCS, organizations can now:

Deliver infrastructure “at the speed of the developer” with guardrails already in place. Scale AI workloads with built-in compliance enforcement. Automate disaster recovery to avoid the “all systems down” scramble.

Customer Perspective: Why This Matters

Enterprises like Barclays and Walmart shared how cyber resilience is not just IT hygiene—it’s essential for running mission-critical workloads.

Barclays: Needs PCI-compliant resilience as they scale AI workloads on-prem. Walmart: Operates thousands of global stores where downtime is simply not an option.

For both, PCS Advanced Cyber Compliance isn’t about passing audits—it’s about ensuring business continuity under pressure.

A New Era of Cyber Trust

Hock Tan closed this section with a reminder:

“Security is no longer a checkbox. It’s your license to operate.”

With PCS Advanced Cyber Compliance, VMware positions VCF 9.0 as the safest private cloud platform for enterprises navigating the age of ransomware. It provides not just protection but confidence—a foundation where IT can innovate without fear of compromise.

Key Takeaway

Cyber resilience is now business critical. With ransomware and breaches hitting harder than ever, VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 delivers security by design, combining zero-trust principles, automated compliance, and rapid recovery.

For enterprises, this means fewer bolt-ons, faster operations, and a private cloud platform ready to withstand the threats of tomorrow.

Stay tuned for our next post in the series:

IT’s New Era – From Bottleneck to Business Enabler, where we explore how VCF 9.0 transforms IT teams into true partners in innovation.

If you’re a virtualization enthusiast, IT professional, or cloud technology advocate, you’ve probably heard of the VMware vExpert program. It’s a prestigious title awarded to individuals who demonstrate significant contributions to the VMware community, such as blogging, speaking at conferences, sharing technical insights, and more.

But why should you strive to become a vExpert? What do you really gain from earning this coveted badge of distinction? In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of becoming a VMware vExpert and how it can impact your professional growth, industry credibility, and personal development.

1. Exclusive Access to VMware Products and Licensing

One of the most tangible benefits of being a vExpert is access to VMware software licenses. vExperts receive a full suite of VMware products, allowing them to build home labs, test new releases, and stay ahead of the technology curve. This exclusive access allows IT professionals to experiment, innovate, and master new products long before they’re deployed in production environments.

Why This Matters

Access to VMware’s entire product line means you can:

• Stay ahead of industry changes by testing beta versions.
• Build hands-on experience with the latest virtualization, cloud, and storage solutions.
• Support certification efforts (like VCP or VCAP) with a personal lab environment.

2. Recognition and Industry Prestige

The VMware vExpert title is a globally recognized accolade. Being listed in the official vExpert Directory puts you on the radar of industry peers, hiring managers, and technology leaders. It showcases your expertise in virtualization and cloud technologies, giving you an edge in job applications, consulting gigs, and public speaking opportunities.

Why This Matters

• Enhanced personal brand: Showcasing “VMware vExpert” on your resume, LinkedIn profile, or email signature is a badge of honor.
• Networking opportunities: People in the tech industry recognize and respect the vExpert title, opening doors to collaboration and mentorship.
• Career advancement: vExperts are often seen as thought leaders and trusted advisors, which can lead to promotions or new job offers.

3. Community and Networking Opportunities

The vExpert program grants you access to a powerful global community of VMware professionals, experts, and enthusiasts. As a member, you gain entry to the vExpert Slack workspace, where thousands of industry professionals actively discuss technical challenges, share insights, and support one another.

Why This Matters

• Collaborate with the best: Get advice from top industry experts, VMware engineers, and technical thought leaders.
• Exclusive channels: Gain early access to announcements, beta programs, and exclusive events.
• Join a professional “family”: The vExpert community thrives on mutual support, giving you a place to share your wins, ask questions, and stay inspired.

4. Early Access to VMware Beta Programs

VMware offers vExperts exclusive access to its Beta programs and new product releases. This means you’ll be among the first to explore new features, identify issues, and shape the future of VMware technology. Your feedback helps VMware fine-tune its software before public release.

Why This Matters

• Hands-on experience with future releases: Be the first to explore VMware’s latest innovations.
• Direct feedback loop with VMware: Your insights and suggestions are valued, and you’ll play a role in shaping product development.
• Competitive advantage: Gain knowledge of features and functionalities before your peers, making you a trusted voice in your organization.

5. Free Swag, Discounts, and Event Access

VMware recognizes the efforts of its vExperts with exclusive swag, event invitations, and discounts. While swag (like branded T-shirts, mugs, and stickers) might seem minor, it’s a tangible reminder of your achievements. In addition, vExperts often receive discounted or free passes to VMworld and other key industry events.

Why This Matters

• Attend key conferences at reduced rates: Gain access to VMware’s flagship events, network with tech leaders, and learn from the industry’s best.
• Get cool swag: Everyone loves swag. It’s a badge of pride and a conversation starter.
• Gain visibility at events: vExperts are often featured in vCommunity sessions, enabling you to increase your personal brand and showcase your expertise.

6. Speaking and Writing Opportunities

VMware frequently invites vExperts to speak at conferences, write for blogs, and create technical content for a larger audience. This exposure can position you as a thought leader in your industry.

Why This Matters

• Showcase your expertise: Speaking at industry events, writing blogs, or publishing white papers helps you establish credibility.
• Build your personal brand: Be seen as an expert in your field, which can lead to consulting offers, podcast invitations, and leadership roles.
• Personal growth: Sharing your knowledge publicly challenges you to master your subject matter.

7. Exclusive VMware Briefings and Private Webinars

vExperts are often invited to private webinars and early product briefings. In these sessions, VMware shares its product roadmaps, industry trends, and future innovations directly with the community.

Why This Matters

• Be the first to know: Get sneak peeks into upcoming features and industry changes.
• Gain a strategic edge: Position yourself as a trusted internal advisor in your company.
• Direct line to VMware: Ask product teams questions and get insider information.

8. Personal Growth and Confidence

Beyond tangible benefits, the personal growth aspect of being a vExpert is often underestimated. Becoming a vExpert means you’ve committed to learning, sharing, and growing as a professional. The experience of blogging, public speaking, and mentoring others builds soft skills like communication, leadership, and critical thinking.

Why This Matters

• Overcome imposter syndrome: Earning the title shows that your expertise is legitimate.
• Boost your communication skills: Sharing knowledge requires you to distil complex concepts into simple explanations.
• Build your confidence: Presenting at conferences or webinars builds self-assurance.

How to Become a VMware vExpert

If these benefits sound appealing, you might be wondering how to become a vExpert. VMware opens its vExpert applications twice a year (January and June), and candidates must demonstrate a consistent pattern of community contribution, such as:

• Blogging or creating technical content
• Presenting at events or webinars
• Leading local VMware User Group (VMUG) chapters
• Answering questions in forums and social media

If you’re already active in the virtualization community, you may be closer to becoming a vExpert than you think!

Conclusion

Becoming a VMware vExpert offers more than just a shiny title — it’s a gateway to a world of opportunities. From free software licenses to industry recognition, exclusive event invites, and direct feedback with VMware teams, the benefits are clear. It’s a chance to grow your career, expand your network, and increase your technical prowess.

If you’re passionate about virtualization, cloud, and data center technologies, the VMware vExpert program could be your next big step. It’s not just an award — it’s a catalyst for career growth, learning, and recognition in the global IT community.

Are you ready to become a vExpert? Take the first step by contributing to the VMware community. Blog, present, mentor, and engage. Your hard work might just be rewarded with one of the most prestigious titles in the virtualization world.

here is the link https://vexpert.vmware.com/

If you’d like more personalized guidance on how to become a vExpert, or if you’re looking for support in building your vExpert application, feel free to comment or reach out.

Have you experienced the benefits of being a vExpert? Share your story in the comments!

I guess this is one of the key points how the vCommunity encouraged others and supports each other. I was encouraged by Ather Beg (@atherbeg Twitter handle) to start my journey to become a vExpert, I personally enjoy mentoring and I started teaching a couple of friends who got interested in learning VMware. It was at this point when I thought that I should start a YouTube channel on May 2019. I got in touch with Athar when I applied for vExpert program in 2nd half 2019 vExpert program, this is normally after June, Athar reviewed my application and the feedback was very positive too. This is when I first become vExpert.

I am passionate about teaching and mentoring people to teach VMwrae vSphere Install and Configure, I think this is the fundamental course, especially for those who are beginners or completely new to IT they get that basic understanding of what is virtualization to get them excited to learn it.

The YouTube Channel became my way to contribute back to the virtual community. I have mentees from the USA, Ghana, Europe, India, Japan and of course The UK. I have also set -up a virtual home lab to give access to people who are struggling to set-up on their own, as learning something is just not enough we need to do the practice to be able to understand it better.

The VMware vExpert program is VMware’s global evangelism and advocacy program. The program is designed to put VMware’s marketing resources towards your advocacy efforts. Promotion of your articles, exposure at VMware global events.

The VMware vExpert program is a great way to get recognised for your contribution to the VMware community. The vExpert badge is a sign of distinction and lets others know that you are an expert in VMware technology. Being a vExpert also gives you access to exclusive resources, such as private betas and early access to new products

Becoming a VMware vExpert is not an easy task, you need to contribute back to the community whether it’s blogging, tweeting, presenting or just being active on forums. You don’t have to be a VMware employee to become a vExpert, you just need to have the passion and willingness to help others.

The VMware vExpert program is one of the best programs out there, it’s free and gives you access to some amazing benefits such as private betas, exclusive content, discounts and more. If you want to become a VMware vExpert, start contributing back to the community and be active on social media.

The applications for vExpert 2022 are open if you wish to apply here is the link: https://vexpert.vmware.com/apply

There are a lot of benefits of becoming a vExpert, I have mentioned some here to lure you into applying,

vExpert Program Benefits

• Invite to our private #Slack channel
• vExpert certificate signed by VMware CEO.
• Private forums on communities.vmware.com.
• Permission to use the vExpert logo on cards, website, etc for one year
• Access to a private directory for networking, etc.
• Exclusive gifts from various VMware partners.
• Private webinars with VMware partners as well as NFRs.
• Access to private betas (subject to admission by beta teams).
• 365-day eval licenses for most products for home lab/cloud providers.
• Private pre-launch briefings via our blogger briefing pre-VMworld (subject to admission by product teams)
• Blogger early access program for vSphere and some other products.
• Featured in a public vExpert online directory.
• Access to vetted VMware & Virtualization content for your social channels.
• Yearly vExpert parties at both VMworld US and VMworld Europe events.
• Identification as a vExpert at both VMworld US and VMworld EU.

My favourite perk out of all this is having a 1-year eval license for my home lab

If you are thinking about applying for the first time and if you need any help with your application, you can contact me or you can also reach out to any of the vExpert Pro’s for help. https://vexpert.vmware.com/directory/pro

I would like to say a big thank you to VMware for creating this amazing program and also to the community for supporting me along the way. I’m looking forward to continuing my journey as a vExpert.

– Ibrahim Quraishi, VMware vExpert

Yesterday I was awarded vExpert for the 3rd Year in a row. I am grateful and humbled. Really happy to be a part of such a great community.

The VMware vExpert program is VMware’s global evangelism and advocacy program. The program is designed to put VMware’s marketing resources towards your advocacy efforts. Promotion of your articles, exposure at VMware global events.

So I have applied through evangelism channel with the VMware Training I deliver on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/IbrahimQuraishiAgileOps/videos and Ofcourse my Blog www.agileops.co.uk

I personally enjoy mentoring IT virtualization and VMware is become by passion and this is my way to contribute back to the virtual community. I have my mentee from the USA, Ghana, Europe, India, Japan and of course The UK.

vExpert Program Benefits

• Invite to our private #Slack channel
• vExpert certificate signed by our CEO Pat Gelsinger.
• Private forums on communities.vmware.com.
• Permission to use the vExpert logo on cards, website, etc for one year
• Access to a private directory for networking, etc.
• Exclusive gifts from various VMware partners.
• Private webinars with VMware partners as well as NFRs.
• Access to private betas (subject to admission by beta teams).
• 365-day eval licenses for most products for home lab/cloud providers.
• Private pre-launch briefings via our blogger briefing pre-VMworld (subject to admission by product teams)
• Blogger early access program for vSphere and some other products.
• Featured in a public vExpert online directory.
• Access to vetted VMware & Virtualization content for your social channels.
• Yearly vExpert parties at both VMworld US and VMworld Europe events.
• Identification as a vExpert at both VMworld US and VMworld EU.

If you are thinking about applying for the first time and if you need any help with your application, you can contact me or you can also reach out to any of the vExpert Pro’s for help. https://vexpert.vmware.com/directory/pro

You can subscribe for vExpert 2021 Second Half Applications Open Notification on the link https://vexpert.vmware.com/

The application will re-open in July, so what are you waiting for start blogging/vlogging

Hey All,

I hope you all are having a good time and recharging yourself for the new year. I always like to look back and review what I have done in the past year to learn and improve from the experience. We sure had the crazy year 2020.

These are some of the activities I had done in my personal time, which involved contributing to the vCommunity.

The first thing that comes to my mind is the launch of my new blog www.agileops.co.uk and guess what? I posted 29 blog post.

For those of you who know me, would know that I am passionate about sharing knowledge, hence why I started my YouTube Channel back in 2019 https://www.youtube.com/c/ibrahimquraishiagileops grown the subscribers to 3700+ in just over a year.

I found today that I have posted 81 Videos Sessions in 2020, and subscribers growth in 2020 was 2800 subscribers, this is all thanks to the vCommunity.

so a big thanks to all who have subscribed and encouraged me in creating more content.

I become vExpert for the second time 2020, by the way, the applications for vExpert 2021 are open if you wish to apply here is the link: https://vexpert.vmware.com/apply

There are a lot of benefits of becoming vExpert, I have mentioned some here to lure you into applying,

vExpert Program Benefits

• Invite to our private #Slack channel
• vExpert certificate signed by our CEO Pat Gelsinger.
• Private forums on communities.vmware.com.
• Permission to use the vExpert logo on cards, website, etc for one year
• Access to a private directory for networking, etc.
• Exclusive gifts from various VMware partners.
• Private webinars with VMware partners as well as NFRs.
• Access to private betas (subject to admission by beta teams).
• 365-day eval licenses for most products for home lab/cloud providers.
• Private pre-launch briefings via our blogger briefing pre-VMworld (subject to admission by product teams)
• Blogger early access program for vSphere and some other products.
• Featured in a public vExpert online directory.
• Access to vetted VMware & Virtualization content for your social channels.
• Yearly vExpert parties at both VMworld US and VMworld Europe events.
• Identification as a vExpert at both VMworld US and VMworld EU.

If you are thinking about applying for the first time and if you need any help with your application, you can contact me or you can also reach out to any of the vExpert Pro’s for help. https://vexpert.vmware.com/directory/pro

Last year I attended quite a few online events like VMUGs, VMworld and vRetret which were very insightful and I am sure most of you have attended some of theses too.

I was invited as a guest speaker by Kemp Technology for a webinar Unlocking the Modern Application Experience: Fireside Chat with Industry Experts If you missed the session you can see it here it was live on Linkedin or you can watch it on my Channel

Look forward to sharing a lot of new content with you in 2021. Wish you all a happy, safe and prosperous new year.

Last month I attended two important events VMworld Europe and on 27 Nov I have attended VMUG UserCon this was in Leasture at the National SpaceCenter.

This was my first time attending VMUG event in the UK, and this was the best experience as I had an opportunity to attain some great session and meet quite a lot of vExperts under one roof.

Apart from the sessions i really enjoyed the round table meeting i attended few of them.

VMworld Europe has a lot of exciting products to see and learn, VMware has extended their support by bringing in more offering than ever before,  similar to VMware cloud on AWS, under the same concept of hardware or datacenter as a a service VMware had a project running called Project Dimension, which extends VMware Cloud to deliver the SDDC infrastructure and hardware as-a-service to customers’ on-premises locations.

This means end users or customers can focus on their business by building innovative applications rather than spending time on day-to-day infrastructure management.

This is the new offering from VMware called VMware Cloud on Dell EMC. using Dell EMC hardware vXRack SDDC solutions.

Check out this video by me explaining VMware Cloud on Dell EMC.

VMware Cloud on Dell EMC is actually Data Center As a Service which bring best of both world public cloud in private datacenter.
I think this is a great offering from VMware where you have restrictions from putting the data on public cloud partners or customers can use this.
This is similar to VMware on AWS, however in this instance it’s hosted on a private data centre.
Currently this offering is only available in The USA with an aim to roll out to Europe in the next year.

The benefits we get by using this VMware offering is we get the full solution managed and maintained by VMware support with 365/24 hours with 4 hours response time. VMware takes care of operating the infrastructure: deploying it., troubleshooting issues; and performing patching, upgrading and maintenance. This frees you and your experts to work on what matters the most and focus on your product.

This runs on vXRail hardware with full SDDC solution, however in this instance VMware keeps the access for the VMware Cloud Foundation and give the customer a different portal to manage and run the environment.

What we have in this HCI solution is full SDDC stack running on vSphere hypervisor and vSAN, with the cutting edge security offered by NSX-T.

This gives us more time to focus on something else other than just managing and maintaining the VMware infrastructure.
Other benefits include:
Increase agility
simplified operation
Accelerated Innovation
Mitigated Risk
Controlled cost
Increased performance.

From VMware:

VMware Cloud on Dell EMC Product Page
Twitter: @VMWonDellEMC
Email us about becoming a beta customer: VMWonDellEMC@vmware.com
From Dell EMC:

References:

https://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2019/04/announcing-vmware-cloud-on-dell-emc.html#respond

Image: https://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/files/2019/04/introducing-vmc-on-dell-emc.png

I have been asked this question time and time again on how to setup a lab for vSphere to start learning VMware.

In this post today I am going to walk you through how I have created an amazing lab just using simple commodity hardware, which is easy to find and cheap to run with the electricity bills. Especially if you are planning to run it 24/7 as I do.

Hardware – Dell Optiplex 7010

I have purposely used Dell Optiplex 7010 as it is easy and cheap to buy.

Configuring / Billing of Material (BOM)

CPU Intel i7

Memory – 32GB

2TB HDD

CD/DVD

So as you can see this is a simple Dell desktop which you can buy, I have bought this from eBay for £350, The most important thing to remember is the memory, so the more the merrier. In my case, I have messaged the eBay seller and found out the maximum memory that is supported for this desktop which is 32GB and I have got 8 GB X 4 Memory Modules.

Although this looks like a good option sadly, there is no more room for an upgrade of memory as this is the maximum the motherboard supports.

I bought this kit back in Feb 2019, it fit the requirement I had for my basic home lab with vSphere 6.7

Installing ESXi

Once you get the server ready, Install ESX 6.7 you will need to register on https://www.vmware.com and download the ESX 6.7 Update 3 ISO first.

1. register with my VMware portal httpss://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/registration
2. once register login with the credentials

• Once you log-in you will find the downloads

4. click on Trial and Free products.

you will then find vSphere for Download free Trial

You can also have a go at the VMware Hands-on Lab ( HOL) they are very good too.

so once we click on the download link we will get 60 days evaluation for vSpehre 6.7 or any VMware products for that matter. as you can see my Evaluation edition time is compleated

This should let you download your software if you have registered a new MyVMware account.

You can also check out the old products that y you can click on View My Evaluation

Then you will need to burn the ISO to CD or DVD disk to install the ESX hypervisor on the server.

Please follow the blog given below to complete the ESX installation process. although this was done for ESX 6.7 Update 2 the process is the same for Update 3 too.

https://agileops.co.uk/2019/05/02/installing-vsphere-6-7-update-2/

Finally, at the end of the installation, you will find your brand new Hypervisor ready for action. you might need to check if the VT is enabled in the Bios to start nested esx host if that’s what you are planning to do like I have done in my lab.

You can find the full process of Installing the ESX on my YouTube channel where I teach VMware to beginners VMware Tutorial for Beginners | Session 3: installing vSphere 6.7

Then you can start installing the vCetner Server, you can go back to the MyVMware website and download the ISO.

Sometimes you see the error message given below:

You either are not entitled or do not have permissions to download this product.
Check with your My VMware Super User, Procurement Contact or Administrator.

If you recently purchased this product through VMware Store or through a third-party, try downloading later.

just click on Trail Download and you should be able to download the ISO

httpss://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/details?downloadGroup=ESXI670&productId=742&rPId=24857

You can follow my blog Installing VMware vCenter Server 6.7 Update 2

How does my lab look like, well that’s a good subject? please check the screenshot below:

I have the Physical dell Optiplex server which I have highlighted in red. as as you can see I am chewing almost all the memory on the server currently.

I have two VM running nested esx which are highlighted in the demo cluster running around 7 VM’s

I have the vCetner server and vROPS instance running directory on the dell server.

How can I forget I have used FreeNAS for shared storage which is provisioned using ISCSI software initiators. you will find a full process of how to provide shared storage on the YouTube chanal in two parts.

Part1:

Part2:

Hello All,

I am very honoured and thrilled to inform that I have succeeded in becoming a VMware vExpert, this is the first time I have applied for vExpert program under Evangelist Path, and today I have received the most awaited email You’re In!

For those of you who don’t know about this program, VMware vExpert is an honorary title VMware grants to selected people who apply for the program. They open for entry twice a year November and June (second half) and you can apply at httpss://vexpert.vmware.com/. There are three paths to become a vExpert:

1. The Customer Path
2. The VMware Partner Path and
3. The Evangelist Path.

The people who can apply are bloggers, tool builders, public speakers, VMTN contributors etc.

Now let’s talk about the perks vExperts get a certificate, this gives them special access to exclusive events, beta program, 1 year free licenses just what I needed for my home lab. The Evangelist Path is for bloggers, authors,  which is the one have applied for.

I use to blog since a long time, however, as you may already know I have started my YouTube channel to teach VMware Virtualization. if you haven’t subscribed yet here is the link: httpss://www.youtube.com/user/miquraishi?sub_confirmation=1

Be sure to hit the notification bell once you have subscribed for updates as I post 2 sessions every week Monday and Thursday @10 AM GMT.

of course, creating content or blogging, was only possible by the support of family and friends. I would like to thank all subscribers on my YouTube channel and my blog.

I am starting a Curated weekly reading list ‘must-read’ content in the virtualization space make sure to subscribe at https://agileops.co.uk/

I look forward to bring more educational and informative content to the vComunnity and share my experience.