Introduction
The energy inside the Venetian Expo Hall was undeniable as thousands of attendees gathered for the opening keynote at VMware Explore Las Vegas 2025. Broadcom’s President and CEO, Hock Tan, took the stage with a message that was both bold and forward-looking: the private cloud is not just the future—it’s the foundation of enterprise IT today.
Last year, Tan emphasized that private cloud would define the enterprise future. Fast-forward twelve months, and the vision has become reality. The numbers speak volumes: nine out of ten IT leaders now rank private cloud as their top strategic priority, reflecting a decisive industry shift. This isn’t about speculation—it’s about transformation that’s already underway.
With Broadcom’s deep engineering investments since the acquisition, VMware has delivered a fully integrated, software-defined platform that consolidates compute, networking, and storage into a single, unified SKU. The result is VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 (VCF 9.0)—a platform that does not simply compete with public cloud but, in many cases, surpasses it.
Tan’s message was clear: VCF 9.0 is the enterprise standard for a new era—secure by design, developer-friendly by default, and built to deliver agility without compromise. It’s not just another release; it’s the culmination of 25 years of VMware innovation, reimagined for a world defined by AI, cyber resilience, and cloud-native scale.
The result? VCF 9.0 now outperforms public cloud—delivering stronger security, improved cost management, and unmatched control.
Barriers
Breaking Down the Barriers
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Tan highlighted three major friction points IT leaders face—and how VCF 9.0 solves them:
- Developers vs. Infrastructure
- Developers don’t want to manage infrastructure—they want velocity.
- VCF 9.0 unifies containers and VMs, delivering “infrastructure at the speed of the developer.”
- Siloed IT Teams
- Networking, storage, compute, and security teams often speak different languages.
- VCF 9.0 unites them under one seamless platform, accelerating app deployment and reducing operational complexity.
- Security vs. Agility
- Businesses often trade off speed for protection.
- VCF 9.0 comes with integrated, built-in security tools, removing the need for endless add-ons.
Customer Spotlight: Barclays
Stephen Flaherty, Global Head of Infrastructure at Barclays, shared how VCF underpins their mission-critical systems. For Barclays, private cloud is “the lifeblood of all technology across the market.” With AI workloads rapidly emerging, they’re bullish on VCF 9.0 as the foundation to host AI models on-premises with the elasticity, compliance, and security of public cloud—delivered within their own environment.
Barclays’ engineers are already evolving into poly-skilled teams, benefiting from the unified approach. Flaherty described the rollout of VCF 9.0 as “the first time we expect our engineers to have a true public-cloud-like experience on-prem.”
Closing Notes: A 25-Year Journey, A New Beginning
As the keynote drew to a close, Hock Tan reminded attendees that VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 is more than just a product launch—it is the culmination of 25 years of VMware innovation. From the early days of server virtualization to the rise of the software-defined data center, VMware has consistently redefined the enterprise technology landscape.
Tan underscored that VCF 9.0 is not just about running workloads; it’s about enabling IT leaders to step into a new role: becoming the heroes of their organizations. With this platform, IT is no longer confined to managing infrastructure—it becomes a driver of business value, resilience, and competitive advantage.
“We want to make you a hero—the person who drives huge impact in your organization.” – Hock Tan
The message was clear: VMware’s journey has always been about transformation, but VCF 9.0 is where transformation becomes empowerment. It gives developers the velocity they crave, provides enterprises the cyber resilience they demand, and offers IT teams the tools to lead with confidence.
What’s Next: Dive Deeper in Our Blog Series
This keynote recap is only the beginning. Over the coming days, we’ll be publishing four more in-depth blogs that expand on the key announcements and experiences from VMware Explore Las Vegas 2025:
- 🚀 Unleashing the Power of Kubernetes with vCF, vSphere, and Ubuntu
- 🔒 Cyber Resilience in the Age of Ransomware
- 🤝 IT’s New Era – From Bottleneck to Business Enabler
- 🎉 VMware Explore Fun & Games – Beyond the Keynotes
Together, this series will give you the full picture of VMware Explore 2025—from the groundbreaking technology shaping the future of private cloud, to the unique experiences that made the event unforgettable.
👉 Stay tuned for Blog 2 tomorrow, where we take a deep dive into Kubernetes, vSphere, and Ubuntu integration inside vCF 9.0.
“We want to make you a hero—the person who drives huge impact in your organization.” – Hock Tan
✅ Key Takeaway: VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 isn’t just an upgrade—it’s a transformation. It breaks down silos, accelerates developer velocity, strengthens security, and provides a unified cloud experience that rivals (and in many cases, beats) public cloud.
