Enterprise infrastructure automation is entering a new phase. With VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.1 now available, organizations that have invested in VMware Aria Automation can move beyond traditional infrastructure provisioning toward a more unified, API-driven, policy-controlled private cloud.
VCF 9.1 is an API-first private cloud platform with a more consistent interface for programmable infrastructure. The release builds on VCF 9.0 capabilities such as self-service infrastructure, reusable blueprints, and policy-as-code, while extending automation further across virtual machines, containers, and modern application environments.
The evolution from Aria Automation to VCF Automation
Many enterprises have already built significant automation around VMware Aria Automation (formerly vRealize Automation), including workflows, blueprints, service catalogs, integrations, and custom scripts. Those investments don’t disappear in the transition; they play an important role in it.
Organizations upgrading existing Aria Automation environments to VCF Automation 9.1 should treat complex Aria Automation upgrades as a separate workstream, as significant integrations or custom code must be validated and remediated first.
That’s precisely why an assessment of the existing automation environment must come before the upgrade plan, not after.
ClearBridge’s VMware VCF & Aria Automation Review is built to do exactly that. The engagement assesses existing VCF or VVF infrastructure, identifies where organizations are underutilizing VCF Automation, and delivers a recommended path forward aligned with VMware best practices, accounting for the regulatory, security, and audit requirements that shape what “best practice” actually means for a given environment.
What’s driving the next generation of VCF Automation
The most significant shift in this release is the move toward genuinely programmable infrastructure. VCF 9.1’s API-first model gives developers and infrastructure teams a more consistent way to consume and automate private cloud resources, and that consistency opens up several concrete opportunities:
Self-service with governance built in. Instead of routing every infrastructure request through a manual ticket, organizations can offer standardized services while retaining control over how resources get provisioned. Reusable blueprints and infrastructure policies enforce organizational requirements consistently across environments, rather than depending on whoever happens to be handling the request that day.
Infrastructure as Code at enterprise scale. Terraform, Git, APIs, Python, PowerShell, and similar tools increasingly become native parts of the VCF operating model rather than bolt-ons. That lets infrastructure teams translate architectural standards into repeatable automation, rather than rebuilding environments by hand every time.
Automation beyond Day 1. The opportunity no longer stops at provisioning a VM. Enterprises can now automate lifecycle management, resource provisioning, and Day 2 operational tasks, producing infrastructure that stays consistent from initial deployment through ongoing operations, not just at the moment it’s stood up.
Automation for VMs and containers alike. VCF Automation is increasingly built around modern workloads rather than just traditional virtual infrastructure. VCF 9.0 introduced self-service for resources, including VMs and VKS clusters; VCF 9.1 continues to extend that automation to containers and application infrastructure.
The operational payoff is measurable. In a March 2026 customer survey, Broadcom found that organizations using VCF Automation cut the time from request to a ready-to-use application environment by 49%, and reduced manual effort across the application lifecycle, provisioning, updates, patches, and configuration changes by another 49%.
Preparing for VCF 9.1 starts with understanding where you are today
VCF 9.1 creates real new possibilities but layering more automation onto an environment without first understanding existing workflows, integrations, governance requirements, and technical debt tends to create more complexity, not less.
The better starting point is an honest inventory: what’s still manual, what’s already automated, which Aria workflows and integrations remain business-critical, where custom code is doing the heavy lifting, and which processes are the strongest candidates for standardization. That inventory becomes the foundation for deciding where VCF Automation, APIs, Infrastructure as Code, and self-service capabilities will actually deliver value rather than just add another layer to maintain.
ClearBridge’s VMware VCF & Aria Automation Review provides that focused starting point. A ClearBridge architect reviews the customer’s existing VCF or VVF environment, evaluates automation requirements, develops recommendations for better utilizing VCF Automation in line with VMware best practices, and presents a concrete path forward for implementation.
From automation tools to an automation strategy
The latest evolution of VMware Cloud Foundation is making infrastructure genuinely programmable. For organizations already running Aria Automation or considering a move to VCF 9.x, the opportunity is to turn years of accumulated VMware operational expertise into standardized, repeatable, and governed private cloud services.
Technology is only part of that transformation. Organizations also need the architecture, workflows, integrations, Infrastructure as Code practices, and specialized expertise to turn those capabilities into an operating model that actually works at enterprise scale.
Contact ClearBridge to assess your organization’s current VCF and Aria Automation environments, identify opportunities for improvement, and staff experienced VMware VCF and automation consultants to design and implement the path forward.
According to IBM’s Cost of Data Breach Report, healthcare organizations incur the highest cost for data breaches of any industry, averaging $9.8 million per incident, more than 1.5 times the financial services industry’s $6.1 million. There is also a notable shift in attacker motivation, with espionage-driven attacks (actors after intellectual property and patient research data rather than a ransom payout) accounting for a much larger share of incidents than in prior years. Those actors are harder to catch because they aren’t trying to draw attention to themselves.
Healthcare IT leaders are heading into the back half of 2026 facing a collision of pressures: a looming overhaul of HIPAA’s Security Rule, breach costs that keep setting records, and a workforce gap that most organizations openly admit they can’t close on their own.
The compliance clock is ticking
The Office for Civil Rights is moving toward finalizing long-anticipated updates to the HIPAA Security Rule this year. The direction is clear: system-level, continuous risk analysis is becoming the baseline expectation, not a once-a-year checkbox exercise. Organizations that treat their last risk assessment as “done” are exactly where regulators are expected to look first.
That’s a meaningful operational shift for provider organizations that have historically run security reviews as an annual project rather than a standing discipline.
The cost of getting it wrong keeps climbing
Many government agencies canat’s where VMware Cloud Foundation comes in.
VMware Cloud Foundation Makes AI a Native Capability
VMware Cloud Foundation transforms the private cloud into an AI-ready platform by integrating virtualization, Kubernetes, networking, storage, security, automation, and lifecycle management into a unified operating environment.
Rather than treating AI as a separate project, VCF enables agencies to incorporate AI directly into their existing infrastructure.
With VMware Private AI technologies, agencies can bring advanced language models to their data. This approach allows organizations to:
- Keep sensitive information within secure environments
- Reduce the risks associated with moving data externally
- Improve AI performance by leveraging local infrastructure
- Accelerate deployment of generative AI applications
- Maintain governance and compliance requirements
The result is a secure foundation for adopting AI without compromising operational control.
Automation is Essential for Scaling AI
As agencies deploy more AI workloads, manual infrastructure management quickly becomes a bottleneck. Platform engineering and automation are critical to delivering AI services consistently and securely.
Using technologies such as:
- VMware Aria Automation
- Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
- Terraform
- GitOps
- Kubernetes
- CI/CD pipelines
organizations can automate infrastructure provisioning, policy enforcement, application deployment, and lifecycle management. Automation enables IT teams to spend less time managing infrastructure and more time delivering mission capabilities.
Security Must Be Embedded From the Start
Government AI initiatives require security at every layer of the infrastructure stack. VMware Cloud Foundation supports this through:
- Integrated Zero Trust networking
- Microsegmentation with VMware NSX
- Identity-based access controls
- Infrastructure lifecycle management
- Continuous monitoring
- Policy-driven automation
- Built-in compliance capabilities
Rather than adding security after deployment, agencies can build secure-by-design AI platforms from day one.
Observability Keeps AI Operations Running
AI environments generate significant infrastructure demands. Maintaining visibility across compute, storage, networking, Kubernetes clusters, and applications is essential for operational success. Modern observability platforms provide insights into:
- Infrastructure health
- Resource utilization
- AI workload performance
- Capacity planning
- Security events
- System availability
With proactive monitoring and analytics, agencies can identify issues before they affect mission-critical operations.
How ClearBridge Helps Government Organizations Prepare for AI
Successfully implementing an AI-ready private cloud requires expertise across infrastructure, automation, security, networking, and cloud operations. ClearBridge helps federal agencies modernize their environments with consultants experienced in:
- VMware Cloud Foundation design and implementation
- Private cloud modernization
- Kubernetes platform engineering
- VMware NSX and Zero Trust architectures
- VMware Aria Automation
- Infrastructure as Code using Terraform
- Platform engineering and GitOps
- AI-ready infrastructure planning
- Observability and operations
- Secure cloud migrations
Whether agencies are modernizing existing VMware environments, preparing for AI initiatives, or building scalable private cloud platforms, ClearBridge provides the technical expertise needed to accelerate deployment while reducing implementation risk.
Preparing for the Next Phase of Government AI
America’s AI Action Plan signals a clear direction: AI will become an increasingly important part of government operations. The agencies that succeed won’t simply deploy AI applications; they’ll build secure, scalable platforms that support AI for years to come. A private cloud powered by VMware Cloud Foundation provides a practical path forward, enabling agencies to harness advanced AI capabilities while maintaining security, governance, and operational control of their missions demand.
Partner with ClearBridge
As a VMware by Broadcom premier strategic partner with deep expertise in VMware Cloud Foundation, private cloud modernization, automation, and platform engineering, ClearBridge helps government organizations build the AI-ready infrastructure needed to support tomorrow’s mission-critical workloads.
Ready to prepare your infrastructure for the next generation of AI? Contact ClearBridge to learn how our VMware experts can help you build a secure, scalable, AI-ready private cloud.
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