I design and build VMware Private AI Cloud platforms — VCF 9 with the new VMware AI Factory — for enterprise and government environments where data sovereignty, security, and reliability are non-negotiable.
I'm Eric Sloof, an independent VCF architect and certified instructor based in the Netherlands. Since 2004 I've been designing, deploying, and teaching VMware infrastructure at enterprise scale — from the first ESX clusters to today's VCF 9 Private AI Cloud platforms.
My current focus is on the VMware Private AI Cloud — VCF 9 combined with the newly announced VMware AI Factory — designing the infrastructure that takes organisations from bare metal to production inference on-premises, with full data sovereignty. I deliver this as both a hands-on architect and as a Trainer as a Service — embedding directly into your organisation to upskill your internal team with customised, platform-specific training, so they can build and manage the new environment themselves.
I hold all five VCF 9 VCAP discipline certifications and was named VMware Certified Instructor of the Year EMEA 2023. I've been a vExpert for 18+ consecutive years.
Public AI platforms are increasingly used by employees to accelerate daily work. However, recent enterprise studies show that sensitive business information is frequently uploaded into public AI systems — often outside IT visibility and governance.
This growing phenomenon, commonly referred to as "Shadow AI," occurs when employees use unauthorized public AI services through personal accounts or unsanctioned tools to improve productivity. While effective for end users, it introduces significant risks around data leakage, compliance, intellectual property exposure, and operational security.
The industry is responding: according to Broadcom's Private Cloud Outlook 2026, 56% of enterprises now plan to run production AI inferencing on their private cloud — the shift to the Private AI Cloud era that dominated VMware Explore 2026.
AI-ready infrastructure architecture on VCF 9 — from bare metal to first model in hours instead of weeks. GPU workload domains, resource pooling across NVIDIA and AMD accelerators, availability zone design, and AI ReadyNode sizing.
VMware Private AI Cloud · AI FactoryGPU-accelerated Kubernetes clusters with NVIDIA GPU Operator integration — Model Runtime and Model Gallery deployment, RAG pipelines, vector databases, and 150+ validated open-source models in connected and air-gapped environments.
VMware Kubernetes Service · Model RuntimeSelf-service AI platforms via VCF Automation 9 — catalog items for Deep Learning VM provisioning, model endpoint automation with AI Gateway governance, and GPU cluster deployment on demand.
VCF Automation 9 · AI GatewayBrownfield-to-VCF 9.1 transition planning and execution — domain consolidation, LCM sequencing, ZTP adoption, and continuity planning including VMware AI Factory enablement post-migration.
ZTP · LCM · Multi-domainAvailable for freelance assignments in enterprise and government environments. Let's talk about your project.
esloof@ntpro.nl →