ITQonnect Days & ITQon! 2026

This keynote explores the rapid evolution of the AI agent ecosystem. It details the shift toward agentic workflows supported by the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and the standardization of reusable agent "Skills." The session emphasizes that as AI agents transition from experimental tools to enterprise-grade assets, there is a critical requirement for robust, secure infrastructure. 
By introducing concepts like OpenClaw and secure sandboxing—specifically leveraging Red Hat OpenShift and Red Hat AI—the session outlines a defense-in-depth strategy for managing autonomous agents at scale, drawing parallels between the current agent revolution and the historical maturation of Linux and container orchestration.

AI infrastructure is moving beyond simply hosting models. The next generation of platforms must support complete AI systems: model serving, intelligent routing, shared inference services, agents, tools, memory, and isolated execution environments.
In this session, we take a look behind the curtain at where VMware Private AI Services (PAIS) is heading. We will introduce the new VMware AI Factory initiative, walk through the PAIS Model Runtime 4.0 architecture, and show how its components work together to provide models as a scalable platform service.
We will then expand the view beyond model inference and examine VCF as a platform for agentic workloads. We will look at where agents run, how they consume shared model endpoints, why agents need isolated execution environments, and which infrastructure services are required to support them.
The goal is to connect the individual technologies into one architectural picture and show how VCF, PAIS, and the VMware AI Factory fit together as the foundation for enterprise AI.

The world of IT is changing rapidly, so the VCF Storage and Data roadmap also constantly evolves. In this session Duncan Epping will share with you what you can expect for Storage and Data services in the upcoming releases of VCF. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a VMware session without mentioning  AI, but instead of fluffy slides, I will bring some demos for you!