Quick Brief
- Australia’s first Cisco Secure AI Factory launched February 23, 2026, in partnership with Cisco, Sharon AI, and NVIDIA
- Powered by 1,024 NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra GPUs for complex AI and machine learning tasks, all within Australian borders
- Sharon AI (NASDAQ: SHAZ), Australia’s leading neocloud, operates the factory from NEXTDC’s Australian data centers
- Customers gain access to industry-tailored AI solutions and a sandbox environment for proof-of-concept testing
Enterprises across Asia-Pacific now have access to sovereign, high-performance AI infrastructure that keeps sensitive data entirely onshore. Australia’s first Cisco Secure AI Factory, built with Sharon AI and NVIDIA, combines cutting-edge GPU compute with enterprise-grade security at a scale the region has not seen before. This breakdown covers exactly what was built, who built it, what each component does, and what it means for enterprise and government teams adopting AI in 2026.
What the Cisco Secure AI Factory Actually Is
The Cisco Secure AI Factory is a sovereign AI infrastructure deployment that keeps all data and AI processing within Australian territory. It is designed to support the development, adoption, and responsible use of AI in alignment with Australia’s new National AI Plan.
Stefan Leitl, Vice President and General Manager, Cisco Australia and New Zealand, stated: “AI innovation is accelerating and Cisco is delivering the critical infrastructure Australia needs to move fast and adopt AI safely and securely. The Cisco Secure AI Factory enables enterprises and governments to harness their data for differentiation, unlocking innovation and competitive advantage, by strengthening sovereign capabilities and building a trustworthy AI ecosystem.”
The factory positions Australia at the forefront of secure, responsible AI by delivering robust national digital infrastructure while fully upholding data sovereignty.
Four Infrastructure Components Powering the Factory
The facility is built on four tightly integrated components, each selected for sovereign, high-throughput AI workloads:
- Cisco UCS servers, together with Cisco’s security and networking portfolio, deliver accelerated AI capabilities and Nexus Hyperfabric as part of the Nexus One unified management plane
- 1,024 NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra GPUs deliver breakthrough performance and flexibility for complex AI and machine learning tasks
- VAST Data storage systems provide fast, reliable, and scalable data access to support demanding AI workloads
- NEXTDC’s Australian data centers provide resilient, sovereign hosting for all critical infrastructure
Sharon AI offers a variety of solutions tailored to different customer needs and industries, built on top of this infrastructure stack.
Sharon AI: Australia’s Leading Neocloud Operator
SharonAI Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SHAZ) is a High-Performance Computing company focused on Artificial Intelligence and Cloud GPU Compute Infrastructure. As Australia’s leading neocloud, the company’s GPU platform accelerates the build of AI factories and sovereign AI solutions.
James Manning, Co-Founder and CEO of Sharon AI, said: “We are excited to have partnered with Cisco and NVIDIA to accelerate enterprise AI and high-performance compute adoption throughout Asia-Pacific. This 1,024 NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra deployment has been architected and deployed alongside Cisco to ensure together we can bring unprecedented value to customers.”
Manning confirmed that Sharon AI and Cisco are planning additional clusters in 2026 and beyond, with this factory serving as the foundational deployment for broader Asia-Pacific expansion.
NVIDIA’s Role and Position on Sovereign AI
NVIDIA’s Blackwell Ultra GPUs form the compute core of the factory. Sudarsharn Ramachandran, Country Manager for Enterprise Australia and New Zealand at NVIDIA, stated: “Secure, sovereign AI infrastructure is a critical resource for enterprises across the Asia-Pacific region. Sharon AI and Cisco are accelerating the next wave of innovation with NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra GPUs to provide Australia with its first Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA.”
NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra GPUs are purpose-built for complex AI and machine learning tasks, delivering what the official press release describes as “breakthrough performance and flexibility.”
Alignment With Australia’s National AI Plan
The factory directly supports Australia’s new National AI Plan by delivering the national digital infrastructure needed for an AI-enabled economy. The entire initiative is framed around responsible AI adoption within a regulatory and policy framework set at the national level.
All data and AI processing remain within Australia under this deployment. This directly addresses data sovereignty requirements faced by government agencies and enterprises in regulated sectors that cannot route sensitive workloads through foreign data centers.
What Enterprise and Government Customers Can Access
Sharon AI’s offering through the factory has two main access points for customers:
- Production AI solutions tailored to specific customer needs and industries, built on the full Cisco Secure AI Factory stack
- Sandbox environment for proof-of-concept experimentation, allowing organizations to test AI workloads before committing to production deployments
This dual-access model lowers the barrier for enterprises evaluating AI infrastructure for the first time at scale, while also serving organizations ready for immediate production workloads.
Considerations Before Adopting Sovereign AI Factory Infrastructure
Organizations evaluating this infrastructure should account for a few practical factors before committing:
- The factory is optimized for complex AI and machine learning tasks; workload fit should be confirmed before provisioning
- Sandbox access provides a structured path to validate use cases before full production deployment
- Solutions are tailored to different industries, meaning onboarding will involve scoping and configuration specific to each customer’s needs
- Additional clusters are planned but not yet deployed; enterprises requiring significant scale beyond the current 1,024-GPU build should confirm availability timelines directly with Sharon AI
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA?
It is Australia’s first sovereign AI infrastructure deployment, launched by Cisco and Sharon AI in partnership with NVIDIA. It provides secure, scalable, and high-performance AI capabilities with all data and AI processing kept within Australia, in alignment with Australia’s National AI Plan.
Who operates the Cisco Secure AI Factory in Australia?
SharonAI Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SHAZ), described as Australia’s leading neocloud and a High-Performance Computing company focused on AI and Cloud GPU Compute Infrastructure, operates the factory from NEXTDC’s Australian data centers.
How many NVIDIA GPUs power the factory?
The factory runs on 1,024 NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra GPUs. The official press release describes these as delivering “breakthrough performance and flexibility for complex AI and machine learning tasks.”
What does data sovereignty mean in this context?
Data sovereignty means all data and AI processing occur within Australian territory and do not cross international borders. This factory keeps every workload onshore, supporting regulatory compliance for government agencies and enterprises in sectors with strict data residency requirements.
Can enterprises test workloads before committing to a full deployment?
Yes. Sharon AI provides a sandbox environment where customers can experiment with proof-of-concepts before moving to production. Solutions are also tailored to different customer needs and industries, allowing for scoped deployments rather than one-size-fits-all commitments.
What role does Cisco play beyond providing servers?
Cisco contributes UCS servers, its security and networking portfolio for accelerated AI capabilities, and Nexus Hyperfabric as part of the Nexus One unified management plane. This integrated stack handles compute, networking, and security under one architecture.
Are more Cisco Secure AI Factory deployments planned?
Yes. Sharon AI CEO James Manning confirmed the company looks “forward to further collaboration with the Cisco team to drive enterprise AI adoption and additional clusters in 2026 and beyond,” with this 1,024-GPU Sydney deployment serving as the first in the Asia-Pacific region.”
