Navigating the VMware Crossroads: Your Four Essential Paths After Broadcom's Changes
The new VMware licensing and channel landscape is complex, but your strategy doesn't have to be. We'll help you navigate the four essential paths to a smarter, more cost-effective IT future.
Feeling lost at the VMware crossroads?
Your inbox just delivered the news. Or maybe the new bill is already sitting on your desk. The reality of Broadcom's VMware licensing changes has hit, and the sticker shock is real. We've heard from countless IT leaders facing a crisis—a sudden, unbudgeted price hike of up to 1500%—that threatens to derail their entire IT strategy.
But this moment of crisis is also a moment of choice. The path forward is no longer a single, linear one. You're at a quadri-crossroads, and understanding your options is the key to taking back control.
At Procure Tech Central, we are not here to sell you on one path. We're here to be your unbiased navigator. We’ve analyzed the new landscape to present the four essential paths forward for every VMware customer, complete with the pros, cons, and crucial questions you need to ask.
THE FOUR PATHS: A DEEPER DIVE INTO YOUR OPTIONS
Broadcom's strategy has created four distinct, viable routes. Your job is to determine which one aligns with your business's financial, operational, and strategic goals.
PATH 1: STAYING ON-PREMISES WITH A NEW VMWARE RESELLER
For many organizations, the most pragmatic solution is to stay put. You have significant investments in hardware, a team trained on on-prem VMware management, and no desire for a massive, risky migration. This path focuses on adaptation, not abandonment.
Pros:
Minimizes Disruption: You avoid a complex migration, allowing your team to maintain business as-usual operations.
Maintains Control: You keep full control over your data and physical infrastructure, which is critical for security and compliance in many industries.
Leverages Existing Investments: Your existing hardware and data center remain valuable assets.
Cons:
Higher Costs: You are still subject to Broadcom's new per-core licensing model, which can lead to significant cost increases.
Partner Scarcity: You may need to find a new, authorized VMware reseller from a much smaller pool of partners.
PATH 2: MIGRATING TO AN ALTERNATIVE VIRTUALIZATION SOLUTION
The new licensing and pricing model may be the final push you needed to break free from VMware vendor lock-in. This path involves a full "rip-and-replace" of your hypervisor with a competitor.
Pros:
Escape High Costs: This is the most direct way to bypass Broadcom's subscription and pricing model.
Control Your Future: You gain independence from a single vendor, allowing you to choose solutions that best fit your needs.
Potential for Lower TCO: Many alternatives offer a lower total cost of ownership, especially for SMBs and specific use cases.
Cons:
Complex Migration: Moving all your workloads can be risky and time-consuming, with a high potential for unexpected downtime.
Steep Learning Curve: Your team will need to learn a completely new set of tools and workflows.
Upfront Costs: While you may save money in the long run, there can be significant upfront costs for professional services or new hardware.
Ecosystem Gaps: Other platforms may not have the same breadth of third-party integrations you're used to with VMware.
PATH 3: SHIFTING TO A VMWARE-BASED ENTERPRISE CLOUD PROVIDER
You want to get out of the hardware business but aren't ready to fully migrate from the VMware ecosystem. This path allows you to consume a hosted VMware solution from an Enterprise Cloud Provider.
Pros:
Retain Your Expertise: Your team can continue to use familiar VMware tools and workflows (vCenter, etc.), minimizing the learning curve.
Offload Management: You no longer worry about hardware maintenance, patching, and the physical data center.
Access to Cloud Services: You gain a stepping stone to native cloud services and a hybrid model.
Cons:
New Provider Lock-in: You become dependent on your new cloud provider's service terms and pricing.
Cost Management: While it's an OpEx model, you must carefully monitor usage to avoid unexpected costs, particularly with data egress.
PATH 4: GOING DIRECTLY TO A NATIVE PUBLIC CLOUD
For some, the new VMware pricing is the catalyst to accelerate a true cloud-native transformation. This is a full migration to a hyper-scaler, leaving the virtualization layer behind entirely. (Funding Available)
Pros:
Unmatched Scalability: Gain access to a virtually unlimited pool of resources for growth.
Pay-as-you-go Model: Convert your IT spend from capital expenditure (CapEx) to operational expenditure (OpEx), paying only for what you use.
Access to Innovation: Leverage cutting-edge services like PaaS and serverless computing for future-proof solutions.
Cons:
Migration Complexity: This is often the most difficult and expensive migration, potentially requiring re-platforming applications.
New Skill Set: Your team will need to learn a completely new set of cloud-native tools and practices.
Cost Complexity: The sheer number of services and billing models can be overwhelming without a strong cloud migration strategy.
YOUR NEXT STEP: FIND YOUR PATH WITH PROCURE TECH CENTRAL
The decisions you make now will define your IT infrastructure for years to come. Don't let Broadcom's changes force you into a rushed or uninformed choice. At Procure Tech Central, we provide the unbiased guidance and expert connections you need to evaluate all four paths. We'll help you navigate the complexities of pricing, partners, and platform capabilities, ensuring you find the solution that best fits your business goals—and your budget.