The sale of VMware to Broadcom and the subsequent price hikes CIOs and CTOs have experienced have been a common theme of the Nutanix annual conference, .NEXT in recent years. However, the topic definitely decreased to a minor sub-plot in the narrative at the 2026 conference in Chicago, USA.
But when you are taking on the Goliath, and you have carefully curated an image of being the brave David in this story, it cannot completely disappear from the script. As with previous global and national events, Nutanix focused on the cost impact VMware is imposing on digital leaders, the partnership they offer as an alternative, and the experience of customers.
In his keynote, Nutanix CEO Rajiv Ramaswami focused on the slew of new technologies and partners that Nutanix announced at this year’s conference, but in an understated way, reminded customers and prospects attending:
We all know the game there; they are forcing you to buy the full stack. That is a big lift, and I urge you to trust…