Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware for $69 billion in November has brought radical changes that have left partners and customers questioning their commitment to the virtualization giant. With Broadcom discontinuing over 56 VMware products and platforms, as well as ending the sale of perpetual licenses in favor of subscriptions, many customers are feeling uneasy about the future of their VMware stack.
Forrester Research had predicted that up to 20 percent of VMware‘s enterprise customers would switch to a new virtual machine provider due to issues such as significant price increases and declining support under Broadcom’s ownership. Additionally, the discontinuation of popular products like VMware vSphere+, VMware Aria Suite, and VMware NSX has left customers searching for alternatives.
Many VMware customers are concerned about pricing changes, as VMware was already known for being expensive before Broadcom’s takeover. Competitors like Nutanix, Scale Computing, Microsoft with Hyper-V/Azure Stack, and Red Hat with OpenShift Virtualization are now looking to capitalize on VMware‘s uncertainty by targeting their customers with alternative offerings.
VMware‘s partners are also feeling the effects of Broadcom’s changes, as the company has laid off resellers and service partners while taking over direct relationships with its top customers. This has left many partners feeling left out and questioning their future role in the VMware ecosystem.
Ultimately, both customers and partners are being forced to reevaluate their relationships with VMware and consider alternative solutions. While Broadcom touts its changes as delivering greater value for customers, the track record of its enterprise software acquisitions has left many skeptical about the future under its ownership. As a result, customers and partners alike are looking for other options to navigate the uncertain landscape created by Broadcom’s takeover of VMware.
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https://www.computerworld.com/article/1612211/killing-VMware.html/amp/