For years, VMware has been the preferred choice for virtualization and cloud computing for many businesses. However, Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware has introduced changes that are prompting businesses to reconsider their options. Is this the case for your business? Does VMware still align with your needs, or is it time to explore alternatives?
To answer these questions, you need to evaluate your VMware setup. This guide will help you assess your current VMware environment and determine the best course of action for your business.
Why evaluate your VMware setup now?
Broadcom’s changes to VMware’s licensing structures, costs, and product strategy could have a direct impact on your IT operations. The most significant of these changes include:
- Uncertain pricing changes: Broadcom’s acquisition has led to increased subscription costs and adjustments to licensing agreements, including steeper late renewal penalties and higher minimum core processing purchase requirements. These pricing shifts may exceed what your business can sustain, either now or in the future.
- Shifting product strategies: Under Broadcom’s direction, VMware has refocused its offerings, prioritizing solutions designed for larger enterprises while discontinuing more niche products and features. If your business is using any of these discontinued products, it will no longer receive updates, which increases the risk of integration issues with other solutions and security vulnerabilities.
How to evaluate your VMware setup
A thorough evaluation should focus on key areas of your virtual infrastructure. Below are four critical aspects to assess, along with actionable steps to help you gather the necessary data.
Cost and pricing structure
To assess whether VMware’s pricing still aligns with your budget:
- Review current expenses: Look at your VMware licensing, renewal, and support costs over the past 12 months. Identify areas where costs may have significantly increased.
- Forecast future costs: Use VMware’s subscription pricing calculator or request quotes to predict your IT spending for the next 1–3 years.
- Compare alternatives: Research similar virtualization solutions to compare licensing fees and support costs. Request quotes from providers as well.
Scalability
Virtualization needs evolve as businesses grow, so you need to evaluate whether VMware continues to provide the scalability your business needs. Make sure to:
- Assess current utilization: Use VMware’s centralized management platforms — such as vCenter or vSphere — to review resource usage, in particular CPU, memory, and storage. Confirm you’re not operating at full capacity and that there are sufficient resources available to support future growth.
- Identify bottlenecks: Look for any slowdowns in your system, such as delays caused by discontinued software or manual processes that can’t keep up with growing demand.
Vendor lock-in
After an acquisition, the new owner may push for closer integration with their own products and systems, which can make it more difficult to switch to other vendors or adopt different technologies. This situation is known as vendor lock-in. To assess how vulnerable you are to vendor lock-in, consider the following:
- Identify dependencies: Make a list of all VMware tools your company relies on, such as vSphere, vSAN, etc., along with any third-party tools you use. The more your business depends on VMware and, by extension, Broadcom, the higher your risk of being locked in to their services.
- Evaluate mobility: Check if it’s easy to move your workloads between different platforms, including those from competing cloud providers. If you face challenges in shifting workloads — such as third-party solutions or excessive steps — it may mean VMware is limiting your flexibility and options.
Support and resources
Timely support can make or break your experience with any IT solution. Evaluate the quality of VMware’s support services in terms of:
- Ticket response times: Review the average response and resolution times for your past VMware support requests.
- Support satisfaction: Survey your internal IT team about their satisfaction with VMware’s support and resources. Are there recurring issues that support isn’t addressing quickly or effectively?
- Training needs: Consider whether your IT staff is fully trained to use VMware effectively. Are they able to handle updates, troubleshoot, and manage issues without external support? This might require a skills gap assessment or additional training.
Is it time for a change?
The results of your thorough evaluation will help guide your decision on whether to stick with VMware or explore other options. Some of the key findings to consider include:
- Cost concerns: If staying with VMware exceeds your budget, it may be time to explore more cost-effective options.
- Discontinued features: If VMware discontinues a product or feature that is critical to your operations, switching to another solution could be the best move.
- High risk of vendor lock-in: If your risk of vendor lock-in with VMware is high and you face the likelihood of difficulty switching in the future, it’s worth exploring other choices.
If you choose to make the switch to a different virtualization platform, make sure to work with cloud and virtualization experts like Liberty Center One. We can guide you through the process, ensuring the transition is smooth and that everything is set up properly. Contact us today to get started.