It's time to consider migrating from VMware to Google Cloud.

In recent years, the IT landscape has witnessed a significant shift towards cloud computing solutions, driven by the promise of scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency. While VMware has long been a cornerstone of virtualization in enterprise IT environments, its recent acquisition by Broadcom have left many IT professionals questioning its viability as the go-to solution. Rising prices, deteriorating support, and contractual issues are prompting organizations to explore alternative options in the cloud. Representatives in Europe submitted a complaint to the European Commission covering a list of areas ‘steeply increased prices; non-fulfillment of previous contractual agreements; disallowing reselling of licenses; refusing to maintain security conditions for perpetual licenses; (re)bundling of licenses, leading to higher costs; a shake up of the ecosystem of VMware resellers and partners‘; a loss of knowledge.‘

According to Forrester analysts, their customers ‘are exhausted by significant price hikes, degrading support, and forced mandatory subscription to software bundles where some modules such as NSX and Aria Suite/vRealize Suite end up as shelfware.‘ Here's why it's time to seriously consider making the switch to running natively in the Public Cloud.

Rising Costs

One of the primary concerns plaguing VMware users is the steep increase in prices. As VMware continues to evolve its licensing model and introduce new features, the cost of maintaining VMware environments has soared, in some cases as much as 10x. For many organizations, this upward trend in pricing has become unsustainable, forcing them to reevaluate their investment in VMware solutions. Moreover, VMware's recent decision to phase out perpetual licenses in favor of subscription-based models has sparked significant concern among customers. This shift not only removes the option for one-time purchases, but also introduces ongoing monthly fees, which can quickly add up and prove more expensive in the long run. According to Forbes vSAN customers are also in for some surprises. Beyond paying for unneeded bundled features, the new capacity-based pricing will force a capacity upgrade entitlement for many (if not most) vSAN customers.

For many organizations accustomed to the stability and predictability of perpetual licensing, this move represents a significant departure that undermines their ability to budget effectively. Furthermore, the transition to subscription-based licensing can create uncertainty around future costs and lock organizations into recurring payments, regardless of actual usage. In contrast, cloud providers offer flexible pricing options, including pay-as-you-go and reserved instance models, allowing organizations to optimize costs based on their actual consumption and usage patterns. This pricing transparency empowers IT professionals to make informed decisions about their cloud investments and ensures that they only pay for what they need, without being subjected to arbitrary fees or price hikes.

Deteriorating Support

Another issue that has frustrated VMware users is the declining quality of support services. Possibly due to large layoffs at VMWare unresolved issues have become increasingly common among VMware customers. In an era where downtime can have severe repercussions for businesses, reliable and responsive support is non-negotiable. Cloud providers offer robust support options, including 24/7 availability and proactive monitoring, ensuring that IT teams have the assistance they need when they need it most.

Unwanted Bundles

Another frustration for VMware customers looking to renew their contracts is the new practice of bundling products, forcing organizations into packages that may not align with their specific needs or preferences. This bundling strategy can lead to unnecessary complexity and inflated costs, as customers are compelled to purchase additional products or features they may not require. For example, popular products like Aria Suite, NSX Networking, and vSAN can now only be purchased as part of a bundle. Such inflexibility limits organizations ' ability to tailor their IT infrastructure to their unique requirements and can result in wasted resources and budgetary strain. Another case in point, many vSAN installations only use a subset of the functionality delivered in the new VVF and VCF bundles, causing those customers to pay a premium over previously stand-alone vSAN offerings to purchase additional software that will go unused.

In contrast, cloud providers often offer a la carte pricing models, allowing organizations to select and pay for only the services they need, thereby providing greater control and transparency over costs. This flexibility enables IT professionals to design bespoke solutions that align precisely with their business objectives, without being constrained by rigid product bundles imposed by vendors like VMware.

Contractual Concerns

Furthermore, there have been instances where VMware customers have faced challenges with contract negotiations and renewals. Some organizations have reported discrepancies between the terms promised in their contracts and how the actual terms are being realized post the acquisition of VMWare by Broadcom. Additionally, there have been cases where VMware has failed to honor contractual commitments, leaving customers feeling misled and undervalued. Cloud providers offer transparent pricing and straightforward contracts, eliminating the uncertainty and frustration associated with complex licensing agreements.

Embracing the Cloud Advantage

Given these challenges, organizations are increasingly turning to cloud computing as a viable alternative to VMware. Cloud solutions offer a myriad of benefits, including:

• Scalability: Cloud platforms allow organizations to scale resources up or down based on demand, ensuring optimal performance and cost-efficiency.
• Flexibility: With cloud computing, IT teams have the flexibility to choose from a wide range of services and deployment models to meet specific business needs.
• Reliability: Cloud providers operate state-of-the-art data centers with built-in redundancy and failover mechanisms, minimizing the risk of downtime and data loss.
• Innovation: Cloud platforms continually introduce new features and services, enabling organizations to stay ahead of the curve and drive innovation in their respective industries.

Making the Transition

For IT professionals looking to migrate from VMware to the cloud, careful planning and execution are essential. Here are some key steps to consider:

1. Assessment: Evaluate your existing infrastructure and workloads to determine the best approach for migration, whether it’s rehosting, refactoring, or rebuilding applications for the cloud.
2. Training: Invest in training and upskilling for your IT team to ensure they have the necessary skills and knowledge to manage cloud environments effectively.
3. Migration Strategy: Develop a comprehensive migration strategy that prioritizes workloads, minimizes downtime, and maximizes cost savings.
4. Modernization: Look for areas to modernize applications, datastores, automation and other supporting tools to run more efficiently and natively on the Cloud.
5. Security: Implement robust security measures to protect data and applications in the cloud, including encryption, access controls, and threat detection systems.
6. Optimization: Continuously monitor and optimize your cloud environment to maximize performance, minimize costs, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while VMware has long been a trusted partner for virtualization in enterprise IT, the changing landscape of technology and business demands calls for a reevaluation of traditional approaches. Uncertainty creates opportunity and now is the perfect time to look for Cloud alternatives to VMWare. The VMWare landscape is changing at lightning speed, why take the chance with your infrastructure? Broadcom has killed more than 56 VMware products and platforms, including such favorites as VMware vSphere+, VMware Aria Suite, and VMware NSX. It will also be dumping VMware's ‘end-user‘ computing unit, which includes its Workspace ONE and Horizon offerings. Broadcom has a history of doing similar things with acquired companies. (see CA Technologies and Symantec) Consider a better, low-risk alternative that can potentially reduce the IT budget both directly and indirectly and offer much better solutions. By embracing cloud computing solutions, IT professionals can unlock new levels of agility, efficiency, and innovation while mitigating the challenges associated with VMware. With careful planning and strategic execution, the transition to the cloud can position organizations for long-term success in today's digital era.