"VMware Workloads Flee in Mass Exodus by 2028"

VMware Faces Mass Exodus: 35% of Workloads to Migrate by 2028 A significant loss of business is looming for VMware, with Gartner research VP Julia Palmer predicting that 35% of its workloads will migrate to other platforms by 2028. This mass exodus is largely driven by Broadcom's acquisition and subsequent changes to the company's business model, which have alienated customers through increased costs and reduced channel partner options. According to a report by Gartner, VMware's shift from perpetual licenses to subscriptions has led to higher costs for many of its customers. The bundling of products into fewer, more expensive SKUs (stock-keeping units) has also been a major concern for small- to medium-sized businesses. Additionally, Broadcom's decision to reduce the number of channel partners allowed to resell VMware technologies has limited customer choices and driven some organizations to seek alternative solutions. The impact of these changes is not limited to traditional on-premises deployments. Hyperscalers like Amazon Web Services (AWS) are also affected, as they are now prohibited from reselling VMware subscriptions to cloud services users. This has prompted a mass migration of workloads to the public cloud, further exacerbating VMware's loss of business. The changes implemented by Broadcom have been met with criticism from some quarters. "VMware will lose a significant chunk of business over the next three years," Palmer warned in her report. "Some organizations have already abandoned VMware or are plotting partial or total migrations." While VMware has not commented publicly on the issue, industry insiders suggest that the company is aware of the challenges it faces and is working to address them. The migration of workloads away from VMware is expected to continue over the next few years, with Palmer predicting that 35% of its business will be lost by 2028. This represents a significant challenge for the company, which has historically been a leader in the virtualization market. As the industry continues to evolve and customers seek more flexible and cost-effective solutions, VMware will need to adapt quickly to remain competitive. In response to the migration of workloads, some organizations are turning to alternative virtualization platforms, such as Nutanix or Citrix. Others are exploring cloud-based solutions, including AWS and Microsoft Azure. While it remains to be seen how these changes will ultimately affect VMware's business, one thing is clear: the company faces a significant challenge in the years ahead. Attribution: Gartner research VP Julia Palmer Broadcom Amazon Web Services (AWS) Nutanix Citrix This story was compiled from reports by Ars Technica UK and Ars Technica UK.