in annual revenue. At this point, VMware’s partner community is waiting for clarification. Partners Uncertainty While it’s possible that VMware partners in good standing will enjoy a smooth transition to Broadcom, smaller partners — about 4,000 in total — may need to explore other options. This uncertainty has unleashed a wave of anxiety throughout the channel. And it didn’t help that the announcement came during the busy holiday season. “Broadcom’s strategic shift to an invite-only model raises questions about the future landscape of VMware partnerships, especially regarding accessibility and inclusivity for smaller resellers and managed services providers,” explained consultant Gustav Eriksson in a recent LinkedIn post. “As the industry awaits further clarity on the implications and how the transition will unfold, the immediate concern remains: how will smaller players navigate the complex renewal process and retain the personalized service that their customers have come to expect?” Nerdio chief revenue officer Joseph Landes offered some additional commentary on how the announcement is impacting VMware partners. “Many VMware partners feel confused, frustrated and undervalued by Broadcom’s decision,” explained Landes. “For partners who have built their VDI practices on VMware technologies and now may be left out of the equation, it’s causing a major shift in the ecosystem.” Landes believes that impacted partners are on the lookout for alternatives to legacy providers. “Modern and cloud-based offerings can help organizations weather this storm and get back on their feet,” Landes said. “VMware is not the only option on the market for a reason. There are other options out there and now these partners will most likely be shifting their focus elsewhere to avoid disruption.” Right now, Landes said, partners must understand that sticking with VMware may not be an option. “Broadcom is completely changing the partner program and may not invite all former VMware partners back — not to mention, the new criteria to remain a partner is unclear,” Landes continued. “This means that impacted partners need to be proactive and agile in making a change.” According to Landes, the shift from more legacy, on-prem VDI solutions in favor of cloud-based virtual desktops has been a long time coming. “Many of these partners have been looking to better scale, manage and optimize their IT environments, resulting in various MSPs and IT channel partners opting for cloudnative technologies and migration off of on-prem,” Landes said. “If you’re a partner who has been interested in a cloud migration project but has been hesitant due to cost, time or lack of buy-in, this might be your signal to make the switch for good and become a stronger partner because of it.” Landes also noted that this is not just a VMware-only issue. Rather, it’s an issue for the entire market that used to rely on legacy VDI. “As partners increasingly want to modernize their legacy VDI to a cloud-based desktop environment, also known as desktop-as-a-service (DaaS), many are looking for the best solution on the market and ultimately turn to Microsoft DaaS technologies — such as Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Windows 365,” Landes explained. “Partners want to work with solution providers who continue to innovate and experiment in this space. They’re moving away from legacy vendors that don’t offer them this. “ VMware alternatives to keep in mind VergeIO chief marketing officer George Crump has spoken with nearly 700 VMware customers since April 2023 about the issues they are facing. Crump reported widespread concern about the direction the company is going regarding changes to its licensing, increasing deflection to e-support, and general confusion about what the near future will bring. “Sadly, many didn’t even know there were alternatives to VMware that are focused on the enterprise,” Crump said. In response, VergeIO compiled a list of what to look for in a VMware alternative, based on feedback from customers. Here are a few considerations to keep in mind. 1. Cost: VMware comes with high usage fees and licensing complexity. Customers often struggle to understand how much VMware infrastructure will cost. “Those wanting to buy more powerful servers to meet growing business demands are stymied because licensing costs make this untenable,” the company explained. “Additionally, the cost of storage to support the virtualized infrastructure can get very expensive. Organizations should look for node-based pricing alternatives that allow them to stop counting cores, RAM and capacity.” 2. Support: It’s critical to have a solution that provides a high level of support, with quick response times and direct human involvement. This is especially important when responding to cybersecurity threats. “When dealing with a situation like a ransomware attack, no one wants to be going back and forth with a support bot that might not be able to provide timely help,” the company explained. 3. Complexity: Open-source VMware alternatives can be far more complex. VergeIO recommends finding a service that provides ease of operations, improves data efficiency and resiliency, and minimizes time spent managing infrastructure. “Rather than manage networking and storage independently or having to buy expensive, unintegrated vSAN and NSX, an ultraconverged approach to infrastructure simplifies operations for often overburdened IT personnel,” explained VergeIO. VergeIO is now offering complimentary professional services for VMware customers in need of an exit strategy. The company recently launched VMware conversion services to those looking for a frictionless transition of VMware virtual machines to VergeOS with just a few clicks. o 47 JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2024 | CHANNELVISION
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