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Is VMware Third-Party Support a Good Idea?
In the wake of Broadcom's acquisition of VMware, many enterprise IT teams find themselves at a crossroads. With dramatic licensing changes, price increases, and support model restructuring, IT procurement leaders are actively exploring alternatives to traditional VMware support. But is third-party support a viable option for your organization today?
The Changing VMware Support Ecosystem
Broadcom's sweeping changes to VMware's licensing and support models have sent shockwaves through enterprise IT departments. Many organizations that have built their infrastructure around VMware technologies for decades are now facing:
- Significant price increases for renewals
- Elimination of perpetual licensing options
- Bundle-only purchasing requirements
- Reduced flexibility in support tiers
- Stricter enforcement of support policies
These changes have created an unprecedented opportunity for third-party support providers to enter a market that was previously dominated by the vendor's own support offerings.
What Third-Party VMware Support Offers
As of March 2025, third-party support for VMware has grown significantly, offering several benefits to organizations looking to maintain their perpetual licenses or transition away from Broadcom's services. Here's what third-party support for VMware currently offers:
Support for Perpetual Licenses
Third-party support providers allow customers to continue using their existing perpetual VMware licenses, which is particularly valuable since Broadcom discontinued perpetual license support.
Cost Efficiency
These services often come at a fraction of the original support cost, with some reports suggesting savings of up to 40% compared to original support costs. This is especially appealing to organizations facing significant price increases under Broadcom's new model.
Flexible Support Models
Third-party providers offer various support models tailored to different organizational needs:
- Technical Support: For organizations with in-house VMware expertise
- Managed Services: For those with minimal VMware expertise or wishing to reallocate resources
- Hardware & Professional Services: Assisting with environment right-sizing or migration to alternative platforms
Additional Benefits
- Customizable support plans to fit specific needs
- Potential for quicker response and resolution times
- Ability to keep legacy systems running beyond official end-of-support dates
- Freeing up internal IT resources to focus on business needs
An Evolving Market with Current Limitations
It's important to understand that the third-party VMware support market is still in its early stages. While the offerings are promising, they may not yet be 100% suitable for all large enterprise environments. Here are some things to consider:
Capability gaps:
Some providers don't yet offer comprehensive coverage for all VMware products or complex enterprise deployments.
Technical depth:
The pool of experienced VMware engineers outside the vendor ecosystem is growing but still limited.
Service maturity:
Processes, tools, and methodologies are still being refined by many third-party providers.
Enterprise-grade SLAs: Some providers are still building the infrastructure needed to consistently meet the demanding requirements of large enterprises.
Why You Should Keep Watch
Despite these current limitations, the third-party support market for VMware is evolving rapidly. Former VMware technical staff are joining third-party providers, and investment in specialized VMware support tooling is increasing
For IT procurement leaders, now is the time to become familiar with these alternatives – even if you're not ready to make the switch immediately. While these services are still emerging and may not fully meet all enterprise requirements, the market leaders are rapidly maturing their offerings.
As a procurement professional, staying informed about these evolving options positions you to make strategic decisions as the market develops. In time, third-party VMware support could become a smart way to keep costs in check
while maintaining the reliable infrastructure your business demands.
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