The Truth About VMware's Changes: Serious Alternatives and What You Need to Know

Hey, everyone! 👋 Have you been scratching your head at the multitude of YouTube videos offering solutions to VMware's recent changes? I feel you! In today's video, I address the seismic shifts happening since Broadcom acquired VMware. We're talking about sweeping changes in licensing, the demise of the free version, and the restructuring of the entire company.

💼 As someone who's been knee-deep in strategy meetings and architectural endeavors, I've noticed a trend of impractical solutions being thrown around. Today, I want to talk straight about the reality of the situation. Broadcom's move to a subscription-based model has many in the IT world on edge, from aspiring VMware professionals to enterprises facing potential cost spikes.

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[mgsmith]

This guy loves Citrix.

Citrix is one of the most vulnerable software made.

[MinskUK]

I agree, there are no equivalents, more so if you are using vCloud. This was an acquisition that should never have been allowed but we are where we are.

[DamjanDimitrioski]

You don't consider the Virtualization engine in other virtualization platforms like KVM, Virtualbox and others; or you think the UI and orchestrators are lacking in the lab level alternatives?

[yourjjrjjrjj]

There are a plenty of small to medium sized companies running proxmox(and others). It's fine for small clusters. It's definitely good enough for internal coporate use.

[patrickwasp]

they still should have kept a free sass tier to help funnel in new users. anyone using 2 hosts isn't going to lose them a customer anyway.

[MidnightCoup]

Why not subscriptions? We do it with email, CRM etc? The answer is because those are now cloud services and we are renting their infrastructure. This doesn't make sense with VMWare where we are footing the bill for the infrastructure, then paying for a subscription on something that has always been perpetual, and who's performance is determined by our expenses on hardware. It just feels bad. The cloud feels bad. We're setting ourselves up to have less jobs in the future, less competition in the market, and less opportunities for growth and disruption. America has sold off its manufacturing. We outsource tech support. We literally have 2 companies that control all food supply in the country. The last strong sector of the economy we're now giving to a few small companies.

[ericsilberberg]

Thank you for providing an enterprise oriented response!!

[chionyenkwu]

One thing; VMware has changed hands a few times and the underlying fact seems to be that the previous, perpetual license based model just didn't make enough money. It is usual for a revised strategy to include
- focus on core products
- some ways to charge more ==> more profits per unit
I can't say I have been impressed with the way new owners fiddled with the website - however I am sure they would have some sort of hand holding process for "bigger" more "valuable" customers 🤨🤨

[vitaly]

Thank you, Eli! Love and appreciate the honesty and transparency of this video. I 100% agree with you. There is not a solid alternative just yet. Moving to other platform will take a lot of time, planning and designing. That means that for a while enterprises will still have to run hybrid clouds that involve several platforms. But, unless VMWare by Broadcom will significantly improve VCF as platform and make it more valuable and feasible considering its price, companies will move on. Again, thank you for another great video and insightful thoughts!

[JarredByrnes]

Definitely appreciate the enterprise focus! My only disagreement is the death of the data center. I agree, for most organizations it makes sense to move workloads and applications to the cloud, but for those that are running computationally intense jobs (like AI training) and storing PBs of data, the cloud isn't cost effective. I do believe hybrid architecture is the way we need to focus and using a private cloud setup from RedHat or Microsoft is probably the way to go even though it requires a very different skill set than most admins have today.

[jalofanclub]

Great video, and I agree with most of it, but saying going to a subscription model is ok because everyone else is doing it isn't a good reason. Subscription based models are killing the consumers.

[sanjaik]

Thanks fofr this lovely session. Migrating to cloud was kinda old topic if that is what you mentionin, but AI is definitely new. So its a mixed bag, need to introspect from an Architect perspective.

Also for AI which one do you suggest? I've seen Azure AI lately, and what's your input?

[sixdonuts]

FYI, many workloads can be moved to the cloud (video, security, CI etc.). Also, on prem in most cases is much cheaper than cloud by a wide margin.

[longlost]

granted, I hate microsurf (former employee with no ill will toward the behemoth) as much as the next guy, but I'll never understand the community loathing over hyper-v. I used to teach employees and customers of the largest computer (and vmware owner) manufacturer in the world, and I still see the benefits to the platform to this

[RajnishKumar-pihx]

Well articulation and explained. I have same view, VMware vShpare is another MS Office of Enterprise. No matter how much you are in disagreement but finally you will pay and use :)

[michaelkendrick]

I have been doing enterprise IT infrastructure consulting since the 70s. I have a few midsize companies as well as my enterprise clients. I have been using VMWare since version 2. I believe as you say that Broadcom will push clients to look for the future that will long term hurt thier business. I will be migrating to cloud services wherever it makes sense. Smaller clients will slowly move to cloud and VMware competitors. As AI and cloud drives more and more VMWare clients away over time

[remomattei]

Well have been a VMware person and architect lots of customers for the lb part this Broadcom is crap. And I think there are solutions depending on what you need 1-1 comparison may not be possible. There are way lots of things to consider moving forward and away from VMware. Microsoft for hyperv will be my last option again that’s my take.

[VOzana]

Companies that have run out of breath in terms of innovation come up with the subscription. They no longer have anything to offer the customer, but they still want payments. And they want more and more of that money.

These are not fair prices, this is racketeering.

Broadcom delenda est!

[genenomidic]

Thought his name sounded familiar then he mentioned Train Signal.

[kayedmasarweh]

Very helpful content and nicely presented. Thank you