When Broadcom completed its acquisition of VMware, IT leaders braced for change. What many didn't anticipate was the scale of the licensing cost increases that followed. Reports of 3x, 4x, and even 5x higher renewal quotes have become common. If you're in that position right now, here's what you actually need to know.
What Changed Under Broadcom
Broadcom's strategy with VMware has been to shift from perpetual licenses to subscription-only pricing, bundle products into larger packages, and eliminate many standalone products that customers previously purchased à la carte. For organizations that only needed a subset of VMware's portfolio, this has meant paying for significantly more than they use.
The migration to VCF (VMware Cloud Foundation) as the primary offering has been particularly jarring for mid-market organizations that ran simpler vSphere-based environments.
Your Real Options
Option 1: Stay and Use Third-Party Support
If your current VMware version is stable and your environment isn't growing rapidly, third-party maintenance is the most immediate cost-saving option. Global TPM provides post-warranty support for vSphere, vCenter, ESXi, and related VMware infrastructure — covering break-fix issues and technical assistance without requiring a Broadcom subscription renewal. This buys you time to evaluate a longer-term strategy without sacrificing stability.
Option 2: Negotiate With Broadcom
Broadcom has shown some flexibility for large enterprise customers, particularly those threatening to migrate. This requires leverage — which means having a credible alternative in hand. TPM coverage gives you that leverage by removing the urgency of their renewal timeline.
Option 3: Migrate to an Alternative Platform
Several mature alternatives have gained significant traction since the Broadcom acquisition: Nutanix AHV (included with the Nutanix platform at no extra cost), Proxmox VE (open source, strong community), Microsoft Hyper-V (if you're already heavily invested in the Microsoft stack), and various cloud-native options if workloads are suitable.
Option 4: Hybrid — TPM Bridge + Planned Migration
The approach we see most often: use TPM to stabilize your current environment and extend your timeline, then execute a planned migration on a 12–24 month horizon. This avoids both the rushed decisions that come from renewal pressure and the excessive costs of staying on a full Broadcom subscription you don't need.
What Global TPM Can Do
Global TPM provides post-warranty VMware support, maintains the underlying hardware your hypervisor runs on, and can help you think through your options without any agenda. We don't sell VMware licenses — our job is to keep your infrastructure running while you make the right long-term decision.