VMWare Changes Partner Program: Here Are Some Next Steps

Broadcom completed its VMware acquisition in November but wasted no time rocking the boat. The company recently announced sweeping changes to its partner program, effectively excommunicating thousands of cloud service providers, distributors, resellers, and other solution providers (and their customers). A newly minted invitation-only partner program (details of which remain a mystery) is expected to be available only to top-tier resellers.  

As a VMware user, you may be wondering what happens when your VMware partner can no longer support you. By altering how VMware tech is purchased, customers like you may be forced to change critical infrastructure or work with a new, unknown, potentially much bigger provider than you’re used to. There is another option, though.  

Transfer Your VMware Environments From On-Premises to Azure 

Velosio will help you seamlessly move VMware-based workloads from your data center to Azure and integrate your VMware environment with Azure. You can continue managing your existing environments with the same VMware tools you already know while modernizing your infrastructure with Azure native services. It’s called Azure VMware Solution, and it is a Microsoft service, verified by VMware, that runs on Azure infrastructure and is supported by Microsoft partners like Velosio. 

Advantages of Moving VMware to Azure 

Moving your VMware workloads to Azure boosts your organization’s productivity with elasticity, scale, and fast provisioning cycles. You can easily view and create vSphere VMs in the Azure portal using API calls or CLI, automate deployments, and establish single sign-on. Plus, you open the door to the full range of Azure compute, monitor, backup, database, IoT, and AI services. The advantages of moving VMware to Azure include:  

• Continue using your existing VMware investments, skills, and tools, including VMware vSphere, vSAN, and vCenter 
• Take advantage of the Azure infrastructure’s scale, automation, and fast provisioning for your VMware workloads  
• Modernize your VMware workloads with native Azure management, security, and services 
• Leverage Azure as the cloud platform for your Microsoft Windows and SQL Server workloads 

What’s the Difference between VMware and Azure VMware Solution? 

Azure VMware Solution (AVS) and VMware are distinct in several ways, mainly in their deployment models and integration with cloud services. Here’s a breakdown of the differences: 

Deployment Model 

• VMware typically refers to VMware’s suite of virtualization products that can be deployed on-premises in your company’s data center. This includes software like VMware vSphere for server virtualization, vSAN for storage, and NSX for network virtualization. 
• Azure VMware Solution is a service that enables you to run the VMware stack in Microsoft’s Azure cloud. It is essentially VMware’s software but deployed in Azure’s infrastructure as a service (IaaS), allowing for cloud scalability and services. 

Management and Operation 

• VMware environments are managed by your organization’s IT team, who are responsible for the hardware, software, and overall maintenance. 
• Azure VMware Solution is managed by Microsoft in partnership with VMware. Microsoft manages the hardware and some aspects of the infrastructure, while customers manage their VMware environment using the same tools they would use on-premises. 

Infrastructure 

• VMware on-premises requires customers to invest in physical servers, storage, and networking hardware. 
• Azure VMware Solution provides the VMware infrastructure as a service, so you do not need to manage or invest in the underlying physical hardware. 

Integration with Cloud Services 

• VMware products can integrate with various cloud services but typically require additional configuration or services like VMware Cloud Foundation for a full hybrid cloud setup. 
• Azure VMware Solution is integrated with Azure services out of the box, allowing you to easily combine VMware workloads with Azure services like AI, machine learning, databases, and more. 

Scale and Flexibility 

• VMware on-premises has a scalability limit based on the physical infrastructure capacity. 
• Azure VMware Solution offers the ability to scale more dynamically, leveraging Azure’s vast infrastructure to scale resources up or down as needed. 

Pricing and Cost 

• VMware involves upfront capital expenditure (CapEx) for hardware and licensing and ongoing operational expenditure (OpEx). 
• Azure VMware Solution follows a cloud pricing model, typically OpEx, with pay-as-you-go or reserved instance pricing, potentially leading to cost savings through operational efficiency. 

In essence, while VMware provides the virtualization technology, Azure VMware Solution offers a way to use this technology within the Azure cloud, combining the benefits of VMware’s virtualization with the advantages of cloud computing. 

Take the Next Steps with Velosio 

You don’t need to wait for the dust to settle from this shake-up. We’re ready to jump in and help you make the transition to Azure VMware Solution now. Velosio is an experienced Microsoft Partner with multiple certifications and over 450 technology professionals on staff. We provide comprehensive services for Azure to support migration, modernization, and digital transformation. Contact our Azure team with your questions and to learn more about the move.