Embracing Open Source Alternatives to VMware: A Journey with Storware and OpenMetal

Updated on August 11, 2025 by Jen Royle-Jones

The transition to revolutionary technologies is often met with hesitation, especially when it involves steering away from established giants like VMware or major public cloud platforms. Yet, as discussed in the recent Storware/OpenMetal Live Stream, there exists a compelling impetus to explore viable open-source alternatives that not only promise flexibility but are also economically feasible.

The Growing Demand for VMWare Alternatives

For years, VMware dominated the virtualization space. However, with rising costs and changes in licensing models, many companies are now actively seeking alternatives. OpenStack has emerged as a strong candidate for businesses looking for greater control and flexibility over their cloud infrastructure. When paired with OpenMetal’s infrastructure solutions and Storware’s data protection tools, OpenStack provides a robust framework for organizations navigating this shift.

During the discussion, Todd Robinson from OpenMetal and Paweł Mączka from Storware emphasized that businesses should not merely look for a direct VMware replacement but should instead focus on a long-term cloud strategy that ensures scalability, cost-effectiveness, and reliability.

Key Insights from the OpenMetal & Storware Discussion

1. More Freedom with Open-Source Technologies

Storware has been focused on KVM-based virtualization and OpenStack since 2015, providing backup and migration options that work across different hypervisors. Unlike proprietary platforms that limit businesses to a single ecosystem, OpenStack enables companies to choose the best tools for their specific needs. Storware enhances this with seamless backup, recovery, and migration solutions that integrate smoothly with various cloud environments.

2. Making Migration Easier with V2V Tools

One of Storware’s most significant recent innovations is its Virtual-to-Virtual (V2V) migration feature, allowing businesses to transition from VMware to OpenStack with minimal effort. This tool helps companies reduce licensing costs, improve infrastructure flexibility, and ensure business continuity during migrations. Given that many organizations are looking for a way out of VMware due to increasing costs, this feature provides a much-needed bridge toward open-source alternatives.

3. Powerful Storage with OpenStack and Ceph

Ceph, an open-source distributed storage system, is a key component of many OpenStack environments. Storware has been an early adopter of Ceph-based backup solutions, helping businesses create highly available, fault-tolerant storage architectures. OpenMetal further simplifies this process by automating OpenStack and Ceph deployments, enabling organizations to launch private clouds within minutes.

A crucial advantage of Ceph is its scalability, making it an ideal choice for enterprises that require high-performance storage for workloads such as big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and large-scale web applications. Combining Ceph with OpenStack provides businesses with a seamless way to manage storage while maintaining operational efficiency.

4. Backup as a Service for Managed Service Providers

For managed service providers (MSPs), Storware’s Backup-as-a-Service model provides an easy way to offer enterprise-grade backup solutions for OpenStack environments. With a fully API-driven approach, the solution integrates with OpenStack Horizon and supports multi-tenancy, making it an attractive option for MSPs looking to enhance their service offerings.

MSPs can start small and scale as needed, thanks to Storware’s pay-as-you-grow subscription model. This flexibility ensures that businesses can tailor their backup strategies to fit their specific needs without incurring unnecessary costs.

Overcoming the Barriers to OpenStack Adoption

Despite its many advantages, OpenStack has often been perceived as complex, which has discouraged some organizations from adopting it. However, OpenMetal is addressing this challenge by providing ready-to-use OpenStack environments that are production-ready.

As Pawel pointed out in the discussion, the biggest hurdle isn’t necessarily technical—it’s psychological. Many IT teams have spent years working within VMware-centric environments, and the idea of shifting to something new can feel overwhelming. However, with companies like OpenMetal and others in the OpenInfra ecosystem creating on-demand OpenStack cloud platforms, OpenStack is proving to be a viable, scalable alternative.

Why Now Is the Right Time to Consider OpenStack

Cloud costs continue to skyrocket, making it crucial for businesses to find alternatives that are both cost-effective and adaptable. OpenMetal and Storware provide a clear, practical path for organizations looking to modernize their cloud infrastructure while maintaining strong data protection.

Beyond cost savings, OpenStack offers businesses more control over their cloud environments. With proprietary cloud providers, companies often face vendor lock-in, limited customization options, and unpredictable pricing models. OpenStack eliminates these issues, allowing organizations to build cloud environments that are fully customized to their needs.

Additionally, security is a growing concern for enterprises worldwide. The combination of OpenStack, Ceph, and Storware ensures that organizations can maintain data sovereignty while implementing robust security measures, such as immutable backups, ransomware protection, and granular recovery options.

How to Get Started with OpenMetal and Storware

For companies exploring their next steps, now is the perfect time to evaluate OpenStack as a strategic alternative. Whether you’re migrating from VMware, optimizing your backup strategy, or building a private cloud, OpenMetal’s Hosted Private Cloud powered by OpenStack—paired with Storware—offers a scalable, future-ready foundation.

Organizations interested in transitioning should begin by:

  1. Assessing Current Infrastructure – Identify workloads that can be migrated and determine backup requirements.
  2. Exploring Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Deployments – OpenMetal provides OpenStack instances that allow businesses to test configurations and integrations in a low-risk environment.
  3. Leveraging Storware for Data Protection – Implement robust backup and disaster recovery strategies to safeguard critical workloads.
  4. Partnering with Experts – Collaborate with OpenStack specialists, such as OpenMetal and Storware, to streamline deployment and ensure long-term success.

Want to Learn More?

If you’re ready to take the next step, OpenMetal and Storware are here to help make your transition seamless.

 

Enterprise-Grade Data Protection for Open Source Virtualization
View the pre-recorded webinar on LinkedIn >>

About Storware

Storware is a European enterprise data backup and recovery solutions provider recognized for its stability and comprehensive platform integration. Storware secures data across virtual machines, containers, cloud environments, and applications, including Microsoft 365. It supports a variety of backup destinations, such as file systems and object storage, and acts as a proxy for enterprise backup providers. Established in 2013 in Warsaw, Poland, Storware continues expanding its reach through a robust global distribution and partner network.

About OpenMetal

OpenMetal provides innovative private cloud infrastructure tailored for businesses looking for greater autonomy, security, and control over their cloud environments. Leveraging OpenStack technology, OpenMetal delivers a flexible, cost-effective alternative to public hyperscalers, enabling organizations to host mission-critical applications and data with unparalleled efficiency and privacy.

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