If you’ve been following the evolving virtualization landscape, you already know that Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware has triggered significant disruption. From steep price hikes to drastically altered licensing terms, VMware customers are being forced to rethink their infrastructure strategy—and fast.
For companies caught in this crossfire, the urgency to evaluate alternative platforms has never been greater.
One option stands out as both powerful and future-proof: OpenStack.
In a recent webinar conversation, Jimmy McArthur from the OpenInfra Foundation and Todd Robinson from OpenMetal, explored what’s happening around this exit from VMware, why it matters, and—most importantly—what practical steps you can take to future-proof your infrastructure. This article covers some key points from this timely webinar.
The VMware/Broadcom Shakeup: How We Got Here
Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware was finalized in late 2023, and by early 2024, customers began receiving eye-watering renewal quotes.
As Jimmy explained: “Prices increased—sometimes by as much as 500%—and suddenly companies that hadn’t evaluated alternatives in over a decade were forced to ask, ‘What else is out there?’”
This sudden financial shock sent waves of uncertainty through VMware’s long-standing customer base, and with contracts expiring and budgets under pressure, the race to find viable replacements is on.
OpenStack in the Spotlight as a Leading Alternative
OpenStack is emerging as a strong alternative —not just because it’s open source, but because it delivers long-term flexibility and cost control.
A few key reasons companies are giving OpenStack a fresh look:
- Freedom from Vendor Lock-in: No single company controls your future.
- Flexibility Across Providers: OpenStack can run in-house, with a provider like OpenMetal, or across multiple clouds.
- Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Without the burden of proprietary licensing, OpenStack consistently reduces long-term infrastructure costs.
Todd highlighted this point in the webinar: “OpenStack has matured into a powerful, production-ready platform that lets companies own their infrastructure again—without sacrificing the automation and scale they need.”
OpenStack is Rapidly Evolving to Meet VMware Needs
Another encouraging insight from the conversation: the OpenStack community is already adapting to meet VMware customer needs.
Projects like Watcher (for resource optimization) and Freezer (for backup and recovery) are seeing renewed investment, driven directly by input from companies making the VMware to OpenStack switch.
This ability to respond to real customer needs—quickly and transparently—is a hallmark of the open source model.
Two Common Paths for VMware Migrations
Every VMware environment is different, but VMware customers tend to fall into two broad categories when planning their move:
- Smaller, Simpler Setups
For these companies, moving to OpenStack can be relatively fast and straightforward using open source migration tools like V2V.
- Larger, Complex Environments
Enterprise customers, especially those with custom network topologies, legacy workloads, and sprawling VMware environments, typically need to invest more time and treat the migration as a modernization project. Many opt to rebuild their infrastructure using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform and Ansible.
Both approaches work—and the right choice depends on how automated your current setup is.
Ecosystem Partnerships Matter
Migration is rarely a solo effort. One of OpenStack’s greatest strengths is its rich ecosystem of partners and tools that simplify the process. One recurring theme in the webinar was the importance of partners and tooling in making migration successful.
Todd noted: “We’re not alone in this—our customers rely on partners like Trilio and Storware for things like backup and disaster recovery. That’s the power of the OpenStack ecosystem—it’s collaborative by nature.”
Jimmy emphasized how this partner network is a critical advantage:“The OpenStack marketplace connects you to everyone from migration experts to consultants to managed service providers. No matter what stage you’re at, there’s someone ready to help.”
Open Source: A Smarter Long-Term Bet
If there’s one overarching lesson from the VMware/Broadcom story, it’s this: Vendor lock-in is expensive—and risky.
With OpenStack, customers are in full control:
- No single vendor dictating pricing or policies
- Freedom to move between providers—or run it yourself
- Modern flexibility to combine with Kubernetes and other cloud-native tools
As Jimmy pointed out in the webinar , this flexibility means companies aren’t just choosing a technology—they’re future-proofing their infrastructure strategy.
Regional Differences in Open Source Adoption
One particularly interesting point that came up in the webinar was how companies in different regions are reacting:
- Europe: Strong embrace of open source, driven by digital sovereignty initiatives.
- US: Deeper brand loyalty to VMware and hyperscalers, requiring more education about OpenStack’s capabilities.
- Asia: In some regions, the challenge is more about familiarity with open source itself.
If you’re a global business planning your VMware exit or a partner supporting the migration process, understanding these cultural factors can influence your rollout strategy.
Practical Advice for VMware Customers
During the webinar, Todd Robinson and Jimmy McArthur covered some key starting points for companies preparing to leave VMware behind:
- Check your contracts now.
Understand exactly when your renewal hits—this gives you the runway you need to migrate thoughtfully. - Invest in team training.
Your VMware engineers already have valuable skills—help them translate that knowledge into OpenStack expertise. - Map your most-used VMware features.
Many critical features have direct counterparts in OpenStack—you just need to learn the terminology and workflows.
The Bottom Line: Don’t Just Replace VMware—Upgrade Your Entire Approach
The VMware-to-OpenStack migration isn’t just about swapping one platform for another.
As Todd put it during the webinar: “This is an opportunity to modernize, automate, and take control of your infrastructure for long term sustainability and vendor-independence. Moving to OpenStack isn’t just about matching what VMware offers—it opens the door to doing things better.”
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