Since Broadcom finalized its acquisition of VMWare last November, customers have been grappling with the aftermath — and their dissatisfaction is evident.

When Broadcom acquired VMware for $69 billion last November, it was expected that there would be some changes. However, what caught many off guard were the sweeping changes implemented by Broadcom, leaving both partners and customers questioning their allegiance to VMware.

Personally, I’ve never held VMware in high regard, but I recognize that many IT professionals swear by its extensive range of products. That sentiment, however, seems to be changing, especially now that Broadcom’s plans for the future of this virtualization powerhouse are becoming clearer.

Even prior to the acquisition, there were doubts among VMware customers. Forrester Research had estimated that as many as 20% of VMware’s enterprise customers would swiftly transition to a new virtual machine vendor.

According to Forrester analysts, VMware customers are disillusioned due to significant price increases, declining support quality, and the mandatory subscription to software bundles where certain modules, such as NSX and Aria Suite/vRealize Suite, end up unused.

Furthermore, based on Broadcom’s history of acquiring and then downsizing companies like CA Technologies and Symantec, customers had little confidence that the products and services they valued from VMware would remain intact.

Unfortunately, their skepticism has proven to be well-founded.

Broadcom has discontinued over 56 VMware products and platforms, including popular offerings like VMware vSphere+, VMware Aria Suite, and VMware NSX. Additionally, it will be divesting VMware’s “end-user” computing unit, which encompasses Workspace ONE and Horizon offerings.

Further changes are underway, with Broadcom quietly terminating VMware’s Free ESXi hypervisor without any formal announcement. This decision only came to light when a vigilant user spotted a knowledge base article detailing its termination.

While this may not have a significant impact on enterprises, as only a handful of users utilized this limited version of ESXi, it’s unsettling for many VMware users. Many individuals, including most of my VMware acquaintances, initially engaged with the VMware stack through the free ESXi hypervisor. Others appreciated the ability to test projects using the free version before deploying them in production environments.

Those days are indeed over.

Even if you have a perpetual license, don’t expect to be immune from changes. The new VMware regime is discontinuing perpetual license sales, meaning even if your preferred product isn’t on the chopping block, you’ll still need to subscribe to keep it. Going forward, software-as-a-service (SaaS) licensing will become the norm.

Broadcom claims that this shift is aimed at transforming its business to deliver quicker innovation with greater value to customers, while also improving profitability and market opportunities for partners.

However, contrary to Broadcom’s assertions, it seems that customers and partners are not on board with these changes. Competitors of VMware, such as Nutanix, Scale Computing, and Virtuozzo, are capitalizing on the situation. Moreover, larger companies like Microsoft with Hyper-V/Azure Stack and Red Hat with OpenShift Virtualization are actively targeting VMware customers as potential converts.

In addition to the concerning VMware licensing changes, customers are deeply worried about the new pricing structure of the VMware product line. Even before Mastodon acquired the company, VMware was known for its high costs. Customers fear, with good reason, that prices will only escalate further under the new ownership.

The once-thriving ecosystem of VMware partners is also feeling the strain. Many companies do not directly engage with VMware but instead rely on partners for support and services. However, Broadcom’s actions have disrupted this ecosystem. Initially, Broadcom terminated all resellers and service partners before selectively inviting back its top former partners. Moreover, VMware decided to engage directly with its top 2,000 customers, leaving little room for its former partners. Consequently, the VMware partner slogan, “VMware Partners: An Ecosystem of Trust,” rings hollow.

For those hoping that their trusted VMware partners could navigate them through this uncertain Broadcom/VMware landscape, disappointment may await. Many customers may find themselves navigating these changes alone. If I were a VMware partner, I would be actively seeking partnerships elsewhere and exploring options for transitioning customers away from VMware products.

As a VMware customer, I would also be seeking alternative paths forward. Despite Broadcom’s assurances that its changes will bring improvements, skepticism remains. Broadcom’s track record in enterprise software acquisitions is less than stellar, leaving little reason to believe that this acquisition will fare any better. In fact, there are many reasons to suspect that this merger and acquisition will not benefit anyone involved.