I'm facing a tough decision as my VMware subscription renewal is coming up next month, and the prices have jumped by 100%. They're offering a three-year contract with a smaller increase in the following years, but I'm considering going back to our perpetual licenses instead. We used to run version 8.03 before switching to subscriptions, and I still have those perpetual license keys. There are third-party companies that can offer support and security patching for only 20% of what Broadcom charges. However, if I make the switch, I'd be stuck on 8.03 until I decide to migrate to a different product. I'm curious if anyone else has made this move and what their experience was like.
5 Answers
Keep in mind that version 8 goes out of support next year. Running an EOL product can cause issues with compliance and security, especially if you need to follow certain regulations.
I’ve heard that transitioning back to perpetual licenses can lead to license issues. VMware claims your perpetual license becomes invalid once you switch to a subscription, and I got a cease and desist letter when we tried this. Just be careful; it’s tricky.
Yeah, it seems like those contracts have a lot of hidden clauses. Many people don’t realize what they’re signing up for.
Honestly, every dollar you save should go right back into searching for a new virtualization solution. Relying on Broadcom in a couple of years seems risky, so explore your options now.
I moved my company to Hyper-V six months before our renewal and notified our VMware rep that we wouldn’t be renewing. Funny enough, soon after, Broadcom sent us a cease and desist letter. I’ve heard similar stories from others too, so if you’re considering this route, I’d plan on migrating to avoid potential trouble.
As an MSP who's ignored several cease and desist letters from Broadcom, I can tell you they’re mostly just hot air. We’ve been fine; just added Broadcom's domain to our spam filter and carried on.
Wow, did you really get sued just for not using their product anymore? Seems extreme!
We moved everything to Proxmox and never looked back. The freedom you gain is worth it!
Same here, we made the switch too. How many VMs and hosts did you have to convert?
Nice! I’m thinking about it. What differences did you notice between VMware and Proxmox?
That's interesting. I thought the rules were stricter if you had been on subscription for a while. Is there a grace period depending on when you switched?