More than two years after Broadcom’s acquisition, VMware customers remain grappling with higher prices, uncertainty, and the challenges of reducing vendor lock-in, according to a new CloudBolt report.
The report, titled “The Mass Exodus That Never Was: The Squeeze Is Just Beginning,” is based on a January survey of 302 IT decision-makers (director level or higher) at North American companies with 1,000+ employees. CloudBolt, which provides hybrid cloud management software, says the study offers a snapshot of ongoing pain points.
According to the findings, the most cited disruption drivers were price increases (89%), followed by uncertainty about Broadcom’s plans (85%), concerns about support quality (78%), a shift from perpetual licenses to subscriptions (72%), changes to VMware’s partner program (68%), and bundled products (65%).
While some customers previously described quotes showing price hikes up to 1,000%, CloudBolt’s data suggests more moderate increases: 14% of respondents said VMware costs have at least doubled, 12% reported 50–99% increases, 33% saw 24–49% rises, and 31% experienced increases below 25%.
Despite the pricing pressures, 85% of respondents worry VMware could become even more expensive. CloudBolt notes a broader strategy: “Their strategy was never to keep every customer. It was to maximize value from those still on the platform while the market slowly diversifies.”
