In a significant move to capture the VMware migration market, Google Cloud, Oracle, and Microsoft have introduced new instance types and compelling discounts. Leveraging Broadcom’s licensing strategy, these tech giants aim to provide flexible and cost-effective solutions for businesses looking to migrate their VMware workloads to the cloud. As VMware migration services become more prominent, companies are presented with various options to optimize their cloud strategies.
Google Cloud’s VMware Offerings Bring Cost Savings
Google Cloud has introduced a Broadcom-compliant version of its VMware offering, emphasizing cost savings and new instance types. The VMware Cloud Foundation on Google Cloud VMware Engine (GCVE) does many things Broadcom wants its channel to deliver. It is based on Cloud Foundation, Broadcom’s preferred bundle of VMware’s hybrid cloud products. It also recognizes Broadcom’s license portability plan, allowing flexible use of VMware entitlements across on-prem and cloud resources.
Google Cloud touts significant savings for customers, including 20 percent lower support costs for multi-year deals and 35 percent lower server rental costs for three-year commitments. These savings apply to four new instance types tuned for VMware workloads. For example, the ve2-mega-96 offers 96 hyperthreads, and the ve2-mega-128 offers 128. The ve2-standard-so provides 25.6TB raw data storage, which doubles in the ve2-mega-so. Most users will consider these instances for their VMware migration services.
Google is also offering migration services, incentives, and bonuses for those who increase their use of the service over a year. This approach is aimed directly at those migrating workloads to the Google Cloud.
Oracle Introduces Powerful VMware Solutions
Oracle has also stepped into the VMware migration arena with new instance types for its VMware Solution. This solution bundles Intel’s 32-core Xeon Platinum 8358 Processor and an Nvidia Tensor Core A10 GPU. Oracle has teased a forthcoming instance type based on AMD’s 192-core EPYC 9J14 processor, offering robust options for VMware migration services.
Microsoft Promotes Azure VMware Solution
Microsoft’s Azure VMware Solution aims to ease customers’ migration to the cloud, positioning itself as a solution to VMware’s pricing challenges. Microsoft’s chief commercial officer, Judson Althoff, described Broadcom’s changes to VMware pricing and licensing as “the greatest gift of all” by encouraging customers to move to the cloud. According to Althoff, the Azure VMware Solution helps “get customers unlocked out of the VMware pricing challenges they’re having, and/or even bring their own licenses to the cloud.”
HPE’s Uncertain Relationship with Broadcom
Amid these developments, HPE’s future with Broadcom remains unclear. A reader recently told The Register’s Virtualization Desk that Broadcom has broken up with HPE, with the Silicon Valley veteran set to lose its reseller status. The reasons for this potential split could include HPE creating its own virtualization stack or struggling to fit Broadcom’s licensing into HPE’s GreenLake IT-as-a-service platform.
What Does This Mean for VMware Users?
VMware users now have multiple cloud migration options, each with distinct advantages. Google Cloud, Oracle, and Microsoft offer various incentives, instance types, and cost savings to attract customers. However, navigating the evolving landscape of Broadcom’s licensing and partnerships is essential.
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