VMware Licensing Shake-Up: Is It Time to Rethink Your On-Prem Strategy?

10 December 2025

VMware licensing changes: Is now the time to review your on-prem infrastructure and consider AWS?

From 1 December, VMware (under Broadcom) has overhauled its entire licensing model. Perpetual licences are gone. The product set has been reduced to just vSphere Standard and VMware Cloud Foundation. And every customer now faces a 72-core minimum subscription requirement.

For many organisations, particularly SMB and mid-market, this means:

• Paying significantly more for the same infrastructure footprint
• Being pushed into bundles they did not plan for
• Reduced flexibility in how they scale or modernise
• A compressed renewal window with limited commercial options
  

These changes are accelerating a trend we are seeing globally: customers using this moment to step back and re-evaluate whether on-prem VMware remains the right long-term strategy.

A clear alternative: accelerating your move to AWS

AWS provides a proven path for organisations seeking to regain control of cost, flexibility, and scalability. With modern migration programmes, funding options, and Cloud Bridge’s rapid migration frameworks, customers are achieving:

• Lower and more predictable operating costs
• Reduced technical debt
• Stronger security and resilience
• The ability to modernise applications at their own pace
• Freedom from restrictive multi-year licensing models

Don't hesitate, act now!

If your VMware renewal is approaching—or you simply want clarity on what the new licensing model means for your budget and future roadmap—now is the time to act.

Cloud Bridge is offering a free VMware Licensing Impact & Cloud Readiness Review, which includes:

• A breakdown of your costs under the new 72-core licensing minimum
• A comparison against running equivalent workloads on AWS
• A high-level migration plan highlighting timelines, risks, and potential AWS funding

The goal is simple: help you make an informed decision before committing to an expensive renewal cycle.

If you’d like to explore this, read more and get in touch today.