VMware moves away from AWS, expands partnership with Microsoft

VMware moves away from AWS, expands partnership with Microsoft

VMware has partnered with Microsoft on the VMware Cloud Foundation, also known as VCF. Companies that own or buy VCF licenses will be able to use them on Azure VMware Solution and in their own data centers.

This provides an additional option for Azure VMware Solution, which Microsoft has offered since 2019. The service involves a VMware environment that Microsoft manages and supports. VMware workloads can be migrated to Azure without making too many changes. This rapid migration also has the advantage that employees do not have to learn entirely new skills.

VMware says that the additional licensing option offers companies subscriptions to the new VCF software, with the ability to move workloads from on-premises to Azure VMware Solution. This is to take advantage of “Azure’s scalable and high-performance cloud infrastructure.”

“Customers that own or purchase licenses for VMware Cloud Foundation will be able to use those licenses on Azure VMware Solution, as well as their own datacenters, giving them flexibility to meet changing business needs,” the two tech vendors said about the new partnership.

Step after fuss over AWS

Yet the partnership with Microsoft cannot be separated from recent developments in the relationship between long-term partner AWS and VMware parent Broadcom. VMware Cloud on AWS was one of the main cloud services offered for a long time. Companies use this service to scale up and down software and services through on-premises and the cloud. As such, it is the counterpart to Azure VMware Solution.

Tip: AWS lures VMware Cloud on AWS customers with low-cost migration

However, acquiring this service via AWS has recently ceased to be an option. On top of that, Amazon began a promotion for VMware Cloud on AWS users to make migrating virtual machines to the Amazon cloud attractive. Meanwhile, the VMware/Broadcom camp is still selling VMware Cloud on AWS. Broadcom’s CEO, Hock Tan, saw fit to comment on the new relationship with Amazon himself. Indeed, according to him, there are no plans to discontinue VMware Cloud on AWS. “VMware Cloud on AWS continues to serve customers just as it always has,” Hock Tan said.