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VMware migration: compare your options and plan the move

We help you assess whether to stay on VMware, optimise your infrastructure or move to another platform.

Rack servers for virtualised environments
VMware migration: three options after a cost comparison, optimise VMware, move to XCP-ng or to Nutanix AHV
VMware migration

What has changed under Broadcom

Since Broadcom completed its acquisition of VMware in November 2023, VMware's main infrastructure offerings have moved to subscription models and its product portfolio has been reorganised. When renewal approaches, it is worth comparing the proposed terms with your environment's needs and the alternatives available.

  • Subscriptions and existing licences. The main infrastructure offerings have been reorganised around subscriptions. Existing perpetual licences and support contracts need to be assessed separately against the applicable terms.
  • Core-based licensing. Licensing for the main vSphere offerings is based on physical cores, with minimum requirements that need to be checked for the relevant product and offer.
  • Bundles and features. Offerings such as VMware Cloud Foundation and VMware vSphere Foundation combine multiple components. The comparison needs to account for the features you need and actually use.

Starting the assessment before your renewal date gives you time to compare the options and plan the work involved. Further reading: what VMware is and what has changed.

The alternatives

Three options to consider

Stay on VMware and optimise

We review licences against your actual needs, assess opportunities to consolidate hosts and plan upgrades for components approaching end of support. One example is our NSX-V to NSX 4.x migration project, completed without service interruptions.

Move to XCP-ng

Vates XCP-ng is an open-source virtualisation platform built on Xen and managed with Xen Orchestra. There are no hypervisor licence fees; the cost comparison also covers professional support, management and backup.

Consider Nutanix with AHV

As a Nutanix Authorized Service Provider, we design and deploy environments that integrate compute, storage and virtualisation with centralised management. For a migration from ESXi, we assess AHV as the target hypervisor and check workload compatibility.

How we work

The process runs from the assessment of your environment to the handover to your team.

  • Initial assessment. We document hosts, virtual machines, storage, networking and backup, application dependencies, compatibility and support requirements, current costs and renewal terms.
  • Comparison and decision. We compare the total cost of each option over 3–5 years, including licences, support, infrastructure, migration and ongoing management. We assess risks, timescales and the skills your team will need.
  • Design and pilot. We prepare a test environment, migrate selected non-critical VMs and check performance, application functionality, backup and recovery.
  • Migration in waves. We move VMs gradually, with agreed windows and service checks. Before the move, we define the rollback plan and how to handle data updated after migration.
  • Handover. We provide training for your in-house team and operational documentation. We can also provide ongoing management if required.

Results from a real project

In the project described in our case study, we migrated all of a client's virtual machines from VMware vSphere to Vates XCP-ng, achieving:

  • licence cost savings of more than 50%;
  • no service interruptions during the migration;
  • an in-house IT team able to manage day-to-day operations independently, using Xen Orchestra and automation.

These results relate to this project. The cost comparison and service continuity plan are defined for each environment.

Read the case study: from VMware to Vates XCP-ng
Read the case study: NSX-V to NSX 4.x migration
IT Global and Nutanix: Authorized Service Provider

Who it is for

Who this service is for

The service is designed for two types of company:

  • SMEs looking to compare a VMware renewal with the alternatives, taking account of their budget and the resources available to manage the environment.
  • Large enterprises with extensive environments that need to plan renewals, upgrades or migrations and assess their dependence on a single vendor.
Data flows in a server room

Frequently asked questions

How long does a VMware migration take?

It depends on the number of VMs, the applications, their dependencies and your service requirements. The initial assessment establishes estimated timescales and migration waves before you choose a path.

Do we have to stop our services?

Some downtime may be necessary. This depends on the application architecture and migration method. We plan the work to minimise interruptions and agree any required windows in advance, application by application.

Can we keep our backup system?

It depends on the target platform, software versions and supported backup methods. During the assessment, we check whether the existing solution can be retained and identify any changes needed, including recovery testing.

Is leaving VMware always the best choice?

No. In some cases, optimising the VMware environment costs less than migrating. The comparison also covers ongoing management costs, compatibility and the skills required.

Is your VMware renewal approaching?

Tell us about your environment and renewal date. We will review the options with you and agree an assessment of the costs, risks and timescales involved. Request an assessment

Request information

Do you have questions about our services? We're here to help!

Our team of experts is ready to listen to your needs and to offer you solutions tailored to your business.

Fill out the contact form. We will get back to you as soon as possible to discuss how we can support you in the transformation of your IT infrastructure.

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