Co-author: Ahmar Mohammad, Partner, Broadcom VCF Division, Vice President, Managed Services and Solutions GTM
Microsoft and Broadcom have worked closely together for many years to support our mutual customers, and we continue to build and innovate together as their needs change. Today we’re excited to share that Microsoft and Broadcom are expanding their partnership with plans to support VMware Cloud Foundation subscriptions on Azure VMware Solution. Customers who own or purchase VMware Cloud Foundation licenses can use them in Azure VMware Solution as well as in their own data centers, giving them the flexibility to meet changing business needs.
This provides additional purchasing options for Azure VMware solutions that have been sold and operated by Microsoft since 2019. Customers can currently purchase solutions that include VMware licenses, and this option will continue to be available to customers who prefer to purchase VMware licenses. As part of a Microsoft solution.
Azure VMware Solution provides a fully managed VMware environment operated and supported by Microsoft. Customers can move VMware workloads to Azure “as is” with minimal or no refactoring. This simplifies migration and allows customers to continue using familiar technologies while learning new Azure technologies.
By migrating to Azure VMware Solution, now available in 33 regions worldwide, your organization can take advantage of Azure’s scalable, high-performance cloud infrastructure. Customers can deploy business-critical features such as backup, high availability, threat prevention, and performance monitoring. Additionally, workloads running on Azure VMware solutions are integrated with the Azure portfolio of 200+ cloud services to accelerate innovation, gain deeper insights from your data with advanced AI services, and modernize business applications.
VMware Cloud Foundation provides a ubiquitous private cloud platform that is flexible and integrated across cloud endpoints. By deploying VMware Cloud Foundation on Azure, customers benefit from a highly optimized cloud operating model that delivers the scale and agility of a public cloud with the security and performance of a private cloud. Running VMware Cloud Foundation on Azure helps organizations modernize their IT infrastructure with demonstrable TCO, increase productivity by providing developers with a self-service private cloud environment, and improve cyber resilience and security.
Enhanced license portability for customers with eligible VMware Cloud Foundation entitlements allows customers to purchase new VMware Cloud Foundation software subscriptions and have full portability from on-premises environments to Azure VMware solutions. VMware customers who have already purchased and started deploying the new VMware Cloud Foundation can transfer the remaining value of their existing subscription to Azure VMware Solution. Customers can also move their VMware Cloud Foundation subscriptions between on-premises and Azure VMware Solution as their needs evolve over time. Customers retain rights to their software subscriptions when moving their VMware Cloud Foundation subscription to Azure VMware Solution.
VMware Rapid Migration Plan: Reduce Migration Time and Cost
In addition to the new VMware License Mobility benefits, VMware Rapid Migration Plan provides an additional, comprehensive set of license benefits and programs to reduce the cost and time it takes for organizations to migrate to Azure VMware Solution.
The plan includes:
- price protection: Reserved Instances allow customers to lock in a price for one, three, or five years.
- Save money on Windows Server and SQL Server: Windows Server and SQL Server are common workloads in VMware environments. Software Assurance for on-premises Windows Server and SQL Server licenses allows organizations to receive Azure Hybrid Benefit discounts to use their existing Windows Server and SQL Server licenses with Azure VMware Solution. Free Extended Security Updates are available for older versions that are reaching end-of-support.
- Migration assistance: Get resources, expert support, and funding from Microsoft and our partner ecosystem with Azure Migrate and Modernize.
- Azure credits: Customers who purchase new Reserved Instances for Azure VMware Solution can obtain additional Azure credits valid for Azure VMware Solution or other Azure services.
Supporting your cloud journey with Microsoft and Broadcom
We are committed to ongoing partnerships and innovation to support our mutual customers as they adapt to their changing business needs. VMware Cloud Foundation license migration to Azure VMware Solution is scheduled to be available later this year, so now is a good time to start planning your migration by contacting your account team or Microsoft partner.
Here are some resources to help you get started:
Azure VMware Solutions
Move or extend your on-premises VMware environment to Azure without refactoring
