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    VMWARE BY BROADCOM LICENSING

    VMware Licensing and Renewal Planning

    Independent guidance to understand existing VMware entitlements, compare Broadcom subscription options, and prepare a renewal grounded in your deployments and contract terms.

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    Ending new perpetual sales does not end purchased-use rights. Reconcile entitlements, deployed capacity, and quoted products before renewal.

    • Broadcom announced the end of new perpetual sales and perpetual support renewals, with effective dates varying.
    • Support expiration does not revoke the underlying entitlement for an already licensed ESXi or vCenter software version.
    • Broadcom documentation lists editions and versions; current purchase or renewal availability still requires confirmation against your quote.

    Verified licensing facts

    What Broadcom documents—and what your quote must confirm

    Perpetual sales and existing rights are different

    Broadcom announced the end of new perpetual sales and perpetual Support and Subscription renewals on December 11, 2023, with effective dates varying. Broadcom announcement, Dec. 11, 2023. Broadcom separately says expiration of support does not revoke the underlying ESXi or vCenter entitlement for the licensed software version. Broadcom KB 429208, updated Feb. 12, 2026.

    Core and capacity rules are product-specific

    Broadcom documents VCF and VVF by physical CPU core, with at least 16 cores per physical processor; vSAN capacity is counted separately in raw TiB. Broadcom KB 313548, updated June 17, 2026. Historical or quote-specific terms still require contract review.

    A documented edition is not confirmed commercial availability

    Broadcom’s comparison lists VCF and VVF alongside vSphere Standard and Enterprise Plus through version 8 Update 3. It says vSphere 9.1 features are available through VCF/VVF 9.1. Confirm what can currently be purchased or renewed against your current quote. Broadcom product-line comparison, undated; accessed Oct. 7, 2026.

    Announcements and general availability are separate

    VCF 9.1 was announced May 5, 2026 and marked generally available in a May 12 update. Broadcom VCF 9.1 announcement and GA update. Do not treat an announced Standard upgrade—or any roadmap item—as available without current confirmation.

    Former VMware EUC products are now Omnissa products

    Omnissa launched as a KKR-owned independent company on July 1, 2024. Current product pages use names including Omnissa Horizon, Omnissa Workspace ONE, Omnissa App Volumes, and Omnissa Dynamic Environment Manager. Omnissa launch announcement, July 1, 2024.

    VeloCloud SD-WAN moved to Arista

    Arista announced its acquisition of the VeloCloud SD-WAN portfolio from Broadcom on July 1, 2025. This does not establish that every SASE component transferred with it, so SASE ownership and support scope should be checked separately. Arista acquisition announcement, July 1, 2025.

    Read the VMware licensing FAQFollow VMware renewal developmentsReview VMware audit-defense guidance

    LicenseFortress guidance

    Prepare 90–120 days before renewal where practical

    This suggested planning window is LicenseFortress guidance—not a Broadcom deadline or contractual requirement.

    Entitlements

    Gather orders, agreements, terms, and support dates. Separate perpetual-use rights from subscriptions and support.

    Deployments

    Inventory hosts, processors, versions, clusters, and components across production, disaster recovery, and test.

    Core counts

    Count physical processors and cores under the applicable terms. Check raw vSAN TiB and confirm separate order minimums in writing.

    Bundle fit

    Map required features to the quoted edition and version. Separate released capabilities from announcements.

    Quote and contract

    Check quantities, SKUs, term, support, notice dates, usage rights, add-ons, and quote-specific fees.

    Prepare your renewal evidence
    VMware by Broadcom logo
    Common VMware by Broadcom Challenges

    What should you resolve before renewal?

    Build a fact base from your agreements, environment, and current quote.

    Subscription Transition

    Separate retained perpetual-use rights from subscriptions, support, updates, and new capacity.

    Quote and Cost Review

    Compare proposed quantities, bundle contents, and terms with your actual requirements.

    Product Documentation

    Broadcom documents editions and bundles, but commercial availability must be confirmed against the current quote.

    Renewal Terms

    Review notice dates, support coverage, quoted SKUs, and contract terms before renewal.

    Compliance Readiness

    Reconcile entitlements, deployments, and contractual obligations before responding to a license review.

    Roadmap Fit

    Compare required capabilities with released products without treating announced plans as generally available.

    Products and entitlements to reconcile

    Documentation, ownership, and commercial availability are separate questions. Confirm orderable products against the current quote.

    Broadcom documentation

    • VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF)
    • VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF)
    • vSphere / ESXi
    • vCenter Server
    • vSAN
    • NSX

    Historical entitlements

    • vRealize Suite
    • VMware Aria
    • Legacy edition and support records
    • Version-specific license keys

    Former VMware EUC — Omnissa

    • Omnissa Horizon 8
    • Omnissa Workspace ONE
    • Omnissa App Volumes
    • Omnissa Dynamic Environment Manager

    Networking ownership

    • VeloCloud SD-WAN — Arista
    • SASE components — confirm separately
    • Historical VMware agreements
    • Current support ownership
    Independent VMware Licensing Guidance

    Evidence before assumptions

    Broadcom's licensing and portfolio changes require organizations to separate existing-use rights, support coverage, documented editions, and the products offered in a current quote. We help reconcile those questions without assuming that a documented product is commercially available.

    Whether you are evaluating a renewal, preparing for a license review, or considering a platform change, LicenseFortress provides independent analysis and does not sell vendor licenses or receive vendor commissions.

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    VMware by Broadcom Licensing FAQs

    Common questions about VMware by Broadcom licensing, compliance, and optimization

    VMware licensing and renewal resources

    Use each page for its distinct purpose.

    Start with existing rights, deployed capacity, and required features—not an assumed need to replace every perpetual license. LicenseFortress can reconcile that evidence and review the proposed subscription and contract.

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