CloudBolt Study: 86% of VMware Users Trim Usage Post-Broadcom

When Broadcom acquired VMware in 2023, many IT leaders braced for impact. Two years later, the crash some predicted hasn’t happened, but the slow restructuring of enterprise IT is very real.

CloudBolt research shows longer-term shifting strategies around VMware

That’s the key takeaway from new January 2026 research by CloudBolt Software, which surveyed 302 North American enterprise IT decision-makers. 

The report examines how customers of VMware are responding two years after its $61 billion acquisition by Broadcom.

Back in 2024, the mood was pure panic. Nearly 99% of VMware users were worried, and a staggering 73% thought their bills were about to double. 

As it turns out, only 5% of companies actually saw their costs jump by 100% or more. Still, the pressure is significant: 57% report price hikes exceeding 25%, with most landing in the 25% to 49% range.

Rather than triggering an immediate mass departure, the acquisition appears to have sparked a longer-term shift. 

According to the survey, 86% of enterprises are actively reducing their VMware footprint. However, just 4% say they have fully migrated away.

Why organizations are phasing out reliance on VMware over time

More commonly, organizations are taking a phased approach. Fifty-four percent report they are remaining with VMware while steadily decreasing reliance on the platform. 

“The process of unwinding a decade of process dependencies is taking 18-24 months,” one survey respondent noted, describing the complexity as far worse than standard cloud migrations.

“This latest study separates noise and speculation from reality. The fear has cooled, but the pressure hasn’t — and most teams are now making practical moves to build leverage and optionality,” said Mark Zembal, chief marketing officer at CloudBolt.

The squeeze shifts to renewals

While extreme price spikes were less common than feared, future increases remain a major concern. Eighty-eight percent of respondents say they are worried about additional pricing pressure, and that concern is shaping their current strategy.

“The panic phase is over,” said Rod Squires, CEO of CloudBolt. “Now it’s execution: reducing dependency, managing dual realities during transition, and building optionality before the next renewal decision tightens the window – and slams the budget.”

Workloads that are moving are largely heading to public cloud infrastructure. The survey found that 72% of migrating workloads are going to public cloud IaaS platforms. Hyper-V/Azure Stack (38%) and SaaS replacements (34%) are also part of the transition mix. 

The VMware strategy discussion has expanded beyond IT teams. Forty-one percent of respondents report increased executive pressure since the acquisition, with CEOs and CFO closely watching cost exposure and vendor risk.

Channel impact: how partners continue to adjust

We have covered Broadcom’s changes to its partner program extensively over the past few years. 

For those who remain in the program, Broadcom has promised a commitment to growth and mutual success. Those partners continue to see value in supporting clients on VCF 9.0.

“You can’t take 15 years of development and experience and just replace it overnight, and I think many people are beginning to see that,” 11:11 Systems CRO Dante Orsini told Channel Insider in January.

For the partners who have moved on and have encouraged customers to follow them to alternatives, CloudBolt’s research is likely unsurprising. The acquisition and the subsequent changes stemming from the deal gave many organizations an opportunity to rethink their environments at scale.

“It really feels like this is the best time something so disruptive could have happened, because there’s never been so many options for customers,” Kevin Dattolico, Regional CEO of the Americas at Syntax, told Channel Insider last year. 

“We have a lot of options when it comes to licensing and hosting, and the hyperscalers and other major players are evolving. You don’t necessarily need to consume VMware the way Broadcom wants you to,” Dattolico continued.