Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware has closed—now what? Part 2: Options for VMWare CloudHealth customers
As we noted in part 1 of this two-part series, big acquisitions, à la Broadcom and VMware, can be nerve-wracking for customers to navigate. And the health of your cloud operations is as foundational as your ability to monitor your IT infrastructure, so we’ll repeat here what we said in that first article: The good news is that you have time to consider the future, weigh your options, and make thoughtful decisions about how to move forward.
Considerations for VMware CloudHealth customers
First, some more good news: CloudHealth, as noted by Forrester, is a “win” for Broadcom as it looks to leverage the acquisition to diversify its portfolio. In fact, Broadcom has radically simplified the VMware portfolio, with VMware Cloud Foundation to serve as the “flagship enterprise-class hybrid cloud solution for customers to run their business critical and modern applications—in a secure, resilient and cost efficient manner.” However, even before the deal closed, there was confusion about the Tanzu portfolio as the various products, including CloudHealth, were shuffled around. At that point, CloudHealth, which was first rebranded as a part of Aria Operations and now VMware Tanzu CloudHealth, became part of a new Tanzu Intelligence Services category of products. Exactly how this fits into the new, streamlined offering set is still an open question.
Furthermore, it has been reported that some cloud service providers (CSPs) have been notified that their current partnership program will be terminated with no information about eligibility for a new program, other than that it’s “invite-only.”
When thinking about the future of CloudHealth within your enterprise, here some questions to ask yourself:
What CloudHealth capabilities do you rely on?
Even with the stated commitment to the VMware Cloud Foundation portfolio, there’s no guarantee that the scope covered by CloudHealth today will continue to receive innovation focus and investment, which could put your FinOps program at risk. It may be a good time to evaluate what other options are available to you.
Do you work with a trusted partner?
It’s not just the CSPs who had their partnership status pulled. Broadcom terminated all reseller and service provider partner agreements and is requiring existing partners to reapply—with no indication as to whether they will be approved. If you work with a trusted partner, they may not be able to regain their status—or they may decide to de-emphasize their focus on VMware.
How critical is comprehensive and timely customer support?
VMware’s recent layoff of over 2,000 employees raises questions about support resources and coverage, particularly in light of the partner shakeup. While Broadcom stated that they have added higher support service levels for VMware Cloud Foundation, Broadcom does have a history of diminished support after acquisitions.
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