In the post-Broadcom acquisition period, new subscription models and partner relationship changes are prompting VMware enterprises to reevaluate their IT estates. The goal: Determining the best path towards modernization and cloud migration.
VMware is a leader in virtualization platform technologies with a sprawling customer base in need of tools, services, and support to optimize and modernize infrastructure for the cloud. IDC estimates that 79% of global enterprises run VMware, amounting to a 45% market share in virtualization platform technologies.
Given the potential for substantial price hikes, Gartner is advising IT leaders to consider “exit ramps” for VMware workloads, including strategies such as devirtualization, cloud migration, and alternative hypervisor providers. In the meantime, Forrester predicts 20% of VMware’s installed base will move away from the platform.
A path forward with IBM and AWS
IBM, in partnership with AWS, can ensure the cloud transformation journey is seamless and cost effective, helping VMware enterprises quickly chart a new course. The multifaceted IBM and AWS partnership provides VMware enterprises with a streamlined path forward depending on their requirements, challenges, and appetite for risk. IBM provides advisory services to assess and evaluate the different strategies for migration and modernization while helping enterprises chart a course tailored to their unique VMware environment and business needs.
IBM and AWS help VMware shops transition to cloud via four scenarios:
- Migration-first approach: Clients can migrate existing VMware virtual machines (VMs) to AWS by rehosting applications on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) instances.
- Container-first approach: Leveraging IBM’s comprehensive end to-end stack of cloud infrastructure, AI, and cybersecurity products and services, VMware shops can facilitate migration to AWS with cloud-native applications. Through offerings like RedHat OpenShift Service on AWS (ROSA) and OpenShift Virtualization, Elastic Kubernetes Services (EKS), and Amazon ECS on AWS Fargate, customers can containerize workloads across the AWS cloud.
- Software as a service (SaaS) approach: Applications running on VMware can be moved to AWS as a SaaS solution, providing a flexible, cost-effective and efficient software delivery mechanism.
- Managed services approach: As an AWS certified managed services provider, IBM can simplify and automate cloud management with an array of services that put best practices, security, and compliance at the forefront. With this approach, IBM handles the complexities of cloud infrastructure freeing up enterprises to focus on core business activities.
To ensure successful VMware migration, IBM combines its deep expertise in AWS technologies with its customized approach to individual customer needs. IBM’s extensive library of pre-built migration patterns, cloud accelerators, and intellectual property assets, fortified by GenAI, form the basis of the IBM’s migration and modernization factory model using Amazon Bedrock.
IBM has built a suite of migration tools and assets such as Discovery as a Service, Migration Assist, and Design Assistant. The offering lowers the total cost of ownership (TCO) by combining data center consolidation and exit strategies while establishing a GenAI-ready platform that accelerates overall modernization.
By migrating VMware workloads to AWS, companies can also take advantage of AWS’ comprehensive suite of cloud services as well as cloud capabilities such as scalability and pay-as-you-go pricing models. AWS’ proven operational experience, rich third-party ecosystem, and Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) make it a natural partner to help modernize and move on-premises VMware workloads to AWS native cloud services. For a limited time, MAP offers incremental incentives to qualified partners, including IBM, to deliver a Zero Cost Migration plan for VMware shops looking to exit VMware with more than 300 VMs to be migrated.
“Navigating change can be complicated for even the most seasoned CIO,” said Mahmoud Elmashni, Managing Partner for the AWS Business at IBM Consulting, “Having access to experts that understand the evolving landscape, the need for optionality, and how to get value from their VMware environment can make a real difference.”
That’s where IBM Consulting is uniquely positioned,” he continues. “We help our clients assess the options and opportunities available and create pathways on their hybrid cloud journeys that will most positively impact their business. For those clients looking to move or modernize with AWS, our close collaboration and deep expertise in AWS environments allows us to identify the most effective scenarios and execute with speed and clarity.”
The bottom line
With licensing changes and the promise of the cloud looming large, CIOs with numerous VMware workloads are under pressure to modernize. IBM and AWS have the expertise, ability to customize, and pricing options to deliver success.
Learn more here about how to optimize, migrate, and modernize your VMware workloads on AWS Cloud.
