Nine in 10 VMware customers eye the exit as licensing bills bite

Nine out of ten respondents to a survey of VMware customers say higher licensing costs were prompting them to consider alternatives. Unisphere Research surveyed 269 executives, managers, and professionals at VMware user organizations between December 2025 and February 2026. The study, commissioned by third-party support provider Rimini Street, also found that 54 percent cited the end of perpetual license support as a reason to evaluate other options. The study showed cost remains the leading driver of virtualization roadmap decisions. Seventy-three percent said savings were a top priority. Respondents also identified barriers to change: operational complexity (40 percent), multi-vendor management challenges (38 percent), securing the increased attack surface (37 percent), and team skills requirements (37 percent). Users were looking for choice, flexibility, and control over their virtualization strategies, said Keith Costello, chief operating officer with Rimini Street, which sells third-party support for VMware. …