Survey: Most VMware Users Seeking Alternatives to Cut Costs and Boost Flexibility

Rimini Street and DBTA/Unisphere Research survey finds 66% are already using or are considering third-party support 

A new global benchmark report from Rimini Street highlights a shifting tide among enterprise tech leaders. The 2026 IT Virtualization Survey—compiled by Unisphere Research—analyzed feedback from approximately 300 organizations currently running VMware. The findings offer a definitive look at how enterprise users are adjusting their virtualization roadmaps in response to shifting industry dynamics.

“Organizations want more choice, flexibility and control over their virtualization strategies,” said Keith Costello, EVP and chief operating officer, Rimini Street. “Our suite of services for VMware helps clients reduce costs, strengthen security, improve support outcomes and extend the value of their existing VMware investments — without being forced into disruptive timelines or one-size-fits-all vendor roadmaps. These survey findings reinforce the need for practical, vendor-independent strategies that put business priorities back on the client’s terms.”

Financial Pressures Rank as Primary Catalyst for VMware Platform Migrations 

According to the survey data, an overwhelming 90% of organizations are actively exploring VMware alternatives, largely driven by climbing licensing fees. Additionally, 54% of respondents pointed to the phase-out of perpetual license support as a major catalyst for reviewing their options.

While 73% of IT leaders prioritize cost savings in their virtualization planning, the transition comes with friction. Organizations reported several major hurdles blocking their progress: operational complexity (40%), the friction of managing multiple vendors (38%), securing an expanded attack surface (37%), and addressing gaps in team skills (37%). 

Ultimately, these hurdles indicate that while businesses want change, they are heavily focused on mitigating risk and avoiding operational downtime.

IT Decision-Makers Turn to Hybrid and Diverse Hypervisor Models for Added Flexibility

Rather than relying on a single vendor, modern enterprises are diversifying their infrastructure. The survey reveals that 60% of organizations are considering a multi-hypervisor strategy to build flexible environments that support both their financial and operational goals. Furthermore, 47% favor a hybrid model that blends traditional hypervisors with containers, allowing them to optimize workload placement across both technologies.

This shift is also impacting adoption of VMware’s newest flagship offering. Nearly half of respondents (48%) state they have no current plans to migrate assets to VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF). Instead, businesses are opting for a more measured transition, prioritizing strategies that respect their existing investments and unique operational footprints. 

Long-term, this signals a major shift toward highly tailored, multi-platform environments that combine on-premises setups, private clouds, public clouds, and alternative hypervisors to maximize efficiency and cost control.

Most VMware Users Eye Third-Party Support to Secure and Extend Current Infrastructure

For many enterprises, navigating this transition means leaning heavily on independent maintenance. The study reveals that 66% of respondents are already utilizing or considering third-party support. When choosing this path, IT leaders prioritize security (60%), installation and implementation assistance (57%), and addressing general service and support shortcomings (54%).

Security concerns are particularly acute, as IT leaders report feeling overwhelmed by an endless “vulnerability treadmill.” Because a lone compromised virtual machine can expose hundreds of neighboring guest systems, hypervisors have become prime targets for ransomware and advanced persistent threats. To combat this, 77% of virtualization security leaders want real-time threat visibility and proactive protection rather than waiting on Broadcom’s standard patching cycle. 

Ultimately, this underscores a broader market push for security-by-design strategies that hand control back to the enterprise. 

“The shift for current VMware users is not simply about replacing one vendor with another. It reflects a broader effort by enterprises to reduce dependency on a single provider, maintain continuity for mission-critical systems and modernize at a pace that fits their own business requirements,” cites Joe McKendrick, lead analyst, Unisphere Research. “For many organizations, that means balancing support for existing environments with new investments designed to improve resilience, security and scalability over time.”