A Future-ready, Flexible Cloud Approach to Address the New VMware Ecosystem

The tectonic plates of the IT world have shifted dramatically with recent changes to the VMware ecosystem. Broadcom’s acquisition unleashed a series of aftershocks, leaving IT decision-makers across industries grappling with a new reality.

What’s more, virtualization — once a routine renewal process occurring every few years — has become a strategic flashpoint. No longer a background task, it's now central to broader IT planning and has become impossible to ignore. And as cloud complexity has increased and pricing models have changed, uncertainty now clouds the future of virtualization strategies.

In this environment of change and disruption, organizations can't afford to stand still. They must move beyond short-term fixes and embrace cloud strategies that prioritize flexibility, adaptability and the strength of strategic partnerships.

Navigating VMware changes: A call for flexibility

The upheaval with VMware has led to customer concerns around pricing inconsistencies, difficulties in obtaining suitable licensing and the fear of being constrained in their choices. It has also cast a spotlight on a critical vulnerability: the over-reliance of many organizations on single-vendor technology stacks.

Virtualization doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Today, every decision around VMware is interconnected within the larger cloud ecosystem — from infrastructure to operations to security. Businesses must resist the urge to make hasty, knee-jerk decisions fueled by frustration and instead recognize that this is a chance to reevaluate how each component fits into the bigger picture. A longer-term vision is essential, balancing immediate needs with future-proof flexibility and operational resiliency. This involves a deliberate process of evaluation, considering both short-term plays and long-term strategic objectives — aligning current actions with overall business goals across the cloud ecosystem.

This need for flexibility is underscored by findings in our 2025 State of Cloud Report, which reveals a significant shift towards diverse and adaptable cloud strategies. Findings indicate that organizations are embracing a mix of cloud solutions to meet their evolving business needs, including private cloud (27%), public cloud (19%), hybrid cloud (17%), multicloud (16%) and SaaS (14%). Hybrid cloud, in particular, supports the shift away from single-vendor lock-in, empowering organizations to build resilience and flexibility by leveraging multiple cloud providers.

The report also highlights the dynamic nature of cloud adoption, with 24% of respondents planning to accelerate their public cloud adoption in the next 12–24 months and significant growth expected for hybrid cloud (22%) and private cloud (20%). This is where Rackspace Technology enters the picture: With a core philosophy centered around workload-aware and platform-agnostic support, we empower businesses with the flexibility they need. By taking a holistic view of each customer's unique requirements, we craft solutions that span the spectrum of public, private, and hybrid cloud models — ensuring that the right workload is in the right place at the right time.  

The power of strategic partnerships

Strategic partnerships have become more important than ever before. That’s because the cloud is not a single solution — it’s an ecosystem. Companies engage with a variety of technology providers to support storage, compute, networking, application delivery and beyond. Failing to acknowledge and integrate these various components can lead to a fragmented and inefficient IT environment. To truly maximize the value of technology investments, a holistic approach is essential. Rackspace is well-positioned to help organizations navigate this complexity — not only in understanding the intricacies of VMware licensing and operations, but in helping customers make choices that reflect the broader ecosystem their business depends on.

With 15 years of experience managing VMware, we bring deep technical expertise to every engagement. This deep understanding, validated by our status as one of the few Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) recognized as a VMware Pinnacle Partner by Broadcom, equips us with the capabilities and expertise to guide you through VMware changes and unlock the full potential of the platform. This enables us to focus on gaining an understanding of a customer's broader business needs, rather than solely on licensing renewals, and provide comprehensive solutions that consider optimal workload placement within the cloud environment.

Beyond our VMware expertise, we recognize the pivotal role of strategic alliances in delivering comprehensive solutions. These deep-rooted partnerships translate into tangible advantages for our customers. Strong relationships with key vendors can lead to prioritized support channels and streamlined issue resolution. And in an unpredictable world, these benefits can make all the difference.

Think of Rackspace’s approach like that of a fine-dining establishment: VMware provides the entrée (cloud computing and virtualization), and Rackspace delivers the complete dining experience, including the chefs (our technical specialists), service staff (seamless delivery, integration and execution) and the ambiance (our overall customer support). Our ability to work in partnership to offer a range of “entrée” offerings is key to delivering optimal outcomes for each customer.

Staying ahead: Rackspace as a trusted advisor

At Rackspace, we proactively guide organizations to prepare for and capitalize on industry shifts. Our methodology involves a thorough assessment of your existing environment, including the analysis of steady-state workloads, application dependencies and long-term application lifecycles — all within the context of your broader cloud ecosystem. This data-driven approach enables us to advise on optimal workload placement across various cloud environments, improving performance, scalability and cost-efficiency.

Furthermore, Rackspace champions the principle of adapting applications to the target environment to maximize the value of cloud investments. For example, when working with a large retail and commercial bank, our specialists recognized that a private cloud environment would better serve the bank’s long-term needs. With our expert guidance and implementation, we enabled the bank to transition smoothly and avoid the subsequent turbulence of the VMware changes.

The ability to adapt quickly to changing market conditions, technological advancements and unforeseen challenges is now a fundamental requirement for business survival and growth. Rackspace stands ready to empower businesses on this journey, providing the expertise, solutions and partnerships needed to navigate the complexities of the cloud and emerge stronger and more resilient.

Contact us at VMware@rackspace.com to start your journey with Rackspace.