VMware vSphere End of Support: What it means and what to do next
If your organisation runs on VMware vSphere 7 or 8, you now face two major challenges. First, VMware vSphere 7 support ends in October 2025. Second, Broadcom’s new pricing model significantly increases long-term costs. These developments create an urgent need to plan your next steps. This guide explains what’s changing, the risks of inaction, and how Northdoor can help you migrate safely and cost-effectively.
VMware vSphere end of support timeline
VMware vSphere 7.x will reach End of General Support on 2nd October 2025. Broadcom extended this deadline by six months from the original April 2025 date. VMware vSphere 8 support will end on 11th October 2027.
After these dates, your organisation will face:
- No product support services
- No security patches or updates
- No access to Broadcom Support
- Higher security threat risk
- Possible compliance violations
- Risk of downtime and disruptions
Learn more about VMware’s official support lifecycle policies on their website.
Why VMware vSphere end of support requires immediate action
Security risks after VMware support ends
Unsupported virtualisation systems create security gaps. Without security patches, your systems become vulnerable to new cyber threats. Attackers can exploit security holes within hours of discovery.
Higher costs
Delaying migration beyond support deadlines costs more than planned transitions. Emergency migrations often require:
- Expensive emergency support
- Extended downtime that hurts business
- Possible data recovery costs
- Rushed implementation
Compliance problems
Many regulations require supported, patchable systems for sensitive data. Using unsupported infrastructure may violate compliance rules, leading to:
- Regulatory penalties
- Failed audits
- Inability to get cyber insurance
- Damage to your reputation
Broadcom’s VMware price increases
After Broadcom acquired VMware, many organisations now face licensing cost increases of 3-5 times their previous spending. The new pricing model changes from perpetual licenses to subscriptions and bundles previously separate products. This especially affects small and medium-sized companies.
Some customers report price increases from 100% to 800% at renewal. In extreme cases, support costs have risen by over 1000%. These price hikes, plus the approaching end of support, create a critical decision point.
According to industry analysts at Gartner, organisations should evaluate their VMware strategy now rather than waiting for renewal surprises.
Northdoor offers several solutions to address both support deadlines and rising costs. Share on X
VMware vSphere End of Support: your migration options with Northdoor
Northdoor offers several solutions to address both support deadlines and rising costs. For a detailed approach to planning and executing your migration, download our comprehensive VMware Cloud Migration Guide.
1. IBM Cloud for VMware solutions
This option lets you keep VMware workloads while reducing costs. According to a Forrester study cited by IBM:
- 201% ROI for VMware workloads on IBM Cloud
- 40% reduction in data centre costs
- 40% increase in developer productivity
A Northdoor client reports:
“VMWare on IBM Cloud remains crucial to our hosting strategy. Fast deployment helped us build three private cloud locations and migrate over 1600 servers within 8 months. It reduced our costs, improved sustainability, and exceeded our cloud migration targets.”
Benefits include:
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- Keep existing VMware skills
- Avoid application changes or retraining
- Lower infrastructure costs
Read more about IBM Cloud for VMware solutions here.
2. IBM Power Systems with PowerVM
For Linux and SAP HANA workloads on VMware, IBM Power Systems offers advantages:
- Higher consolidation ratios reduce server numbers
- Better performance for enterprise workloads
- Lower total ownership cost
- Built-in reliability features
Container solutions on IBM Power show significant improvements:
- 4x more throughput than virtual machines
- 50% faster response time
- 75% lower yearly server costs with Red Hat OpenShift
3. Alternative Hypervisor options for post-VMware support
If you want to move away from VMware completely, Northdoor supports:
- Nutanix AHV: Hyperconverged infrastructure with no separate hypervisor license costs
- Microsoft Hyper-V: Included with Windows Server for Windows environments
- Open-source solutions: KVM and others can reduce licensing costs
4. Interim protection measures
If you cannot migrate before support ends, Northdoor can implement:
- Enhanced network security monitoring
- Extra security controls
- Risk management procedures
- Fast migration for high-risk systems
How Northdoor manages VMware end of support transitions
Northdoor has guided many organisations through VMware transitions using these steps:
Cost-benefit analysis
We assess:
- Current VMware costs
- Potential savings from alternatives
- Performance impacts
- Operational changes
Migration planning
Our strategies prioritise your business needs:
- Phased implementation to minimise disruption
- Thorough testing protocols
- Rollback procedures for business continuity
- Knowledge transfer to your team
Success story: Financial Services company
A London financial services firm needed zero downtime during migration. We provided:
- Parallel infrastructure during transition
- Live transfers during quiet periods
- Data replication with verification
- Staged cutover with automatic fallback
Result: 100% uptime with no transaction delays.
Success story: Healthcare Trust
A healthcare trust improved security during platform migration. We delivered:
- Network segmentation implementation
- Enhanced data encryption
- Advanced threat detection
- Automated compliance monitoring
The trust passed its next regulatory assessment with improved security metrics.
Contact Northdoor before VMware vSphere end of support
The October 2025 support deadline for vSphere 7 and the October 2027 deadline for vSphere 8, combined with Broadcom’s price increases, create a turning point for VMware users. Plan your transition now to avoid security risks and control costs. Northdoor’s experts will help you transition with confidence. We ensure your systems stay protected and working properly throughout migration and beyond.
Get in touch today
Don’t wait for support to expire. Contact Northdoor now to start planning. Email: info@northdoor.co.uk or call 020 7448 8500. Our experts will provide a free consultation about your environment and options.
Additional reading
- How to manage VMware pricing hikes: top alternatives
- 28th April 2025, Market Beat, Broadcom’s VMware Deal Lifts AVGO Despite Complaints (comment by AJ Thompson).