Is it time to rethink your on-premises VMware strategy?

Licensing changes are prompting customers to consider a move to Google Cloud. Here’s why it’s a good time to do so.

Legacy systems are costing businesses millions of dollars in maintenance – and that is increasing every year.

Preserving legacy IT infrastructure also brings other challenges, including security vulnerabilities, hardware failures, data corruption, outages, stagnating performance, and efficiency limitations.

Many of these scenarios became clear to VMware clients earlier this year when the company, recently acquired by Broadcom, changed its licensing models, resulting in increased fees and reduced flexibility. For those considering modernization or a move, the licensing change has come with opportunities to rethink their on-premises VMware strategy and look at alternate solutions to reduce costs and increase agility.

Mitigating the cost-agility squeeze

With licensing costs rising significantly for on-premises VMware solutions, users now find themselves at a strategic crossroads: to make the leap into modernization or continue to maintain legacy infrastructure in spite of mounting challenges.

Rising licensing costs are not the only financial impact here. Consider the reality that, in moving from an a-la-carte pricing model to the all-in-one package deal that was recently introduced, VMware users may end up paying for services they don’t necessarily need. It’s more money for potentially less value.

What’s more, legacy infrastructure and aging platforms restrict both technological and strategic business agility, making it challenging to scale up or down with fluctuations in workload demands and changes in marketplace needs. Consider retail clients, who face significantly higher online demands during the holiday shopping season. An agile, cloud-based platform allows them to scale up and down as demand fluctuates, which effectively streamlines resources.

Most businesses today are also concerned about security, which is another risk factor to consider on aging platforms – not only due to the potential for breaches but also because support for legacy infrastructure eventually phases out due to a lack of resources and relevant skill sets.

Introducing the Google Cloud VMware Engine

Google Cloud VMware Engine (GCVE) enables enterprises to migrate and update their VMware-based workloads onto Google Cloud. The platform allows users to retain their current VMware licenses, management controls, tools, teams, and expertise, while adding all the benefits of a cloud-based platform: scalability, performance, security, and more. GCVE empowers customers to expedite their business transformation process and modernize applications by leveraging advanced functionalities such as Google Cloud analytics and GenAI capabilities.

Through GCVE’s unique Committed Use Discount (CUD) and licensing controls, clients are able to move away from licensing lock-in and benefit from 15 to 30 percent discounts based on a flexible three-year commitment that isn’t tied to a particular tool or configuration. The pay-as-you-go pricing and lower hardware requirements result in significant cost reductions and flexible benefits that enable businesses to modernize their workloads in the way that works best for their organization – and budget.

As workloads are migrated and modernized, GCVE provides VMware operational continuity, allowing customers to shift to cloud consumption payment models while lowering their total cost of ownership. Customers can reduce infrastructure costs and improve the efficiency of IT staff and application development teams while taking advantage of Google Cloud’s built-in scalability to match individual workloads with the right mix of RAM, CPUs, and storage to optimize end-to-end performance.

As a long-standing Google Cloud Partner, Capgemini is pleased to support our VMware clients in moving to GCVE with migration options that enable businesses to move at their own pace and comfort level. For Auto Club Group, for example, consolidating its data centers and product suite to Google Cloud’s infrastructure effectively saved the organization $500,000 per year. It also helped ensure business continuity thanks to a more stable, secure, and future-proofed technology stack.

Take advantage of GCVE’s benefits for your business

Increases in the total cost of ownership impact an organization’s ability to remain competitive, drive innovation, and future-proof the business. Replacing legacy infrastructure ensures your organization retains the ability to be competitive and innovative.  

Migrating to Google Cloud or moving VMware on AWS to Google Cloud solves these issues and more. It improves workflows, reduces downtime, and opens up the opportunity for innovation. You simply can’t leverage the benefits of the cloud unless you modernize your legacy systems.

Capgemini provides step-by-step support in moving to GCVE, leveraging existing environments as we extend them into Google Cloud. Find out more about how we work with our VMware clients to thoroughly assess their needs, estimate ROI, and create a secure, seamless and supported migration plan.

Interested in exploring the VMware to GCVE migration process? Contact us for more information and an assessment.