VMware Makes Fusion and Workstation Hypervisors Free For All

The last year (2023) was abuzz with rumors and reports of Broadcom, a global technology leader of semiconductor, enterprise software and security solutions, looking to acquire VMware, an American cloud computing and virtualization technology company.

The deal finally made it over the line, after it witnessed ups and downs. At first, the company revealed it had secured key approvals for the deal from the United Kingdom, adding to others such as Australia, Brazil, Canada, the European Union, the United States and more.

However, it also faced mysterious hurdles, which was believed to be delayed approvals from Chinese regulators.

Ultimately, in November 2023, the deal was finalized—and in good time!

The deal was originally proposed in May 2022 but came with a condition that would see Broadcom pay a $1.5 billion termination fee if the deal wasn’t completed before November 26, 2023.

Fortunately, this deadline was beaten with days to spare, and Broadcom completed the acquisition of VMware for $69 billion, which included $61 billion in cash and stock, with $8 billion going towards offsetting VMware’s net debt.

Post-completion, Broadcom didn't reveal what changes it would bring to enhance the operations and offerings that VMware brought its customers.

However, a recent blog post published on VMware’s blogging website, the company revealed that it was making two of its popular desktop hypervisor products, VMware Fusion and VMware Workstation, available for all users for free.

This new pricing plan is applicable for commercial, educational and personal users, and began on November 11, 2024.

“We’re thrilled to announce a significant change that reflects our commitment to making VMware Fusion and VMware Workstation more accessible than ever,” said Mark Chuang, the Head of Product Marketing, VMware Cloud Foundation at Broadcom.

The free version will retain all the features offered by the paid version.


Currently, the paid versions of these tools aren’t available for purchase. However, users under commercial contracts can continue leveraging their agreements until the end of its term. However, support ticketing for troubleshooting will no longer be available once the contract concludes.

Instead, the company will bring in a new support model. These include:
 

• Community Access, which comes with insights, tips and solutions shared by users for Fusion and Workstation.

• Extensive Product Documentation, which offers a pool of information related to utilizing the tool, for Fusion and Workstation.

• Knowledge Base Articles, a combined library of articles covering troubleshooting, advanced features and more.

As for the future, VMware will witness continued investment to bring new features, usability improvements and other valuable enhancements, while its engineering teams work to boost product stability and quality. At the same time, the company will focus on customer-centric growth, which will allow it to enhance its products by gathering valuable insights.

“This transition opens up exciting possibilities for collaboration, feedback, and growth within our user community. We’re eager to see how our products will empower both new and existing customers,” Chuang added, speaking about the move.

Do you think this move by Broadcom will inspire other companies to make similar ones?

Let us know in the comments below!