Customers with a “perpetual” VMware license no longer have access to security updates. VMware refers to changes in the support policy.
Installing patches is necessary to keep your IT environment secure, and it’s frustrating when your provider denies you access to them. This is the situation VMware customers find themselves in, even though they hold a license. It’s a not-so-subtle move by parent company Broadcom to push customers towards a subscription model.
Some VMware customers have reported to The Register that they suddenly no longer have access to security updates via the support portal. They were then informed by the local support team that it could take up to 90 days before updates become available again. Until then, customers remain vulnerable to newly discovered VMware vulnerabilities.
Preferential Treatment for Subscriptions
VMware confirms the situation to The Register. The validation system that determines whether a customer is entitled to an update was recently adjusted. Not coincidentally, the system only considers customers who have signed up for a subscription model as “legitimate”. The “non-legitimate” customers will soon regain access to patches through a separate update cycle, confirms the spokesperson.
Since the acquisition, Broadcom has made sweeping changes to the VMware portfolio. The sale of one-time VMware licenses was halted in favor of subscriptions. Since the sold licenses are “perpetual”, Broadcom must reluctantly respect them, although it can make life difficult for customers who do not want to sign up for a subscription in other ways.
With a license, patches and support are not included. Customers are responsible for securing their VMware environment. The renewed terms only grant access to patches to companies that have a support contract with VMware. Broadcom believes that those who don’t listen must feel, and thus customers without a subscription are left out in the cold.
Signs of Resistance
With such practices, Broadcom continues to make itself unpopular. Under the guise of simplification and profitability, the company spares no means. Also, one partner after another has to face the consequences, with unpleasant outcomes for customers. Broadcom gladly swallows the criticism, and investors applaud the new strategy.
Resistance against Broadcom is gradually increasing. The European cloud association CISPE wants to challenge the acquisition of VMware in court. In the Netherlands, Broadcom received a notable conviction: a judge ordered the company to offer affordable support to a government customer even after the contract expired.