Spinnaker Support launches global VMware support service

Spinnaker Support has announced it will now offer third-party support for VMware on a global scale. This decision follows Broadcom's acquisition of VMware and the subsequent shift in VMware’s licensing model from perpetual licences to a subscription-based model, which has introduced a fundamental change in how customers will access and finance support and maintenance for VMware solutions.

Martin Biggs, Vice President and General Manager for EMEA and Strategic Initiatives at Spinnaker Support, stated: "Responding to market demand, we’re very pleased to be launching our VMware support offering. Comprehensive support and maintenance is a cornerstone of enterprise IT. Unfortunately, when vendors get caught up in visions of lucrative price restructuring and strategic enhancements, product support for what clients are using today is often relegated to an afterthought. This jeopardises security, compliance, and alignment with digital transformation objectives."

As part of its new offering, Spinnaker aims to address several challenges that customers are facing due to the licence model transition. Customers can avoid the cost increases associated with Broadcom's subscription model, maintain security and compliance through Spinnaker's bespoke holistic approach, and receive expert 24/7/365 support from in-house teams of highly experienced VMware engineers. Additionally, Spinnaker has recruited former senior management and support professionals from VMware to enhance its service delivery further.

The transition to a subscription model has raised concerns about cost predictability, customer autonomy, and strategic alignment of technology roadmaps. This shift is seen as part of a broader industry move towards business models that prioritise continuous revenue streams for vendors, but also introduce significant challenges for customers. Shane O’Rourke, Senior Director of VMware Global Support Services at Spinnaker Support, remarked: "For CIOs and technology leaders, the imperative now is to navigate this new landscape with a critical eye, ensuring that the pursuit of innovation and value does not come at the expense of critical support, control, predictability, and alignment with broader business goals."

Matt Stava, CEO of Spinnaker Support, added: "The Broadcom situation tells us that we’re witnessing a broader industry shift towards business models that prioritise continuous revenue streams for vendors but introduce significant challenges for customers. These challenges range from increased costs and reduced flexibility to a forced alignment with vendor roadmaps, often at the expense of customer autonomy and strategic planning."

"The fact that these challenges are often disguised as customer-focused and innovative is especially frustrating. If vendors really, truly wanted to demonstrate their value and commitment to their customers, they would do so by ensuring without fail that their customers can access innovative, up-to-date, and flexible product support offerings," Stava concludes.

By listening closely to customer concerns following Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware, Spinnaker has developed a new service offering backed by experienced former Broadcom/VMware specialists and senior executives. This approach aims to provide a more stable, secure, and flexible support option for VMware customers amid the ongoing transition in the software industry.