Like many customers today, you are probably reevaluating how to best run your VMware workloads, and whether to keep them on-premises or move them to the cloud. Whichever path you choose, it will require an investment of time and resources. This is an opportunity to consider your long-term platform strategy – so you spend your resources wisely to reduce technical debt while you set yourself up for success in the future.
With the era of AI upon us, the benefits of running your workloads in the cloud will grow in ways that you have not yet imagined. For your company to be a leader in its industry, your IT organization needs to be ready to meet new demands:
- Will you be ready to respond with agility to meet business needs as they arise?
- Are you well prepared to provide the levels of security, compliance, and resiliency you need?
- Do your developers have access to the tools they need to innovate, with proximity to the most current data and AI services?
- Have you automated your environment to maximize efficiency, so your staff has time to work on strategic initiatives?
A move to Azure today will give you peace of mind with access to 200+ cloud services that ensure you are ready to meet these business needs with confidence for years to come.
Azure offers comprehensive cloud solutions to support all your VMware workloads
Depending on the complexity of your VMware environment, how cloud-ready your applications are, your timelines for getting to the cloud, and your appetite for modernization, Azure meets you where you are with both Azure VMware Solution as well as Azure IaaS and PaaS services.
Azure VMware Solution (AVS) is a great first step to the cloud for VMware customers, as AVS allows companies to run VMware VCF private clouds in Azure using their existing portable VCF licenses from Broadcom. Azure VMware Solution delivers a fully managed VMware environment in Azure that is operated and supported by Microsoft. You can move VMware workloads to Azure “as is” so your applications require little or no refactoring. This streamlines migration and you can continue using familiar skills while learning new Azure skills.
As part of your move to Azure VMware Solution, we recommend that you optimize with Azure monitoring, security, automation, and other services. Knorr-Bremse is a global manufacturing firm based in Germany that utilized Azure Accelerate to facilitate their transition to Azure VMware Solution, which included planning, migration, and staff training for Azure skills. They now efficiently run their workloads using Azure VMware Solution as well as other Azure IaaS and PaaS services.
Levi’s is an example of a customer that modernized their on-premises VMware environment directly to Azure IaaS and PaaS services. As part of their cloud migration process, Levi’s developed a FinOps model that allows for OpEx chargebacks to their business owners, creating better transparency across their businesses, right-sizing infrastructure and optimizing utilization to eliminate the “CapEx bloat” they experienced in their on-premises data centers. Listen to the Levi’s story here.
Get started with the VMware Rapid Migration Plan
With the VMware Rapid Migration Plan, Microsoft provides a comprehensive set of licensing benefits and programs to support you as you migrate to Azure VMware Solution and Azure IaaS and PaaS services.
Get price protection and savings
Use Reserved Instances to lock in discounted Azure pricing for Azure VMware Solution for one, three or five years, and for Azure VM’s for one or three years. Azure VMware Solution now operates on a Bring Your Own License (BYOL) model, enabling you to use your current VCF licenses within Azure.
Save with existing Windows Server and SQL Server licenses
Windows Server and SQL Server commonly run on VMware environments on premises. If you have purchased Software Assurance, you can run cloud versions of Windows Server and SQL Server in Azure VMs or Azure VMware Solution without any additional licensing costs. And you get free Extended Security Updates for older versions that face end of life.
Get migration assistance
Azure Accelerate is a comprehensive set of resources, expert help, and funding to help customers streamline their migration.
Microsoft’s Cloud Accelerate Factory is also available to customers that want migration assistance.
Get Azure credits to modernize
When you buy a new Reserved Instance for Azure VMware Solution, you can work with your Microsoft account team to get an additional Azure credit of up to $240,000*. These credits can be used for any Azure services to help you optimize and modernize in the cloud.
Help for VMware Cloud on AWS customers
If you are concerned about the future of your workloads on VMware Cloud on AWS, we are here to help. The VMware Rapid Migration Plan is designed for workloads transitioning from on-premises environments or from another cloud provider.
Ready to get started?
We are excited to work with you and answer any questions. Learn more by reading the VMware on Azure: Migration and Modernization Planning Guide. Then contact your Microsoft account team or our Microsoft Partners that specialize in VMware migrations to get started.
Azure VMware Solution
Move or extend on-premises VMware environments to Azure without refactoring
*Azure Credit eligibility requirements: Through June 30, 2026, net new customer migrations to AZURE VMWARE SOLUTION on One-year, Three-year, and Five-year Reserved Instances may be eligible to receive a one-time Azure Credit Offer incentive of up to USD $240,000 based on the size of the deployments. Azure credits awarded are applicable to any Azure service. Consult with your Microsoft account executive for specific offer details.