Broadcom’s VMware Explore 2026 announcements put private AI at the center of its platform strategy, spanning model choice, infrastructure automation, application data, and AI security.
For VMware customers, the question is which capabilities justify a change to their own environment. Before committing, separate three decisions: how to support existing workloads, where to run new AI workloads, and what licensing and infrastructure those workloads require. Those decisions may lead to different timelines.
Model choice is only part of the infrastructure decision
Broadcom validated AI models from Google, NVIDIA, NEC, Alibaba Cloud, and Z.ai to run on VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF). Organizations building a private AI program gain more choice in the models they can run on infrastructure they control.
Adopting VCF for private AI may require changes to licensing, hardware, and operations. Review the requirements for the specific VCF version and AI workload, including accelerator capacity, before deciding whether existing infrastructure can support it. Hardware that remains suitable for current applications may not meet the needs of a new AI deployment.
Private AI Cloud should justify the added investment
Broadcom introduced VMware Private AI Cloud to help enterprises run inference, agentic applications, and traditional workloads together on a private cloud platform. Organizations considering it should first identify which AI workloads they plan to run and where those workloads run today.
Since the acquisition, Broadcom ended the sale of new perpetual licenses and shifted its offerings toward subscriptions. Any AI investment will be measured against the cost of keeping the current environment running. Before funding a private AI initiative on VCF, build a business case that shows the capability justifies the additional investment it requires.
AI Factory raises the question of platform commitment
Broadcom describes VMware AI Factory as an automation layer that speeds up AI infrastructure deployment. The company says it will also support ongoing operations and help organizations better manage AI usage and costs.
Ask which VCF subscription, hardware configuration, and additional services are required, what is available today, and what remains on the roadmap. Compare the full cost with the deployment and ongoing administration work the automation could reduce. Model choice is valuable, but customers should also understand how easily applications, data, and operating processes could move to another platform later.
Get the required entitlements, additional charges, and renewal implications in writing before approving the investment.
Tanzu data capabilities and the bundle question
Bundling has been a recurring topic for VMware customers as Broadcom has consolidated its portfolio into a smaller set of offerings. Organizations that use only part of a bundle can end up paying for components they have no plans to deploy.
The new data capabilities in VMware Tanzu Platform are aimed at moving AI agents from pilot to production. Broadcom announced planned availability for fall 2026. Some customers will welcome the broader integration, while others will want to know whether they need every component. We recommend that organizations inventory what their teams use today and what they plan to use, then evaluate the Tanzu additions against that list. Business value should drive the adoption decision more than the number of features on offer.
Ask which capabilities are included in your proposed subscription, which require additional purchases, and whether they solve a production requirement your team has already identified.
Security gains need to reach existing environments
Security remains a board-level priority, so Broadcom’s security announcements will get a close look. AgentMinder is generally available as a control plane for AI agent identity and governance. Broadcom also announced planned enhancements to VMware vDefend and VMware Avi Load Balancer for protecting agentic workloads. The company strengthened Spring Security and added TrueSource, which brings commercially supported open-source coverage across the Java, Python, and Node.js ecosystems.
Evaluate each security offering against the risk it addresses, its deployment requirements, and the systems it can protect. Agent governance, application dependency security, and protection of existing virtualized workloads address different needs. Some capabilities may integrate with the current environment; others may require additional components or architectural changes. Establish what can improve protection now and how existing workloads will remain protected during any transition.
Keeping your options open while you decide
Each of these announcements should be evaluated on whether the business value it delivers in your environment outweighs the operational and financial commitment it requires. Those evaluations take time, and current systems still need to run smoothly during the review process.
General support for vSphere 7 ended Oct. 2, 2025, and general support for vSphere 8 is scheduled to end Oct. 11, 2027. These deadlines can create pressure to adopt VCF or upgrade to VCF 9 before an organization has completed its evaluations.
Independent third-party support can give customers more time to determine their next move. That includes organizations with retained perpetual license rights and customers running vSphere 8 under a VCF subscription. Subject to their subscription terms and version entitlements, subscription customers may maintain their subscription for continued license rights while adding third-party support for their existing environment. This can provide a bridge when upgrading to VCF 9 does not fit their plans, including while they migrate workloads off VMware.
Spinnaker Support provides 24/7/365 access to experienced VMware engineers, including support for versions beyond general support, with Spinnaker Shield™ adding security assessment and mitigation guidance.
Through Spinnaker OpenPath™, customers can support the environment they rely on today while planning modernization around business priorities. The next investment should follow a clear requirement and a sound business case.
Before your next VMware renewal or support deadline, talk with our VMware team about your license position, current environment, and support options.
