Rising costs and changing vendor terms are prompting businesses to rethink their IT infrastructure. The 2026 IT Virtualization Survey by Rimini Street and Unisphere Research found that nine in ten VMware organizations are exploring alternatives, mainly due to soaring licensing costs.
The study of nearly 300 companies marks a turning point in enterprise software management. More than half said the end of perpetual license support is driving a long-term reassessment. Nearly three-quarters prioritize cost reduction, but skills gaps, multi-vendor complexity, and security risks hinder migration.
To gain flexibility and cost control, companies are adopting mixed technology strategies. Sixty percent are considering multiple hypervisors, and nearly half favor hybrid environments combining virtualization and containers. Almost half have no plans to move to VMware Cloud Foundation, preferring to protect existing investments.
The findings underscore the need for businesses to control IT spending and timelines. Instead of costly upgrades or rigid vendor roadmaps, many are using third-party support to extend existing systems. Two-thirds use or are considering such support to strengthen security and service quality, reduce costs, protect critical operations, and modernize at their own pace.
