Key facts
- Operational complexity is a top barrier for VMware migrations, according to a survey.
- 60% of organizations are considering a multi-hypervisor strategy.
- 47% favor hybrid IT virtualization environments with hypervisors and containers.
- 48% of respondents are not planning to move assets to VMware's Cloud Foundation.
- Gartner predicts 55% of enterprises will test alternative hybrid infrastructure by 2029.
Organizations are increasingly looking to diversify their IT infrastructure beyond single vendors like VMware, with operational complexity emerging as a significant barrier to migration, according to a survey by Rimini Street. Many clients are reevaluating their on-premises environments in light of vendor acquisitions and seeking more flexible, mixed environments.
The Rimini survey found that 60% of organizations are considering a multi-hypervisor strategy, indicating a growing interest in flexible, mixed environments that align with both operational and financial objectives. Furthermore, 47% of respondents favor a hybrid IT virtualization approach, combining hypervisors and containers to optimize workload placement. Notably, 48% of those surveyed are not planning to migrate any assets to VMware's hybrid cloud platform, Cloud Foundation.
This trend signifies a broader shift towards bespoke, multi-platform IT virtualization strategies. Enterprises are adopting approaches that integrate on-premises infrastructure, private cloud, public cloud, and alternative hypervisors to enhance workload flexibility, operational efficiency, and cost control. Gartner has also predicted a rise in enterprises conducting proofs of concept for alternative distributed hybrid infrastructure products to replace VMware deployments, forecasting that 55% will do so by 2029, up from 25% in 2026.
Analysts suggest that this movement reflects a larger enterprise effort to reduce reliance on single providers, ensure continuity for critical systems, and modernize at a pace that suits their specific business needs. This involves balancing support for existing environments with new investments aimed at improving resilience, security, and scalability.