Industry analysts expect more than one-third of VMware workloads to move to alternative platforms by 2028. That projection reflects a reassessment of vendor dependency and long-term cost predictability, pressures intensified by ongoing supply chain delays and rising hardware costs. Pricing changes and bundled licensing have introduced uncertainty into infrastructure planning, prompting many leaders to reconsider whether maintaining the status quo still makes sense.

At the same time, modernisation pressures are building. Hybrid cloud has become foundational and application teams increasingly develop in containers. AI workloads are moving from experimentation into production. These shifts require platforms that can support traditional virtualisation alongside modern application models, without adding operational complexity.

Some enterprises are responding by containing their existing VMware environments while directing new workloads elsewhere. Others, according to Lee Caswell, SVP of Product and Solutions Marketing at Nutanix, are evaluating full platform transitions to regain flexibility and cost control.