Executive Summary
Azure VMware Solution (AVS) remains available from a technology and service-offering perspective, but Broadcom’s licensing changes are making the commercial model significantly more restrictive for customers. Previously, customers could acquire VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) licensing directly through Microsoft as part of their AVS deployment, simplifying procurement and eliminating the need for a separate VMware/Broadcom licensing agreement.
Broadcom has now effectively closed that path as well. Microsoft is retiring the AVS SKUs that include VCF licensing, forcing customers toward portable VCF subscriptions that must be purchased separately from Broadcom or its authorized channel partners. The result is additional procurement complexity, greater dependency on Broadcom’s licensing model, and potentially less commercial flexibility for customers that previously relied on Microsoft as the single contracting vehicle for AVS.
