Platform9 launches partner plan for VMware migrants
Sat, 20th Jun 2026 (Today)
Platform9 has launched a Cloud Solution Provider Partner Program for cloud service providers moving away from VMware environments.
The programme is aimed at providers preparing for the end of VMware's Cloud Service Provider programme in March 2027.
The new offering combines migration automation, multi-tenancy and a 90-day unlimited-core pricing model. It is designed to help partners move customer workloads from VMware-based infrastructure while keeping existing services running.
Platform9 is targeting service providers that built their operations on VMware and now face pressure to shift customers to alternative platforms without interrupting service or eroding margins. The model also allows providers to continue using existing hardware rather than replace infrastructure immediately.
Migration focus
At the centre of the programme is Platform9's vJailbreak migration tool, which connects to VMware vCentre environments, identifies workloads, preserves network mappings and automates migration workflows. According to Platform9, one early adopter is migrating 40,000 virtual machines and is already moving several hundred each day.
The programme also includes what Platform9 describes as per-region pricing, intended to give cloud providers a clearer cost base during migration. The 90-day unlimited-core arrangement is meant to help partners absorb the cost of moving customer estates during the transition period.
Platform9's Private Cloud Director software includes multi-tenancy as part of the core platform rather than through add-ons. This allows providers to operate separate customer environments with tenant isolation, scoped networking and per-tenant single sign-on.
Platform9 also said service providers can maintain features commonly used in VMware estates, including virtual machine high availability, live migration and dynamic resource rebalancing, while staying on current hardware. The platform also supports GPU workloads and Kubernetes-based services alongside virtualised environments.
Partner pressure
The launch comes as service providers reassess their platform strategies after changes in the VMware partner landscape. For many operators, the challenge is not only technical migration but also preserving customer relationships and service levels during a large-scale shift.
Rich Phillips, Vice President of Sales at Platform9, said that pressure is forcing providers through one of the most significant infrastructure transitions in years while they continue supporting customers without interruption.
"We've built the Platform9 Cloud Solution Provider Program around a simple principle: be a partner first. That means providing the technology, pricing flexibility, migration tooling, and hands-on support providers need to move forward confidently, without disrupting their business or their customers," Phillips said.
Platform9 said it has been investing in technology areas that service providers increasingly want to support, including artificial intelligence infrastructure, Kubernetes services and demanding application workloads. It also said customers can continue using their current storage and backup products rather than move to a new stack as part of the migration.
For service providers weighing alternatives to VMware, the practical issues often centre on control, tenancy and continuity of operations. Platform9 said its proposition is built around those requirements, particularly for managed service providers running shared infrastructure across multiple customers.
One customer cited by Platform9 is Meriplex, whose cloud infrastructure team reviewed several options before selecting the company.
"When Broadcom cut us from the VMware partner program, we evaluated every alternative on the market: Red Hat OpenShift, Proxmox, HyperV," said Chris DeFortuna, Manager of Cloud, Telecommunications and Server Infrastructure at Meriplex.
"None of them gave us what we needed to run a serious managed services operation: a real control panel, true multi-tenancy, and a partner who treats this as their core business. Platform9 was the only solution that checked every box," DeFortuna said.