VMware partners received an unwelcome new years update that the existing channel program enabling their work will terminate February 2024. Instead, Broadcom confirmed it is transitioning participation to an invite-only model under their Broadcom Advantage Partner Program post acquisition.
This jars partners suddenly facing strict access control to continue VMware service delivery. Broadcom claims the shift better positions partners to unlock profitability and recurring revenues. But granting participation through opaque vetting replaces stable open access mediating customer relationships.
The move caps a recent wave of dramatic VMware portfolio simplification and license model pivot to mandatory subscription under Broadcom ownership. Together with the partner program overhaul, tremendous change now strains existing customer and partner ecosystems.
While Broadcom states commitment to supporting the enlarged collective ecosystem, uncertainty lingers whether current collaborators will make the cut. And declined participation could severely inhibit customer support continuity.
Following seismic business model shakes, further limiting partner participation introduces more instability risks. This breeds distraction from joint solution building as the dust settles on dealmaking.
What Broadcom frames as unlocking partner potential could instead sparkcustomer concern, driving organizations toward alternative platforms avoiding the volatility. Unless managed carefully at the partner collaboration level, aggressive remodeling may undermine customer retention efforts.
Ultimately program access gates now create friction where seamless cooperation existed before. How residual VMware partners emerge on the other side remains at Broadcom’s discretion rather than long-built trust. Key to mitigating customer and partner exodus will be showing the positives outweigh the instability as commitments shift.
