Exit VMware to AWS. Modernize While You Go.

Broadcom's VMware licensing changes forced a decision every infrastructure leader is working through. If AWS is the target, the question is no longer whether to go, but how to make the move count.

We deliver VMware-to-AWS migrations that land workloads on native AWS services - not on another virtualization layer - so the move you are forced to make becomes the modernization you have been planning.

AWS Advanced Consulting Partner. Engineer-led migrations. Modernization-first, not lift-and-shift.

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The Challenge

The reflex response is lift-and-shift: move VMware workloads somewhere else, run them the same way, minimize disruption. But this preserves every architectural problem the workloads had before the migration.

  • 3x to 10x VMware licensing cost increases
  • Lift-and-shift preserves operational debt
  • Monolithic applications and over-provisioned VMs travel with workloads
  • Manual runbooks and three-tier topologies remain unchanged

Our Approach: Migrate with MGN. Modernize Into Native AWS.

We design VMware-to-AWS migrations around three questions answered workload-by-workload: what does this application really need, what does AWS already provide, and what is the right path to get there.

Lift with MGN

AWS Application Migration Service handles replication and cutover for stable workloads that need to exit VMware now.

Refactor with App2Container

Extract .NET and Java applications from VMs, containerize, and deploy to ECS or EKS with modern pipelines.

Replatform to Managed Services

Move SQL Server to RDS, file shares to S3/FSx, and message queues to SQS - eliminating VM overhead.

Replace with Cloud-Native

For workloads approaching end-of-life, use the VMware exit as the moment to replace rather than move.

How We Deliver

Four-phase approach from portfolio discovery to decommission.

  1. Portfolio Discovery & Strategy
    2-4 weeks. Inventory VMware estate, classify workloads by migration pattern, and sequence into waves.

  2. AWS Foundation
    2-6 weeks. Landing zone, networking, security baseline, and observability foundation.

  3. Wave-Based Migration
    6-18 months. Execute lifts, refactors, and replatforms in sequenced waves with full testing and validation.

  4. Decommission & Optimize
    Progressive VMware environment drawdown with post-migration optimization and operational handoff.

What This Engagement Covers

Complete migration from VMware to native AWS services.

Application Portfolio Discovery

Inventory of VMware estate, dependencies, traffic flows, and workload-level migration plan with patterns assigned.

AWS Target Architecture

Account structure, VPC design, IAM baseline, and foundation services coordination.

Migration Wave Execution

MGN lifts, App2Container refactors, managed-service replatforms, and data migrations with full testing.

Outcomes

  • Workloads running as native AWS services, not virtualized layers
  • Elimination of VMware licensing costs and operational overhead
  • Modern container-based deployment pipelines for refactored applications
  • Managed service benefits: elasticity, cost optimization, reduced operations

Ideal Fit

  • VMware estates of 50+ VMs with licensing pressure or upcoming renewals
  • Mixed workload types where one-size-fits-all lift-and-shift leaves value on the table
  • Organizations willing to invest in modernization during migration
  • Teams that want AWS engineering depth, not just project management

Lift with MGN

Fast Exit

AWS Application Migration Service for stable workloads that need to exit VMware immediately.

Best Fit

Stable applications, well-understood workloads, speed matters more than architectural change.

Tradeoffs

Preserves existing architecture and operational patterns.

IVI Recommendation

Right for workloads where modernization investment is not justified by the roadmap.

Refactor with App2Container

Best ROI

Extract .NET and Java applications from VMs into containers with modern deployment pipelines.

Best Fit

.NET or Java applications with straightforward deployment, container-based future intent.

Tradeoffs

Requires more engineering effort but delivers better long-term outcomes.

IVI Recommendation

Consistently delivers the best outcome-to-effort ratio we see.

Replatform to Managed Services

Operational Reduction

Move databases, queues, file services to AWS managed equivalents.

Best Fit

SQL Server, Oracle, file shares, message queues, schedulers.

Tradeoffs

May require application connection string changes.

IVI Recommendation

Eliminates VM overhead while gaining managed service benefits.

Replace with Cloud-Native

Strategic Reset

Use VMware exit as the moment to replace rather than move end-of-life applications.

Best Fit

Applications approaching end-of-life, SaaS alternatives available.

Tradeoffs

Highest effort but can deliver transformational business outcomes.

IVI Recommendation

Only recommended when economics and application roadmap align.

Honest About the Hard Parts

VMware exits are not easy. Some applications won't migrate cleanly. Some dependencies will surface mid-project.

Realistic Planning

We plan for complexity, communicate when it happens, and price the work honestly rather than promising fixed outcomes that ignore application reality.

Proven Methodology

Our four-pattern approach (lift, refactor, replatform, replace) has been tested across hundreds of VMware workloads and diverse application portfolios.