Ars Technica published a news report about VMware’s planned update to vSphere Standard. It quotes Broadcom representatives on the timing and reasons for the move.

VMware plans to release an updated vSphere Standard soon. It may provide details in October at VMware Explore in Frankfurt.

vSphere Standard has not been updated since 2022. The updated version of vSphere became part of VCF 9 in 2025.

Paul Turner acknowledged that new sales incentives pushed the team to sell VCF. Turner said VMware had fixed the situation.

Claim check:

  • Ars Technica published a news report about VMware’s planned update to vSphere Standard and quotes Broadcom representatives on the timing and reasons for the move. (confirmed by the publication itself: evidence; «VMware will release an “updated version” of vSphere Standard “soon,” The Register reported.»)
  • VMware plans to release an updated version of vSphere Standard soon, and Ars Technica reports that details may emerge in October at VMware Explore in Frankfurt. (confirmed by the publication itself: evidence; «More information will likely come in October during VMware’s Explore conference in Frankfurt, Ram Velaga, president of Broadcom’s Infrastructure Software Group, told The Register.»)
  • vSphere Standard has not been updated since 2022, while the updated version of vSphere became part of VCF 9 in 2025. (confirmed by the publication itself: evidence; «VMware hasn’t updated vSphere Standard since 2022 despite an updated version of vSphere arriving with VCF 9 in 2025.»)
  • VCF Chief Product Officer Paul Turner said that new sales incentives pushed the team to sell VCF and acknowledged an excessive focus on that product. (confirmed by the publication itself: evidence; «Speaking with The Register this week, Paul Turner, VCF’s chief product officer, said Broadcom’s new sales incentives encouraged the sales team to push VCF.»)
  • Turner said VMware had fixed the situation and acknowledged that the company sometimes focused too heavily on VCF. (confirmed by the publication itself: evidence; «“We corrected this,” Turner told the publication. He admitted that sometimes VMware had “too big a focus on VCF.”»)
  • After acquiring VMware, Broadcom stopped selling perpetual licenses and moved to bundled subscriptions, which the report says made VMware too expensive for many small and medium-sized companies. (confirmed by the publication itself: evidence; «Broadcom’s acquisition of the virtualization firm brought the end of perpetual license sales and the arrival of pricey, stacked, subscription-based bundles that priced out many SMBs.»)
  • Broadcom’s software business revenue in the third fiscal quarter of 2026 was $8.75 billion, up 29% year over year. (confirmed by the publication itself: evidence; «The conglomerate’s software business has thrived since its VMware takeover and made $8.75 billion in revenue (a 29 percent year-over-year increase) in fiscal Q3 2026.»)

Publications:

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