A new global survey commissioned by Rimini Street found that 90% of VMware user organizations are considering alternatives due to higher licensing costs, highlighting growing demand for more flexible and cost-effective enterprise virtualization strategies.
The 2026 IT Virtualization Survey – What’s Next for VMware Users, conducted by Unisphere Research on behalf of Rimini Street, surveyed 269 executives, managers, and IT professionals from VMware user organizations between December 2025 and February 2026.
Cost savings emerged as a major priority, with 73% of respondents identifying it as a key consideration in their virtualization strategies. Meanwhile, 54% cited the end of perpetual license support as another reason to explore alternatives.
Organizations are increasingly considering diversified IT environments to improve flexibility and control. The survey found that 60% are evaluating multi-hypervisor strategies, while 47% favor hybrid virtualization environments combining hypervisors and containers. Additionally, 48% said they currently have no plans to move their assets to VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF).
Operational challenges remain a concern, with respondents citing complexity (40%), multi-vendor management (38%), security risks associated with an expanded attack surface (37%), and skills requirements (37%) as barriers to virtualization changes.
Third-party support is also gaining consideration, with 66% of respondents either using or evaluating such services. Key reasons include security (60%), installation and implementation support (57%), and service and support concerns (54%).
The survey further found that 77% of IT virtualization security leaders see value in solutions offering real-time threat visibility and proactive vulnerability protection.
According to Rimini Street, the findings reflect a broader shift toward vendor-independent virtualization strategies that help organizations manage costs, strengthen security, and extend existing infrastructure investments while modernizing at their own pace.
The full report, 2026 IT Virtualization Survey – What’s Next for VMware Users, is available at https://www.riministreet.com/resources/research-report/2026-it-virtualization-survey-whats-next-for-vmware-users-unisphere-research/.
