Broadcom, We’re Getting a Divorce. It’s You, Not Me.

For more than two decades, IT organizations have benefited enormously from virtualization. We took expensive, often seriously underutilized physical servers and made them do the work of multiple systems. Fewer servers. Less power. Less rack space. Less hardware to maintain. More flexibility.

And VMware was the 800-pound gorilla that made it happen.

VMware didn’t actually invent virtualization. IBM was experimenting with virtual machines back in the '60s. IBM’s CP-40 project began in '64, followed by CP-67, and eventually VM/370 in '72. z/VM History: Timeline - IBM [ibm.com], [ibm.com]

That is 1964, for you younglings out there.

The problem IBM was trying to solve sounds surprisingly familiar today: computers were incredibly expensive, and organizations weren’t using those expensive resources efficiently.

Then came the distributed-computing boom of the 1980s and 1990s. Servers got smaller and cheaper, and pretty soon everything had its own box.

Web server? Buy a server.

Database? Buy a server.

Domain controller? Server.

Application needs 4 percent CPU utilization on alternate Tuesdays? Congratulations, here’s your server.

We filled racks with hardware.

VMware didn’t create virtualization, but it helped make the concept practical on commodity x86 hardware. Instead of maintaining 20 physical servers running 20 operating systems for 20 different purposes, we could deploy three or four larger servers and run 20, 30, or more virtual machines on them.

Smaller footprint. Lower power consumption. Less hardware maintenance. Same services.

It was brilliant.

And companies embraced it.

I certainly did.

At my previous company, Virtual Instruments, later Virtana, our entire business revolved around monitoring the health and performance of storage and virtualized infrastructure. I spent 13 years there supporting a 50-rack data center filled with VMware infrastructure and our own technology for engineering, development, testing, and corporate IT.

We had an enterprise licensing agreement with VMware, multiple vCenter clusters, and enough fiber optics to make you question every career decision that led you into a data center at 2:00 a.m.

VMware wasn't just another piece of software.

It was part of our infrastructure strategy.

And we weren't alone.

VMware built an ecosystem. Centralized management, storage virtualization, networking, vCenter, vSAN, NSX, and a growing catalog of technologies made VMware extremely compelling.

The interesting thing was that eventually nobody really talked about virtualization anymore.

When someone said, "Spin up a VM," everyone knew what that meant.

VMware had accomplished something few technology companies manage to do: its product category had become almost synonymous with its name.

Then Came Broadcom

Hello, Broadcom.

We need to talk.

Broadcom completed its acquisition of VMware in November 2023, and shortly afterward VMware by Broadcom announced major changes to its product and licensing strategy, including completing the transition away from perpetual licensing toward subscription licensing and simplifying the portfolio. VMware by Broadcom Dramatically Simplifies Offer Lineup and Licensing Model [oplee.com]

Broadcom called this"simplification."

Customers may have chosen other words.

The VMware relationship we had grown accustomed to changed remarkably quickly.

Perpetual licenses gave way to subscriptions.

Licensing increasingly focused on physical CPU cores.

The product portfolio was consolidated into fewer offerings.

And today, VMware Cloud Foundation and VMware vSphere Foundation licensing require customers to license the physical cores in their CPUs, subject to a minimum of 16 licensed cores per physical processor. Counting Cores for VMware Cloud Foundation and vSphere Foundation and TiBs for vSAN [knowledge....oadcom.com]

Apparently Broadcom even wants to know how many cores we're seeing.

That's when you know the relationship has gotten serious.

Broadcom explained the transition with familiar phrases such as continuous innovation, faster time to value, predictable investments, and simpler offerings. VMware by Broadcom Dramatically Simplifies Offer Lineup and Licensing Model [oplee.com]

And I understand the argument.

Software companies want predictable recurring revenue. Supporting enormous product catalogs is complicated. Subscription licensing has become common throughout enterprise software.

I understand all of that.

But there is a larger problem.

The economics that made VMware compelling have started working in reverse.

The original VMware conversation was:

"How can we reduce the amount of physical infrastructure we're paying for?"

The Broadcom-era conversation increasingly feels like:

"How can we reduce the amount of VMware we're paying for?"

That is quite a transformation.

We went from optimizing hardware because software made it possible to optimizing hardware because of how the software is licensed.

And that's when I started looking around.

Broadcom, We Need to See Other Hypervisors

I currently lead IT for a mid-sized medical technology company, and thankfully our VMware footprint is relatively small.

Our annual VMware costs have gone from roughly $12,000 to $30,000 and now to approximately $62,000.

And eventually someone has to ask the uncomfortable question:

For what?

Not because VMware suddenly became bad technology.

It didn't.

VMware remains an extraordinarily capable virtualization platform.

But this is where Broadcom seems to misunderstand the relationship.

You can possess excellent technology and still price a customer into questioning whether they need it.

At some point, the discussion stops being about whether VMware is technically better and starts becoming:

Is it $62,000-a-year better for what we actually need it to do?

That's a very different question.

And, Broadcom, you accidentally encouraged me to ask it.

Because here's the awkward part.

We have options.

We're already licensing Windows Server Datacenter on these systems, so Hyper-V deserves a serious look. There are other alternatives as well, including Proxmox and additional virtualization platforms.

Could moving mean giving up some VMware features?

Absolutely.

Could it mean more manual administration?

Possibly.

But somewhere between $12,000 and $62,000, I rediscovered my enthusiasm for manual administration.

Funny how that works.

Perhaps we don't need every bell.

Maybe we don't need every whistle.

Maybe we just need the workloads to boot on Monday morning.

So, Broadcom, It’s Over

I don't say this with anger.

Okay, maybe a little anger.

But mostly this is economics.

VMware spent decades building customer loyalty, technical expertise, operational dependency, and an extraordinary ecosystem. IT organizations invested countless hours learning the products, building infrastructure around them, and trusting VMware with mission-critical workloads.

That relationship had tremendous value.

Broadcom inherited it.

And from where I sit, Broadcom appears to have underestimated just how quickly that loyalty can become a spreadsheet exercise when the economics change enough.

I'm not leaving virtualization.

I'm leaving you.

There is an important difference.

So, as we prepare ourselves for life after VMware, I thought it appropriate to place a small classified ad:

VIRTUALIZATION PARTNER WANTED

Long-term IT department seeking a stable, trustworthy virtualization partner after ending a once-happy relationship that became expensive, complicated, and increasingly one-sided. We enjoy reasonable licensing, predictable renewals, useful features, and partners who don't measure affection by the number of CPU cores we own. Must play well with servers, respect our budget, and understand that commitment is earned, not bundled into a three-year subscription. Hyper-V and other emotionally available platforms encouraged to apply.

Broadcom, I genuinely wish you the best.

We'll always have vMotion.

But it's time for us to see other hypervisors.

It isn't me.

It's definitely you.

Today, the world feels a little quieter, a little dimmer.

We knew this day would come, but we held onto the hope that there would be more time. John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne—our beloved Prince of Darkness—has taken his final bow, his last encore echoing into eternity. He leaves this world not in shadow, but in light, embarking on his next great journey beyond this life.

The news of his passing came swiftly, and even hours later, the weight of it still hasn't settled. Ozzy Osbourne was more than a rock icon. He was a force. He was joy. He was the soundtrack to so many of our lives.

To the world, he was the Prince of Darkness—born from the thunder of Black Sabbath and carried through the decades by a solo career that broke boundaries and built legends. But those of us who truly saw him, who listened not just to his lyrics but to his heart, know he brought more light than darkness. He made us feel alive. He gave us permission to be wild, to feel deeply, to rage, to laugh, and sometimes, just to be.

Some met him first on MTV's The Osbournes, a chaotic and endearing introduction to his world. Others of us found him earlier—through the pulse of his music, the honesty in his voice, the stories he told through guitar riffs and haunting refrains. I discovered him as a solo artist, and through that, was led back to Black Sabbath and the roots of what would become a lifelong love of heavy metal.

Much has been said about Ozzy's on-stage persona, but behind the wild stories and infamous antics—yes, even the bat—was a deeply human man. Misunderstood by many during the era of moral panic, he was not the villain some made him out to be. He was spiritual, a man who prayed before shows, a member of the Church of England, and someone who carried both his struggles and his faith with unflinching honesty.

Ozzy lived hard—through addiction, personal demons, and ultimately a long battle with Parkinson's, diagnosed in 2005. But through it all, he remained resilient. With Sharon by his side, he found his way back. He found sobriety in 2014 and faced each day with the same grit and tenacity that fueled his music.

Just weeks after his farewell concert, Back to the Beginning, he has left us—at 76 years old. And still, it feels too soon.

Ozzy Osbourne will forever be the Godfather of Heavy Metal, not just for his music, but for the doors he opened, the bands he championed, the stages he shared. Ozzfest wasn’t just a festival—it was a movement. And Ozzy never stopped writing, never stopped giving, never stopped creating.

I’ll miss him—his voice, his presence, his rawness, and his sense of humor. But most of all, I’ll miss what he made me feel: that it's okay to be different, to be bold, to be broken, and to be brilliant all at once.

Wherever you are now, Ozzy—I hope it's a place without pain, without fear. A place where the music never stops.

Long live the Prince of Darkness. Rest easy, Ozzy. You were, and always will be, one of a kind.

Missing My Friend.

I don’t have many words right now, but I wanted to share with my community that a dear friend, Gayle Noble, has taken her final step beyond this life and - if you believe as I do - begun her next journey among the stars.

Gayle was the embodiment of strength, intelligence, and originality. She began her remarkable career as a radio station engineer, later becoming one of the early pioneers in the computer engineering world - paving the way for many in what was, and often still is, a male-dominated industry. She didn’t just break barriers; she vocally redefined them.

What do I remember most? Honestly - it was the way she carried herself. With her signature long ponytails wrapped in cloth lizards or her whimsical, feathered hats, she turned heads and challenged assumptions. But if you took the time to truly see her, you were welcomed into a circle of profound kindness and, as her daughter so perfectly described, aggressive generosity.

Gayle made a habit of stopping by my IT team with treats from Costco - never empty-handed, always full-hearted. I used to tease her, saying she was trying to fatten me up, but truthfully, it was just her way of showing love - always giving, always present.

She was an engineer, a writer, a music lover, and someone who profoundly influenced how I approach my work, my relationships, and how I choose to meet people - with openness, empathy, and care, leaving judgment behind.

She will be deeply missed. But I take comfort in imagining her now - unbound, soaring through the cosmos, just as wild, free, and extraordinary as she was here with us.

Rest well, Gayle. You were a gift.

Happy International Women's Day

Let's be honest—this shouldn’t be a one-day celebration. Just as Pride and Black History shouldn’t be confined to a single month, recognizing and uplifting women should be part of our everyday mindset.

At a time when DEI initiatives face resistance from our own federal government, I remain committed to ensuring that diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just checkboxes, but ingrained in how we hire, promote, and support qualified talent—on autopilot.

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: we do not have enough women in IT, Science, Engineering, or leadership roles. And that needs to change. Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working for incredible women—leaders who have challenged me, elevated my game, and made me a better leader, listener, and technologist.

Today, let’s honor the women who are making an impact—whether in the workplace, mentoring the next generation, or supporting their families. Their contributions deserve more than a day, a week, or a month of recognition. This is a year-round commitment.

I would not be the leader I am today without the strong women in my life.

IT Recognition & Leadership

 A post showed up in my LinkedIn feed recently that stopped me in my tracks. It got me thinking about the health and well-being of IT teams, and more specifically, the people I lead.

I have spent 30 years in IT here in Silicon Valley. In that time, one thing has remained stubbornly consistent: IT teams are taken for granted. We are the glue holding complex processes together, and most of the time, nobody notices until something breaks.

I rose through the ranks the hard way. Front-line support, increasing responsibility, and eventually leading the very teams I once was a part of. That experience gave me something invaluable: a deep appreciation for what these people go through every single day.

Here is what I believe without reservation. The head of any IT department has one non-negotiable responsibility above all others: protect your people. That means managing their workload, shielding them from unnecessary chaos, and creating conditions where they can actually do their best work without burning out.

At my previous company, where I spent 13 years and built what I genuinely consider a world-class support organization, the executives largely took IT for granted. The old saying, "if it is working, we are doing our jobs," sounds harmless enough, but it erases all the effort, planning, and late nights that make continuity of service possible. Recognition rarely came from within.

The moment that sticks with me most happened at a sales kickoff meeting around 2014. A guest speaker from VMware stood in front of 150 people and asked one simple question: Have you thanked your IT team today? It took someone from outside the company to start a conversation that should have been happening all along. The SVP of Sales asked me to stand and be recognized. It felt good, but it also felt like it should not have required a guest speaker to make it happen.

Recognizing people for good work should not need a catalyst. It should be instinctive.

But this is not really about IT getting a moment in the spotlight. It is about something bigger. Every experience I have had, every leader who invested in me, every difficult situation I navigated, helped shape the way I lead today. I did not get into technology for applause. I got into it because I genuinely love what it makes possible for people.

Burnout is real. It is quiet, it is cumulative, and by the time you see it, you are often too late. Flexibility and empathy are not soft skills. They are the foundation of a functional, sustainable team. Nobody on my team should ever feel overlooked or worn down without someone in their corner.

That is the standard I hold myself to. Every day.

Real Leadership comes from Empathy

 Here's the rewrite:

---

Real Leadership Comes from Empathy

I came across an article in INC. magazine today that I could not stop thinking about. It focused on a CEO who summed up his company's remote work decision in ten words. Those ten words say everything about what emotionally intelligent leadership looks like in practice.

Dan Price, CEO of Gravity Payments, surveyed his employees about where they wanted to work. The results came back: 7% wanted to be in the office full time, 31% preferred a hybrid arrangement, and 62% wanted to work fully from home. His response? "Sounds great. Do whatever you want. If you get your work done, that's all that matters."

That is it. No committee. No policy debate. No performative flexibility theater. Just a leader who listened and got out of the way.

This is consistent with who Dan Price has always been. In 2015, he restructured his entire company's compensation model and set a minimum salary of $70,000 for every employee. He ran the numbers, believed in his people, and made the call. It was not about optics. It was about genuinely understanding what his staff needed to live well and do good work.

COVID changed the rules for everyone, whether companies were ready or not. The organizations that responded with empathy and adaptability kept their people. Those that clung to rigid, outdated expectations found themselves on the wrong end of the Great Resignation, watching talented employees walk out the door in search of workplaces that actually respected their lives outside of work.

So what is emotional intelligence, and why does it matter so much right now?

The dictionary defines it as the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships with good judgment and empathy. That definition sounds clinical, but the reality is deeply personal.

Think about what the past few years looked like for most families. College students and high schoolers doing classwork from their bedrooms. Parents managing their kids' education while keeping up with their own jobs. Households with four or five people all competing for bandwidth at the same time. My own family was no exception. My wife and I were grocery shopping for her parents and dropping food at their garage, kept at a distance while they disinfected everything we touched. That was our routine for months.

Now multiply that by every single person on your team. Each of them was carrying their own version of that story. As a leader, you are not just managing deliverables. You are managing people who are managing entire lives at the same time. That reality has to be part of how you lead.

Will Rogers once said he never met a man he did not like. When his life was adapted into a Broadway musical in 1991, his character described a practice rooted in his Native American heritage: walking around to the other side of a person to see what they were seeing. To understand what drives someone, what worries them, what they are working toward. That is empathy in its most practical form, and it is how I try to approach every conversation with my team.

When I work with someone, I always come back to three questions:

• What has their experience been?
• What motivates them?
• How can I help them reach their personal and professional goals?

A leader who asks those questions, and actually listens to the answers, builds something different than a leader who just manages tasks.

The INC. article also included a list of leadership practices worth keeping visible:

Show genuine personal interest in your people. Communicate expectations clearly and early. Set reasonable norms around response times for messages and email. Check in regularly, not to monitor, but to support. Coach rather than micromanage. Give people room to take smart risks and explore ideas. Treat mistakes as learning, not failure. Recognize good work loudly and often. When things go sideways, give feedback that helps rather than harms.

I would add one more. Invest in your people's future, not just their current role. The best thing you can do for your team is make sure they are growing, that they have the skills to do their jobs not just today but in the environment that is coming. Workplaces are changing fast. A good leader makes sure their people are ready for what is next.

High emotional intelligence, paired with strong communication and a genuine commitment to your team's growth, is what separates managers from leaders. It is also what keeps good people from leaving.

What is your EQ?

Company Respect and ME: Black Helmet Apparel

Update: Black Helmet Apparel has since gone out of business. I will leave it at that.

Update 2: Black Helmet is back (2025) and they seem to be back to basics