Topgolf Migrates 12,000 VMs from VMware to VergeIO, Saving Over $11 Million

Topgolf's Migration from VMware

Topgolf, a sports entertainment company, migrated 12,000 virtual machines (VMs) from VMware to VergeIO's VergeOS. This transition resulted in savings exceeding $11.3 million in combined infrastructure costs.

The decision to migrate was a direct response to Broadcom's planned 400% increase in VMware licensing costs. Topgolf had a long-standing relationship with VMware, utilizing vSphere, ESXi, and VxRail across its global operations.

Reasons for the Shift

Broadcom's strategy to discontinue perpetual licenses and bundle VMware products into more expensive SKUs complicated Topgolf's future planning. This change led Topgolf to seek alternatives for its on-premises workloads, which include systems for venues, offices, labs, and data centers.

Scott Forehand, Topgolf’s global infrastructure manager, noted that the company's VMware connection was extensive, having used their products for decades and participating in customer councils.

Migration Details and Savings

Topgolf is in the process of completing its migration, with 20 venues still running VxRail with VMware Cloud Foundation. The company anticipates being entirely off VMware by the second week of December.

The reported savings of over $11.3 million are attributed to reduced software licensing expenses and avoiding proprietary hyperconverged infrastructure appliances, as well as separate tools for data protection, replication, and multi-site management.

Broader Industry Impact

While Topgolf's savings are substantial due to its large scale, VergeIO's Chief Marketing Officer, George Crump, stated that many customers migrating from VMware to VergeOS experience significant reductions in costs across licensing, hardware, and management tools. This indicates a trend among organizations seeking alternatives to Broadcom's revised VMware offerings.