OVERVIEW
Get fast migration for VMware workloads
- Move to the cloud fast—without?replatforming, refactoring, or rehosting. Cut costs and exit your datacenter smoothly.
- Keep using your existing skills and processes. Azure VMware Solution includes VMware vSphere, HCX, NSX, and?vSAN.
- Enhance VMware?workloads with scalable Azure infrastructure and?more than?200 services to drive innovation.
- Fully?managed infrastructure?frees?up?IT to focus on high-value projects instead of?routine maintenance.
- Add up savings when you bring Windows and SQL Server licenses, as well as VMware Cloud Foundation subscriptions, to Azure.
- Scale your private cloud?in?Azure while using your existing VMware tools, processes, and skillsets.
- Run and evolve VMware workloads on a global platform with access to?more than?200 Azure services.
- Strengthen business continuity with integrated backup and disaster recovery to minimize downtime and data loss.
- Gain?a?competitive advantage with scalable, integrated services for building, deploying, and managing AI models.
BENEFITS
Run VCF private clouds in Azure
Price protection
Lock in pricing for predictable workloads and save money by reserving infrastructure for one, three, or five years.
Efficiency
Avoid overprovisioning, hardware refreshes, and decommissioned infrastructure spend by moving to Azure VMware Solution.
Consistency
Improve IT productivity by leveraging existing VMware skills, tooling, and investments.
Reliability
Enhance vSphere workloads with business-critical capabilities such as backup, high availability, threat protection, and monitoring.
Operational simplicity
Get seamless support,?timely?patches, and?regular VMware upgrades from Microsoft?with a fully managed service.
Business agility
Adapt quickly to changing needs by running vSphere workloads on scalable, high-performance cloud infrastructure.
IMPACT
Measurable ROI with Azure VMware Solution
See how running VMware on Azure drives business value and increases efficiency.1
Security
Embedded security and compliance
34,000
Full-time equivalent engineers dedicated to security initiatives at Microsoft.
15,000?
Partners with specialized security expertise.
?
>100
Compliance certifications, including over 50 specific to global regions and countries.
Pricing
Reduce your IT costs with Azure VMware Solution
Save money with managed infrastructure and scale your environment on demand as your business needs change. Lower your costs with monthly consumption pricing by using your existing on-premises licenses for Windows Server and SQL Server on Azure with?Azure Hybrid Benefit, and by purchasing your compute resources in advance with reservation pricing. Get free Extended Security Updates for your legacy Windows and SQL Server workloads in Azure.
RESOURCES
Azure VMware Solution resources
CUSTOMER STORIES
See what customers are doing with Azure?VMware?Solution
PARTNERS
Explore the technology partner ecosystem
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
- Yes, Azure VMware Solution (AVS) supports portable VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) subscriptions. VMware customers with eligible VCF entitlements can transfer their subscriptions to AVS, enabling mobility between on-premises and Azure. This flexibility helps organizations modernize IT infrastructure while?retaining?the rights to their software.?For pricing and further details, contact your Microsoft account team or preferred partner.
- Popular use cases include:
- Datacenter?footprint reduction
- On-demand expansion?without?requiring?new hardware
- Disaster?recovery and business continuity planning
- Application?modernization?by integrating with Azure services
- Hybrid?cloud operations?that?leverage?existing VMware tools for consistent management across environments
- Azure VMware Solution is developed, sold, and fully supported by Microsoft, ensuring a single point of contact for deployment and operations. It is also cloud-verified by VMware, meaning it meets VMware’s stringent requirements for performance, reliability, and compatibility. This partnership allows customers to run VMware workloads natively in Azure with confidence and full support.
- Yes. When you run Windows Server or SQL Server 2012 and 2014 on Azure VMware Solution,?you’re?eligible for up to three years of free Extended Security Updates (ESUs) after the end of support. This helps?maintain?security and compliance for legacy workloads while you plan and execute your modernization or migration strategy.
- Contact your Microsoft account team or preferred partner to get started.
- Azure VMware Solution is a Microsoft-managed service, so all support requests should be directed to Microsoft through your existing Azure support channels. Microsoft provides end-to-end support and will engage VMware on your behalf if needed, ensuring a seamless support experience without requiring separate contact with VMware.
- Read the Azure SLA.
- When you first provision Azure VMware Solution, you must?purchase?at least three nodes. This minimum ensures proper performance and high availability for your VMware environment.
- Customers are charged hourly each time they provision a node. You can also choose to buy reserved instances for Azure VMware Solution for one-,?three-, or?fiveyear?periods.?See?the?pricing page for details.
- With Azure VMware Solution, you receive Extended Security Updates (ESUs) at no extra cost for?three?years on Windows Server and SQL Server workloads. On-premises or other cloud deployments would incur an?additional?75?percent?of the license price annually for these updates. This cost-saving benefit helps fund modernization efforts. Additionally, Azure Hybrid Benefit allows you to run workloads both on-premises and in the cloud, maximizing value.
- Yes, AVS is a fully managed service which also includes VMware VCF and Aria.?
- Yes,?VMware?HCX is included in the Azure VMware Solutions offering.?
Next steps
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- [1]The Total Economic Impact? of Microsoft?Azure VMware Solution, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Microsoft,?April?2024.
- [2]IDC Business Value White Paper, sponsored by VMware in partnership with Microsoft?The?Business Value of Azure VMware Solution, Gary Chen, and Matthew Marden, US50851723, July 2023.
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