Plotting a path forward with VMware version 7
Version 7 reaches end of life at the start of October. But while version 8 is available, buying support may require a VCF subscription
By
- Shane O’Rouke
Published: 18 Sep 2025
October 2, 2025, marks the end of general support for VMware’s version 7. After that, Broadcom won’t release any new security patches or fixes, and you won’t be able to log vendor support tickets for these versions. You’ll still have access to previously published updates under the self-service policy (although this could change in time, but there won’t be anything new coming.
For most of the customers I talk to, this deadline is significant – because a lot of them are still running VMware version 7 in production. These aren’t side environments or edge cases. We’re talking about core workloads in financial services, healthcare, telco, government, retail – the systems business operations depend on every day.
There’s a simple reason most environments are still running version 7: timing. When Broadcom completed the VMware acquisition, version 8 had only been generally available for about a year. That’s early for any major platform release, and most enterprises held back. It’s standard practice to let new versions settle, which gives you a chance to wait until bugs surface, compatibility guidance matures, and integration testing stabilises.
At that point, VMware version 7 was the safe choice, and it became the most widely deployed branch across almost every industry I work with. Today, that’s still true.
Running on version 7 after October
Plenty of customers I speak to have already decided they’ll hold on VMware version 7 beyond October. That can make sense — it’s a stable platform, workloads are under control, and management planes are often isolated.
But running on version 7 after October isn’t without consequences. There won’t be any new CVEs or zero-day fixes for these releases, so if a vulnerability is discovered, you’ll need a mitigation plan that doesn’t rely on vendor patches. That means reviewing segmentation, privileged access, monitoring, and disaster recovery processes now, not later.
Running unsupported also means preparing for operational contingencies. vSphere sits at the centre of most environments; when failures occur, they rarely stay contained to a single component. Unexpected product defects, subtle interoperability issues, or behaviour changes introduced elsewhere in the ecosystem can create problems that would normally be escalated to vendor engineering. After October, that option disappears for VMware version 7. You need to be ready with your response processes before you cross that line.
This deadline arrives at the same time as Broadcom’s wider licensing changes, which is confusing. Customers with perpetual licenses may still have rights to download newer binaries, but renewing support almost always means moving to subscription.
I’ve spoken to organisations trying to renew part of their footprint while transitioning the rest elsewhere, only to be told it’s “all or nothing.” Others were offered exceptions early on, only for those exceptions to be pulled at the last minute. This process is inconsistent and unpredictable, and customers are increasingly finding themselves exposed when approaching renewals without a clear plan.
Right now, the best thing you can do is get your house in order. Archive everything you’re entitled to: installation media, service packs, historical fixes. Because once your contract ends, your access will disappear. Audit your deployments against your entitlements, and make sure you know exactly what you’re running. You’ll be grateful for the clarity from an operational perspective… and even more so if you ever face a vendor audit.
Given this context, it’s no surprise that third-party support has started to come up in more conversations than ever, especially for customers planning to stay on VMware version 7 beyond October or who need more time to decide their longer-term strategy. It’s not about walking away from VMware entirely; it’s about keeping critical workloads supported while you make decisions on your own timeline.
Third-party support means access to engineers who understand your environment as it’s deployed, not just as it’s documented. It means you can keep operations stable if you’re delaying upgrades until version 8 matures. And it covers you during migrations if you’re planning a move away from VMware but can’t do it overnight.
It’s not the right choice for everyone. If your upgrade is funded, scheduled, and aligned to Broadcom’s roadmap, staying inside the vendor boundary can still make sense. But if timelines, budgets, or strategy mean you’ll be holding on VMware version 7 for a while, third-party support keeps workloads secure and supported while you decide what’s next.
Shane O’Rourke, is a senior director at Spinnaker Support, responsible for global VMware support services.
