VMware launches technology preview of ESX on Arm. VMware has quietly released a 'technology preview' of its ESX hypervisor for Arm processors. With this, the Broadcom subsidiary fulfills its promise to port the platform, known from the x86 architecture, to Arm. Documentation shows that the preview supports Nvidia Grace and Ampere processors on servers from HPE, Gigabyte, and Supermicro. RHEL, Ubuntu, and SUSE are supported as guest operating systems. However, VMware advises managing Arm clusters via a separate, standalone vCenter on x86 hardware, as reported by The Register. It is a basic version that still lacks crucial features such as vSAN storage and NSX network virtualization. However, it is already possible to remotely manage Arm guest machines via the latest desktop hypervisors Workstation and Fusion. VMware is porting the software because it expects that customers at the network edge will increasingly choose energy-efficient Arm servers, for example for AI workloads. A definitive release date is not yet known; according to VMware, customers are currently mainly 'Arm-curious'. Meanwhile, competitors are not standing still. Platform9 recently launched Platform9 OS to attract VMware customers, while Australian Netframe is targeting smaller IT environments with a free version for a maximum of three hosts.

Platform9 has launched Private Cloud Director with Platform9 OS, a turnkey KVM-ready Linux distribution designed to help enterprises migrate away from VMware without requiring deep Linux administration expertise. The update addresses a key barrier for companies seeking alternatives following Broadcom's VMware acquisition. A January 2026 survey found that 86% of IT decision makers are actively reducing VMware usage. Platform9 OS enables VMware administrators to deploy and operate enterprise-grade KVM-based private clouds through automated translation of VMware networking constructs and automatic cluster conversion. The release includes enhanced audit logging, integration with external observability tools, and cluster-API based Kubernetes support. Platform9 also offers vJailbreak, a free migration tool that has helped customers migrate over 10,000 virtual machines.

Platform9's Global Channel Partner Program doubles in two quarters. Amid growing demand for VMware migrations, resellers flock to Platform9 Private Cloud Director as the most flexible and enterprise-grade alternative. SAN JOSE, Calif., April 14, 2026 - Platform9, the enterprise private cloud company, today announced that its Global Channel Partner Program has doubled in size over the past two quarters, driven by accelerating demand from organizations seeking to migrate away from VMware environments. The surge in partner adoption underscores growing momentum for Platform9's Private Cloud Director as a highly flexible, cost-effective alternative for managing virtualized infrastructure. As enterprises and service providers reevaluate their virtualization strategies and seek solutions that preserve operational continuity without requiring costly replatforming Platform9's partner ecosystem - spanning value-added resellers (VARs), managed service providers (MSPs), and regional integrators - has emerged as a highly strategic and profitable channel for delivering these capabilities to customers worldwide. Platform9's Global Channel Partner Program enables partners to reliably deliver production-ready, private cloud environments while minimizing disruption for customers transitioning from VMware. With streamlined deployment and built-in compatibility with existing infrastructure, partners are able to accelerate time-to-value and unlock new revenue opportunities: service providers have reported deploying and validating Platform9 as a replacement for VMware vCloud Director within two to four weeks. Recent milestones include: * Crayon partnership: Platform9 recently launched a partnership with Crayon, one of the world's largest IT services firms and resellers, with a footprint in 46 countries and more than 10,000 enterprise customers; * Accelerated validation cycles for MSPs: Service providers are able to deploy and validate Platform9 as a replacement for VMware vCloud Director within two to four weeks; * Expanded global footprint: Platform9 now has partner coverage across 10 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Israel, Switzerland, India, Italy, Poland and Turkey, along with deepened regional engagement in Eastern Europe and the Middle East; * Strong core business growth: Platform9 has achieved a 67% increase in contracted customers over the past fiscal year, driven by enterprise and service provider adoption of Private Cloud Director. * Single Customer Migrated 10,000 VMs with vJailbreak: Introduced in 2025, vJailBreak is a free, open-source tool that acts as a migration engine to make enterprise-scale VMware displacement repeatable and predictable for MSPs. Existing partners in the program include leading global and regional providers such as CDW and SHI in the Americas, as well as Kodata in the United Kingdom, ABnet in Israel and Ocadon in Poland. "VMware was more than a virtualization management product: it was the central nervous system for the data center management space, around which a large ecosystem of partners were tightly integrated," said Sirish Raghuram, Chief Growth Officer and Co-Founder at Platform9. "Migrating workloads from VMware is no simple affair, and Platform9's Private Cloud Director was built with this exact reality in mind. Our approach is being validated via the surge in interest we're seeing from channel partners, seeking a reliable and cost-effective off-ramp from VMware." Platform9 was founded by VMware veterans with deep expertise in the virtualization ecosystem, enabling the company to design Private Cloud Director as a seamless transition path for organizations that want to modernize infrastructure without reinventing their operating model. This approach has resonated strongly with channel partners looking to expand their portfolios with solutions that balance flexibility, reliability and speed. "With the launch of Valor Cloud, we set out to build a next-generation private cloud platform designed for innovation - not just another product. Platform9 stood out from day one as a partner that could provide the modern, flexible foundation needed to realize that vision," said Jim Buie, CEO at ValorC3. "Combined with Veeam, it enables us to deliver an enterprise-grade solution that gives our customers the confidence to modernize with greater resilience and flexibility." As demand for VMware alternatives continues to grow, Platform9 is investing in its partner ecosystem to ensure resellers and service providers have the tools, support and go-to-market resources needed to succeed. The company's channel-first approach is designed to help partners capture emerging opportunities in private cloud modernization while delivering immediate value to customers. Prospective partners interested in joining Platform9's Global Channel Partner Program can learn more and apply at https://platform9.com/partner-program/. Additional resources. About Platform9. Platform9 is the enterprise private cloud company, delivering a modern, open, and SaaS-managed platform for running private clouds. Founded by a team of VMware veterans, Platform9 helps enterprises and service providers modernize infrastructure with speed and flexibility, without the complexity of traditional approaches. Its flagship offering, Private Cloud Director, enables organizations to migrate from legacy virtualization platforms and operate cloud infrastructure with a familiar, enterprise-ready experience.