Broadcom’s intense focus on committed partner channels is set to hit VMware’s Cloud Service Provider (VCSP) program November 1, with new details highlighting the extent of that intensity and commitment.

Ahmar Mohammad, VP for partners, managed services, and solutions for Broadcom’s VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) division, in a new blog post tersely reinforced the breadth, depth, and importance of those upcoming program changes. Those changes will vet VCSP partners for their commitment to the new program.

“With this action, we are deepening our commitment to partners we feel are best equipped to drive customer value,” Mohammad wrote. “Our goal is to cultivate an environment where highly capable and highly trained partners can deliver exceptional value and a superior experience to customers.”

Mohammad also explained that program changes will steer current VCF licensees to those committed partners.

“Additionally, going forward, customer entitlement to port VCF licenses to public cloud services will be only to those that are on the then-current Certified Cloud Services, which will include the then-current active VCSP and Hyperscale cloud partners,” Mohammad added, before reiterating that, “to be clear, this also means that non-renewing partners will not be certified for VCF license portability.”

Program consistency has been change

The VCSP program includes third-party organizations that partner with VMware and act as a go-between in offering VMware’s virtualization and cloud services to organizations. These VCSPs provide software-defined data centers to run the VMware services; multicloud support to run those services in different cloud environments, including on-premises and in public cloud environments; and additional functions like disaster recovery services, cybersecurity, and storage.

Broadcom instituted changes to the VCSP program shortly after it closed on the VMware acquisition. The changes included adding Broadcom’s Advantage Partner Program that allows qualified partners to now offer VCF and any accompanying cloud or managed services.

Mohammad at that time explained that the move provided a more consistent performance and go-to-market strategy for VCF.

“All VCSP partners will deliver services based on the same VMware Cloud Foundation software customers deploy [on-premises],” Mohammad wrote in a blog post shortly after the changes went into effect. “No more different versions of VCF for different environments. This is crucial to helping customers achieve a true hybrid cloud experience. Delivering services based on the same consistent VMware Cloud Foundation stack enables partners to focus less on infrastructure and more on differentiating their managed services and specialization.”

However, those changes also included new program tiers with requirements that excluded long-time VCSP partners. Broadcom did make some concessions in the form of a “white label” model that allowed those CSPs to work through higher-tiered partners, though that concession is set to end with the upcoming program changes.

Mohammad in the latest blog post repeated past Broadcom executive claims that the move will better align program channels and partners with “critical customer outcomes.”

Mohammad noted that VCSP partners that are retained could look to consolidate those that don’t make the cut “to further improve their scale, skills, and competitive differentiation.” And those that don’t make the cut should themselves reach out to retained VCSP partners “for seamlessly transitioning impacted customers or transferring the VMware book of business to ensure zero disruption to their existing customers.”