⚠️ Broadcom raised VMware licensing by 3–10× — your renewal is coming

The Proxmox
Migration Kit

Your complete VMware exit strategy. TechTrust delivers automated, repeatable, zero-surprise VM migrations from VMware ESXi to Proxmox VE — fixed price, documented runbook, local team.

See How It Works
VMware / Broadcom
$$$
Per-core subscription · forced bundles
→
Proxmox VE
$0
Open source · no per-VM licence
Average savings
$18K–$90K
per year · 20–100 VM environments
Proxmox VE 8.xVMware ESXi 6.5–8.0vCenterZFS StorageCeph ClusterKVM / QEMULXC ContainersOVF/OVA ImportVirtIO DriversHigh AvailabilityProxmox Backup ServerProxmox VE 8.xVMware ESXi 6.5–8.0vCenterZFS StorageCeph ClusterKVM / QEMULXC ContainersOVF/OVA ImportVirtIO DriversHigh AvailabilityProxmox Backup Server
The Broadcom Problem

Why IT Teams Are Leaving VMware

Broadcom's 2023 acquisition of VMware fundamentally changed the economics of virtualization. If you haven't felt it yet, your next renewal will.

💸
Licensing Costs Skyrocketed
Broadcom eliminated perpetual licensing, scrapped per-socket pricing and forced all customers onto bundle subscriptions — including features you never use. Many organizations face 3× to 10× cost increases on renewal.
⚠ Average renewal increase: 3.5× · Some environments: up to 10×
📦
Forced Bundle Purchases
VMware used to let you buy only what you needed. Broadcom now forces bundled SKUs — you pay for vSAN, NSX and other enterprise components whether you use them or not. Smaller businesses are hit hardest.
⚠ SMBs paying for enterprise-tier bundles they don't need
🔒
Perpetual Licences Cancelled
Customers who purchased perpetual licences expected them to last. Broadcom gave minimal notice before terminating perpetual support — forcing a move to subscription whether organizations were ready or not.
⚠ Perpetual licence support ended — migration forced
📉
Reduced Support, Higher Price
At the same time costs increased dramatically, Broadcom cut VMware's support teams. Customers are paying significantly more and getting slower, lower-quality responses — the worst of both worlds.
⚠ Support quality declining as costs increase
The Migration Kit

Everything You Need to
Escape VMware — For Good

The TechTrust Proxmox Migration Kit is not a generic consulting engagement. It's a battle-tested, documented methodology for automated, repeatable VM migrations with predictable outcomes.

🔍
Full VMware Environment Assessment
We inventory every VM, datastore, network config and storage policy in your VMware environment. Compatibility checked against Proxmox VE 8.x before a single byte moves.
Week 1
🗺️
Proxmox Architecture Design
Custom cluster design for your workloads — node sizing, ZFS or Ceph storage pools, network bridges, HA configuration and backup policy built to match or exceed your current VMware SLA.
Week 1–2
⚙️
Automated Migration Runbook
Scripted, repeatable migration playbooks using Proxmox's native ESXi importer, OVA import tools and qemu-img conversion pipelines. Every step documented, tested and reversible.
Weeks 2–4
🔄
Zero-Downtime Migration Strategy
For production workloads, phased migration with storage-level pre-seeding minimizes cutover windows to minutes. Critical services tested and validated before VMware decommission.
Ongoing
🛡️
VirtIO Driver & Guest Agent Setup
Windows and Linux post-migration optimization — VirtIO storage, network and balloon drivers, VMware Tools removal, and QEMU guest agent deployment for full Proxmox integration.
Per VM
📋
Documentation & Knowledge Transfer
Complete runbook handed to your team. Proxmox admin training, backup verification procedures, HA testing playbook and monitoring setup. You own the environment — no dependency on us.
Handover
The Process

From VMware to Proxmox
in 4 Structured Phases

No surprises. No scope creep. Every phase has clear deliverables, documented procedures and defined rollback points.

techtrust-pmk — migration-runbook.sh
01
pmk assess --full --export inventory.csv
Discovery & Assessment
We connect to your vCenter or standalone ESXi host and export a complete inventory: every VM, CPU/RAM/storage allocation, snapshot state, network port groups and storage policies. We flag migration risks — snapshots, encrypted disks, vSAN dependencies, vTPM — before the project begins.
📊 Deliverable: VM inventory spreadsheet · compatibility report · risk register · migration priority matrix
02
pmk design --target proxmox --ha enabled --storage zfs
Proxmox Cluster Build & Validation
We deploy and configure your Proxmox VE cluster — node installation, network bridge configuration, ZFS or Ceph storage pool creation, HA grouping, Proxmox Backup Server setup and firewall rules. A staged test migration validates the environment before production workloads move.
🔒 Rollback point: VMware remains fully operational throughout. Zero production risk.
03
pmk migrate --batch production --method native-import --virtio auto
Phased VM Migration
Production VMs migrate in priority-tiered batches using Proxmox's native ESXi importer (PVE 8+) for maximum speed and configuration preservation. Every VM receives VirtIO driver installation, VMware Tools removal and QEMU guest agent deployment. Post-migration functional testing before sign-off.
⏱️ Typical cutover window per VM: 15–45 minutes of scheduled downtime (size-dependent)
04
pmk decommission --validate-all --export final-report
Decommission, Documentation & Handover
Once all VMs are validated in Proxmox, we produce full as-built documentation, deliver Proxmox admin training, verify backup jobs run and confirm HA failover tests pass. VMware licences are then safe to cancel. Ongoing Proxmox managed support available post-project.
📁 Deliverable: As-built docs · admin training · backup validation · HA test results · licence cancellation checklist
4–8 wks
Typical timeline
<1 hr
Per VM downtime
100%
Config documented
Fixed
Price guarantee
VMware vs Proxmox

Why Proxmox VE Wins
for Small & Mid Business

Feature
VMware / Broadcom
Proxmox VE
Licensing model
Mandatory subscription per-core
Open source — free to use
Per-VM licensing
Included in forced bundle
Unlimited VMs, no licence fees
High availability
Requires vSphere HA (bundle)
Native HA — included free
Live migration
vMotion — Enterprise+ only
Native live migration included
Backup & snapshots
vSphere Data Protection (extra)
Proxmox Backup Server — free
Storage clustering
vSAN — significant extra cost
Ceph integration — included
Container support
Separate product (Tanzu)
LXC containers — native
Web UI
vCenter required (extra licence)
Modern web UI — built in
Vendor lock-in
High — proprietary formats
Low — open standards (KVM/QEMU)
Annual cost (20 VMs)
$15,000–$60,000+/yr
$0–$1,400/yr (optional support sub)
Client Results

Organizations We've Migrated

Professional Services Firm — Whitby, ON
32 VMs · 3-node ESXi cluster · vCenter + vSAN
Facing a VMware renewal jump from $8,400/year to $34,000/year. Broadcom's new bundle included vSAN they weren't using and NSX they'd never needed. Budget couldn't absorb a 4× increase.
Results after migration
Proxmox licence cost: $0/year + $1,200 optional support sub
Migration completed in 5 weeks, zero unplanned downtime
Saved $32,800 in year one. Migration ROI recovered in 3 months
Healthcare Clinic Group — Durham Region
18 VMs · 2 sites · PIPEDA compliance required
Strict data residency and compliance requirements. Needed to migrate off VMware without disrupting EMR systems or HL7 interfaces — any downtime during business hours was unacceptable.
Results after migration
All 18 VMs migrated across 4 scheduled weekend windows
Zero clinical system downtime during business hours
Annual savings: $22,400. PIPEDA compliance maintained
Managed Service Provider — Toronto, ON
140 client VMs · multi-tenant ESXi platform
Per-core subscription model made their hosted SMB economics unsustainable. Needed an automated, repeatable migration process they could run internally going forward.
Results after migration
PMK runbook adopted as internal standard — self-executing
140 VMs migrated in 8 weeks with automated batch scripting
Infrastructure cost reduced 68% — savings passed to clients
Manufacturing Company — Oshawa, ON
25 VMs including OT/SCADA · air-gapped segment
Mixed IT/OT environment with legacy SCADA and HMI systems on an air-gapped segment. OT workloads could not be migrated during production hours. Air-gap had to be maintained throughout.
Results after migration
All 25 VMs migrated including 6 legacy OT/SCADA workloads
Air-gap maintained — zero production floor disruption
Saved $28,000/year. SCADA VMs performing better than before
Migration Packages

Fixed-Price. No Surprises.

Every package includes assessment, cluster build, VM migration, driver setup, testing, documentation and handover. All prices in CAD.

Starter
$4,999

Up to 10 VMs · 1–2 host ESXi · single site

  • Full VMware environment assessment
  • Proxmox VE cluster build (up to 2 nodes)
  • Migration of up to 10 VMs
  • VirtIO driver + QEMU agent install
  • Proxmox Backup Server setup
  • Basic HA configuration
  • Admin documentation package
  • 30-day post-migration support
  • vCenter / multi-host migrations
  • Multi-site coordination
Most Popular
Professional
$9,999

Up to 30 VMs · vCenter · multi-host · single site

  • Full vCenter environment assessment
  • Proxmox VE cluster (up to 4 nodes)
  • Migration of up to 30 VMs (any OS)
  • VirtIO + QEMU agent + VMware Tools removal
  • Proxmox Backup Server + replication
  • Full HA + fencing configuration
  • ZFS or Ceph storage pool design
  • Admin training (4 hours)
  • Full as-built documentation
  • 60-day post-migration support
Enterprise
Custom

50+ VMs · multi-site · OT/compliance requirements

  • Everything in Professional
  • Multi-site migration coordination
  • Ceph distributed storage cluster
  • OT/SCADA workload expertise
  • PIPEDA / HIPAA compliance guidance
  • MSP multi-tenant architecture
  • Custom automation runbooks
  • Dedicated project manager
  • 90-day post-migration support
  • Ongoing Proxmox managed services

All packages include a free pre-migration assessment before any commitment. Request a custom quote →

FAQ

Migration Questions,
Answered Honestly

How much downtime per VM should we expect?
+
For most VMs using Proxmox's native ESXi importer, scheduled downtime is 15–45 minutes per VM depending on disk size. We pre-seed large disks before the scheduled shutdown window, reducing actual downtime to a delta sync only. Critical systems migrate during planned maintenance windows — typically evenings or weekends.
Can you migrate VMs that have snapshots?
+
VMware VMs with active snapshots cannot be imported directly into Proxmox. Our assessment phase identifies all VMs with snapshots, and we flatten or consolidate them during pre-migration preparation before any cutover begins. This is included in our standard process at no extra charge.
What happens to Windows VMs and VMware Tools?
+
Every Windows VM receives our post-migration driver package: VirtIO balloon, network (NetKVM) and SCSI storage drivers, QEMU Guest Agent, and complete VMware Tools removal including service cleanup, driver removal and registry cleanup. We use a tested safe-mode removal procedure for Windows Server 2016 through 2025.
Can we reuse existing ESXi hosts for Proxmox?
+
Yes — Proxmox VE installs on standard x86-64 hardware. Your existing ESXi-compatible servers work fine. For a parallel migration (VMware and Proxmox running simultaneously), you need either spare hardware or an incremental approach migrating one host at a time. We design the right approach during the assessment phase.
Is Proxmox VE production-ready for enterprise workloads?
+
Absolutely. Proxmox VE is built on KVM — the same hypervisor powering AWS, Google Cloud and Azure. It supports HA clustering, live migration, Ceph distributed storage, SDN, containers and full REST API. Hundreds of thousands of production deployments run Proxmox, including financial, healthcare and government environments worldwide.
What if something goes wrong mid-migration?
+
Our methodology keeps VMware fully operational throughout the entire project — there is no point where your VMware environment goes offline before each VM is individually validated in Proxmox. Every migration batch has a defined rollback procedure. If any issue arises with a migrated VM, the original VMware version is immediately available. We have never left a client without a working environment.
Free Assessment

Stop Paying Broadcom.
Start Your VMware Exit Today.

Book a free 45-minute VMware environment assessment. We'll review your setup, estimate your migration timeline and give you a fixed-price quote — no obligation. Most assessments reveal $15,000–$80,000 in annual savings.

✓ Free environment assessment
✓ Fixed-price quote, no surprises
✓ VMware stays live throughout
✓ Durham Region & GTA on-site
📞 (416) 457-3639