VMware will port its flagship ESXi hypervisor and VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) to the Arm processor architecture. The move is driven by customer demand to run AI/ML workloads at the network edge where Arm devices are common, interest from cloud-native and telco users, and a desire for more energy-efficient servers with improved performance-per-watt. VMware will initially port VCF elements to Nvidia servers, using phased development to bring full VCF features to Arm across multiple releases. The next VCF release will include some Arm components, with code expected around March 2026; the timing of a complete VCF for Arm remains unspecified. VMware will formally support the ESXi on Arm "Fling" first delivered in 2020.
The Broadcom business unit revealed its plan today during a session at the VMware Explore conference, in which senior technology product manager Rupesh Shimkhada said customers' need to run AI/ML workloads on the network edge - a location where Arm-powered devices are prevalent - is one driver for the port. VMware thinks users of cloud-native applications, and telco users, will also appreciate the move.
For starters, however, VMware will port elements of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) to Nvidia's power-guzzling servers. Plans call for phased development to bring all VCF features to Arm over a series of releases. Shimkhada said the next release of VCF will include some elements of the platform for Arm. VMware's revised release cadence for VCF means code will likely emerge in around March 2026. He declined to say when VMware will deliver a full VCF for Arm release.
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