Summary

At the Susecon conference, open-source provider SUSE announced a partnership with Coriolis to automate migrations from VMware environments to open-source infrastructures. Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are increasingly seeking alternatives to VMware due to changes in the company's business models and partner programs. The cooperation aims to enable migration processes with minimal downtime. SUSE DACH Chief Holger Pfister explained the strategic importance of this offering for the German-speaking market in an interview.

People

  • Holger Pfister (Vice President Germany, Austria and Switzerland, SUSE)

Topics

  • VMware migration
  • Open-source infrastructure
  • Managed Service Providers (MSP)
  • Cloud transformations
  • Business models in the IT industry

Clarus Lead

VMware strategy adjustments under new management are driving MSPs toward alternative vendors. Through the structured partnership with Coriolis, SUSE signals that open-source solutions are not a stopgap measure, but rather planned migration paths – a decisive differentiator in a market where customer loyalty is built on trust. For IT decision-makers, this means: pressure on VMware investments is increasing, while the risk of migration missteps is decreasing.

Detailed Summary

SUSE is responding to growing market dynamics in which established VMware customer relationships are deteriorating. Through cooperation with Coriolis, a specialist in infrastructure automation, SUSE offers MSPs a technically sound alternative to costly reassessment of virtualization strategies. The automation of migrations addresses one of the core problems in platform switches: operational downtime and data integrity risks.

Holger Pfister, positioned as a regional decision-maker for the DACH region, uses the public conference platform to strengthen MSPs' strategic confidence. This is not just about technical features, but about the credibility that SUSE will not repeat the mistakes VMware made with its partner and pricing model changes. This messaging targets MSP decision-makers directly, whose business models are suffering from VMware consolidations and license tightening.

Key Statements

  • SUSE announced a partnership with Coriolis for automated VMware migrations
  • Changes to VMware's business models and partner programs are driving MSPs to seek alternatives
  • Automated migrations are intended to minimize downtime and reduce migration errors
  • SUSE positions itself as a reliable partner through transparent communication about partner strategy

Critical Questions

  1. Source Validity: The article cites no concrete data on MSP migration rates away from VMware or on cost savings through the Coriolis solution – how are these claims validated?

  2. Conflicts of Interest: How independent is the presentation when SUSE acts as an interview partner while simultaneously legitimizing its own strategy?

  3. Technical Causality: Is it proven that automated migrations actually cause "minimal pain," or is the complexity of legacy environments underestimated?

  4. Implementation Risks: Which scenarios (compliance, data residency, specialized hardware) are excluded from automation and could cause hidden costs?

  5. Market Context: To what extent does SUSE itself compete with other open-source providers (Red Hat, Canonical), and how should the neutrality of the Coriolis partnership be assessed?

  6. Business Model Transparency: What new licensing models or support structures does SUSE plan to avoid falling into its own "trust crisis trap"?

References

Primary Source: Open Source as a Lifeline – Open Source and VMware Migration – IT-BUSINESS, 28.04.2026 https://www.it-business.de/open-source-und-vmware-migration-a-1584d84a69cb06216dbcd8faaeba6dfc/

Verification Status: ✓ 28.04.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact Check: 28.04.2026