Migrating from VMware to HPE Morpheus: Key Insights from Our Webinar

As organisations across Australia confront growing uncertainty around VMware licensing and long‑term strategy, many IT leaders are now actively assessing alternatives that deliver greater stability, flexibility, and predictable value over the long term.

In our recent Subnet webinar, HPE specialists Harris Schneiderman and Piyush Jain explored why HPE Morpheus is emerging as a strong, future‑ready alternative—and what IT teams need to evaluate carefully as they plan their migration path.

This article distils the key insights and outlines a clear, practical roadmap to support organisations in Australia as they assess their next strategic move.

1️⃣ Why Organisations Are Reassessing VMware

Recent shifts in the virtualisation landscape – particularly in the wake of VMware’s acquisition by Broadcom – have prompted many organisations to:

• Changes in licensing models
• Reduced flexibility for certain product tiers
• New cost pressures for mid-market and not‑for‑profit organisations
• Concerns around vendor lock‑in and long‑term roadmaps

These pressures are leading CIOs and IT managers to actively explore alternatives that provide clearer, more predictable licensing, stronger integration with existing platforms, and modern hybrid‑cloud capabilities that can support long‑term, resilient ICT strategy.

2️⃣ Introducing HPE Morpheus: A Modern Alternative

HPE Morpheus is emerging as a powerful, flexible replacement for VMware in a wide range of environments. As Harris and Piyush outlined during the webinar, its key strengths include:

Hybrid Cloud Management

• Centralised management across on‑prem, cloud, and virtual environments
• Support for multi‑vendor and multi-platform deployments

Strong Integration Capabilities

• Seamlessly fits into existing IT ecosystems
• Supports a broad range of infrastructure, automation, and DevOps tools

Scalability & Flexibility

• Ideal for organisations looking to modernise or expand their virtual environment
• Provides granular control and orchestration capabilities

Built‑in Security & Compliance

• Alignment with industry standards such as ISO and NIST
• Tools to manage risk, access control, and configuration drift

3️⃣ Preparing for a VMware‑to‑Morpheus Migration

For most organisations, a successful migration starts well before any workloads move. In the webinar, our experts underscored the value of a clear, structured plan to guide each stage of the journey:

Infrastructure Assessment

• Identify critical workloads
• Map interdependencies
• Review storage, networking, and performance requirements

Build a Commercial & Technical Business Case

• Outline the benefits
• Forecast licensing and operational savings
• Align with organisational digital strategy

Engage Expert Support Early

HPE and Subnet’s professional services teams can provide:

• Architecture reviews
• Migration readiness assessments
• Tailored project roadmaps

4️⃣ Minimising Downtime & Operational Impact

Downtime is one of the biggest risks in any migration. During the session, Piyush Jain outlined several practical approaches that help maintain business continuity and keep your organisation operational throughout the transition:

Data Pre‑Seeding & Replication

• Continuous syncing between VMware and Morpheus
• Reduces final cutover time

Warm Migration Approaches

• Workloads remain active while data replicates
• Allows cutovers during small change windows

Phase‑ or Wave‑Based Migration

• Move systems in logical groups
• Validate performance and stability after each wave
• Reduces risk and improves predictability

5️⃣ Migration Best Practices for IT Leaders

To ensure a smooth transition, the presenters recommended:

• Run a Pilot / Proof of Concept
• Train Technical Teams Early
• Maintain Clear Stakeholder Communication
• Set Regular Checkpoints & Reviews
• Have a Rollback Plan Ready

These steps help reduce anxiety, minimise risk, and ensure a high‑quality migration experience.