Broadcom’s VMware Partner Program Revamp: 5 Huge Things To Know

From new deal registration and incumbency protection to how partner levels will be tiered, here are five big things about the revamped Broadcom Advantage Partner Program that every VMware partner needs to know.

Broadcom by VMware has revamped its flagship Broadcom Advantage Partner Program with VMware partners finding out this month their official partner tier inside the program through which all VMware channel business takes place.

“We’re now moving into a time where we want to start the releveling, demotion and promotion against the new requirements that start in November,” said Laura Falko, who leads partner programs at Broadcom, in an interview this year with CRN.

Broadcom had previously frozen VMware partners in their tiers in 2025 as the company crafted its revamped Broadcom Advantage Partner Program that financially incentivizes partners depending on their tier level.

The revamped Broadcom Advantage Partner Program focuses on driving VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) as well as Broadcom’s channel-friendly strategy to have 100 percent of professional services led by the channel.

“We don’t want to compete with partners on professional services. We want our partners to take that over,” Falko said.

The VMware partner program changes come as Broadcom begins its new fiscal year in November, which also included the launch of a revamped VMware Cloud Service Provider (VCSP) program.

From new deal registration and incumbency protection inside the Broadcom Advantage Partner Program to how partners will be tiered, CRN breaks down five big things that every VMware systems integrator, MSP, consultant, developer, reseller and cloud service provider needs to know.

How VMware Partners Are Tiered Inside The Broadcom Program

The Broadcom Advantage Partner Program has three tier levels: Pinnacle, Premier and Select.

The program will feature a points-based system that prioritizes capability over sales volume.

Historically, VMware’s partner program focused on a transactional model centered on licenses and basic services. However, the revamped program sets up a new framework where competencies, certifications, customer success and professional services define partner value.

Pinnacle partners will be required to hold Expert Advantage Professional Services Partner status to demonstrate advanced VCF deployment and implementation capabilities. Partners can also qualify by maintaining a dedicated SMB practice that supports scalable adoption.

Pinnacle and Premier partners will be required to maintain dedicated sales and technical resources, as well as execute joint business plans with Broadcom to ensure alignment and delivery.

Broadcom has dropped the lowest partner tier, Registered, that was in its former program as the company shifts its focus from transactions to long-term customer value.

VMware By Broadcom Deal Registration

Changes to VMware deal registration and incumbency protection also took effect on Nov.1.

Pinnacle partners will see an increased discount on deal registration compared with today, according to Falko.

The Premier partner tier discount is staying the same, while Select partners will have the lowest discount.

“Deal registration is for our new business expansion and capacity opportunities. Also, migrations—like if you’re going from VVF [VMware vSphere Foundation] to VCF—we allow the partners to deal-register that,” Falko said.

Incumbency Protection Improvements

Broadcom also introduced changes to incumbency protection with a focus on rewarding customer success and clients that take advantage of all the technologies inside VCF.

The company is asking VMware partners to register their incumbent renewal opportunities as well as show what VMware features customers have deployed.

“So it protects the incumbent partner, the last partner that sold that opportunity, for that deal and that specific product and core count,” Falko (pictured) said.

If partners prove a successful VCF implementation, Broadcom will approve their registration and increase their discount protection.

“We’ve increased the discount protection another 5 points to reward them for that,” Falko said.

Big Incentives For VCF To Attack Public Cloud Market

The largest channel financial incentives, rewards and dollar margins will be awarded to partners selling the VCF private cloud platform.

With a slew of innovation inside the new VCF version 9.0, Broadcom channel leaders want partners to win over as many public cloud workloads and customers as possible.

“The problem is customers want an alternative to public cloud but something that gives them an experience like a public cloud that’s more predictable on cost, has lower costs and is more secure,” said Brian Moats, senior vice president of global commercial sales and partners, in an interview with CRN.

“That’s what VCF and what our platform is trying to solve,” he added.

VMware will provide large financial incentives for partners who have deep VCF technical depth and advisory skills around deploying and ongoing support of VCF.

“Developers want infrastructure at the speed of public cloud and with the simplicity, consumption-style-like public cloud. So VCF is the answer for that when you want private, more secure and predictable cost,” said Moats.

Partners Will Get 100 Percent Of Professional Services

One of Broadcom’s most channel-friendly changes that comes with the revamped partner program is to pass all professional services—rich with margins—to its channel partners.

Moats (pictured), Broadcom’s global channel chief, said the company will no longer offer post-sales consulting, implementation and deployment services, although it’s unclear what percentage of those services it was previously providing direct to customers.

“Partners have the ability to translate what the customer needs to some implemented outcome better than we will or could,” said Moats. “So Hock [Tan, Broadcom’s CEO] has decided that we’re going, literally, all in with 100 percent of services to be delivered by partners—that’s 100 percent.”

Moats said Broadcom will work alongside partners if they need help with validating designs but will not be doing any delivery of the private cloud.

“We want very technical pre- and post-sales partners that can walk a customer through the [VCF] journey, implement and drive the outcomes,” Moats said.