Topgolf cuts infrastructure costs by $11.3m after VMware migration
Topgolf says it has saved more than $11.3 million in infrastructure costs after moving most of its virtual machines from VMware to VergeIO’s VergeOS. The decision followed Broadcom’s changes to VMware licensing and product bundles, which Topgolf expected would raise its costs by 400 per cent and made longer-term planning harder.
The company moved 12,000 virtual machines and replaced 650 VxRail hosts with about 400 Dell PowerEdge servers over six months. VergeOS lets Topgolf divide its systems into tenants by time zone, simplifying upgrades and reducing the need for separate lab hardware. Twenty venues still use VMware, but Topgolf expects to complete the move by the second week of December; the reported savings reflect its unusually large infrastructure needs.
- Topgolf reports savings of more than $11.3 million.
- It moved 12,000 virtual machines to VergeIO.
- The company expects to leave VMware by December.
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Topgolf is a company that runs golf entertainment venues, with digital systems supporting activities such as games, bookings and operations. Those systems rely on servers, which store and run software; virtual machines let one physical server act like several separate computers.
VMware is a widely used virtualisation platform, while VergeOS is an alternative from VergeIO. Broadcom, which owns VMware, changed its licensing and product bundles, prompting some customers to reassess their costs and future plans. Topgolf’s migration matters because it shows how a large customer responded, though its reported savings reflect the scale of its own infrastructure.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Topgolf’s account supports moving away from VMware: it expected licensing and bundling changes to raise costs sharply and make future budgets less predictable. It says the migration has already cut infrastructure costs by more than $11.3 million, while consolidating hardware and simplifying upgrades, suggesting the change can improve both value and operational flexibility at its scale.
The case against
A large migration carries risks, and Topgolf’s reported savings may not predict what smaller organisations would achieve given its unusually extensive infrastructure. With some venues still on VMware and the move not yet complete, the final costs and operational effects remain uncertain; staying with an established supplier could be preferable for organisations that value continuity and want to avoid transition demands.
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Originally published by Ars Technica as “Topgolf saved over $11.3 million after leaving VMware”.