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VMware Workspace ONE was the enterprise mobility management (EMM) and unified endpoint management (UEM) platform of record for large organisations managing fleets of mobile devices, desktops, and applications across complex hybrid workforces. Broadcom's acquisition of VMware in November 2023 — and the subsequent carve-out of the End User Computing (EUC) business to Omnissa in May 2024 — has created significant uncertainty, commercial complexity, and cost pressure for Workspace ONE customers.
If you're running Workspace ONE UEM (formerly AirWatch), Workspace ONE Access (formerly VMware Identity Manager), or the broader Workspace ONE platform on-premises or in a hybrid deployment, you need to understand exactly what the Broadcom/Omnissa restructuring means for your support costs, your migration options, and your commercial leverage. This article provides an independent assessment.
What Broadcom's Acquisition and Omnissa Mean for Workspace ONE Customers
The Omnissa Carve-Out
In May 2024, Broadcom sold VMware's End User Computing division — including Workspace ONE and Horizon — to a KKR-backed entity called Omnissa. This is significant for Workspace ONE customers for several reasons. Omnissa is a newly independent company with a private equity owner focused on maximising returns before an eventual exit. PE ownership of enterprise software creates predictable pricing dynamics: cost extraction through subscription transitions, support fee increases, and bundle pressure.
Subscription Model Push
Omnissa is aggressively pushing Workspace ONE customers from perpetual licences with annual support to per-device cloud subscriptions. For organisations with large Workspace ONE UEM deployments — thousands to hundreds of thousands of managed endpoints — the per-device subscription model represents a substantial cost increase versus on-premises perpetual licence support fees.
Workspace ONE vs Horizon Commercial Complexity
Organisations that used Workspace ONE and Horizon together (the VMware EUC stack) must now navigate two separate commercial relationships — Omnissa for Workspace ONE and Horizon, and Broadcom for vSphere and the rest of the VMware infrastructure portfolio. This commercial fragmentation adds complexity and removes the leverage of a unified VMware relationship.
Facing Workspace ONE renewal under Omnissa or Broadcom?
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Get Free WS1 Assessment →Workspace ONE Version Support Context
| Workspace ONE Component | On-Prem Versions | Omnissa Status (2026) | TPS Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workspace ONE UEM (AirWatch) | 22.x, 23.x, 24.x | Active (Omnissa) | ✓ On-prem versions |
| Workspace ONE UEM (AirWatch) | 2112 / 21.x / 20.x | EOS / Sustaining | ✓ Full TPS |
| Workspace ONE UEM (AirWatch) | 19.x / 18.x and earlier | EOS | ✓ Full TPS |
| Workspace ONE Access (vIDM) | 3.3.x / 22.x / 23.x | Active (Omnissa) | ✓ On-prem versions |
| Workspace ONE Access (vIDM) | 3.2.x and earlier | EOS | ✓ Full TPS |
| VMware AirWatch (legacy) | 9.x and earlier | EOS | ✓ Full TPS |
Cost Model: Workspace ONE Support Options
| Deployment Scale | Managed Endpoints | On-Prem Current Annual Fee | Omnissa Cloud Sub (est.) | TPS Annual Cost (est.) | TPS Saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-size enterprise | 5,000 | £65K | £90K–£135K | £23K–£33K | £32K–£42K (50–64%) |
| Large enterprise | 20,000 | £185K | £280K–£420K | £65K–£92K | £93K–£120K (50–65%) |
| Very large | 50,000 | £390K | £600K–£900K | £137K–£195K | £195K–£253K (50–65%) |
| Global enterprise | 150,000+ | £950K | £1.6M–£2.4M+ | £333K–£475K | £475K–£617K (50–65%) |
Strategic Options for Workspace ONE in 2026
Option 1: Third-Party Support (On-Prem Environments)
For organisations running Workspace ONE UEM on-premises, third-party support cuts annual costs 50–65%. Maintains full UEM/MDM/MAM functionality. Removes Omnissa migration pressure. Best for organisations with stable, large-scale deployments where per-device SaaS pricing is unfavourable.
Option 2: Omnissa SaaS (Workspace ONE Cloud)
Move to Omnissa-managed SaaS. Removes infrastructure overhead but comes at significant per-device cost premium. Suitable for organisations that want to exit on-premises operations entirely and for whom per-device pricing is commercially acceptable (typically smaller fleets below 5,000 endpoints).
Option 3: Microsoft Intune / Entra ID
Microsoft Intune is included in Microsoft 365 E3/E5 licences. For organisations already paying for M365, Intune is effectively zero incremental cost for Windows device management. iOS/Android management is included. The migration effort is significant for complex Workspace ONE environments but is commercially compelling at scale.
Option 4: Alternative UEM Platforms
Jamf (Apple-centric), SOTI MobiControl, BlackBerry UEM, and Ivanti Neurons for MDM are alternatives for specific use cases. Relevant for highly Apple-centric environments (Jamf), or rugged device fleets (SOTI). Generally higher migration cost than Intune path but may offer better feature alignment for specific verticals.
What Third-Party Support Covers for Workspace ONE
- Break-fix support for Workspace ONE UEM (AirWatch) on-premises deployments
- Workspace ONE Access (vIDM) — SAML/OIDC integration support, conditional access policies, application catalogue
- MDM/MAM profile troubleshooting — iOS, Android, Windows 10/11, macOS device management
- Integration support — Workspace ONE to Active Directory / LDAP, SIEM integrations, MobileIron migration environments
- Security vulnerability remediation with CVE documentation
- Certificate management (SCEP/NDES/PKCS integration issues)
- Workspace ONE Tunnel and per-app VPN support
- Intelligence and Horizon connector support for on-premises variants
- SQL Server / database layer support for UEM database
- Interoperability maintenance as OS and browser environments evolve
VMware/Broadcom Survival Guide
Complete guide to managing VMware licensing under Broadcom — including Workspace ONE, vSphere, NSX, and the VCF bundle impact. With negotiation playbook and third-party support option.
Download Free Guide →Sector-Specific Workspace ONE Considerations
Financial Services & Banking
Banks and financial institutions with large Workspace ONE estates managing trading floor, branch, and mobile banking device fleets often have data residency and FCA/PRA compliance requirements that restrict SaaS deployment options. On-premises Workspace ONE with third-party support is frequently the only compliant option for GDPR-sensitive financial environments.
Healthcare & NHS
NHS trusts and healthcare organisations using Workspace ONE for clinical mobile device management have strict Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) and CQC requirements. On-premises UEM deployments supporting clinical workflows — nurse stations, ward tablets, consultant mobile access — are often safer to maintain on-premises under third-party support than to migrate to cloud-managed SaaS.
Government & Defence
Government and defence Workspace ONE environments managing classified or IL2/IL3 device fleets cannot move to commercial cloud SaaS. Third-party support for on-premises Workspace ONE is the appropriate long-term support model for these environments, providing security patch documentation compatible with NCSC and government assurance frameworks.
Conclusion
Broadcom's acquisition of VMware and the subsequent Omnissa carve-out have created commercial complexity and price pressure for Workspace ONE customers that is entirely driven by PE return maximisation, not by any genuine functional improvement in the platform. For organisations running Workspace ONE UEM on-premises at scale, third-party support provides a credible, cost-effective path that saves 50–65% annually and removes the migration pressure to cloud subscriptions that many organisations cannot accept on compliance, security, or commercial grounds.