Broadcom Says Arm Servers Need Three Years as VMware Backs x86, AI Cloud

VMware, Broadcom’s enterprise software business, has long centered its virtualization platform on x86 servers. The rise of Arm-based processors in hyperscale cloud infrastructure has raised questions about when the architecture will gain wider traction in corporate data centers. Full commercial Arm support would require substantial engineering and ecosystem investment, including compatibility work across operating systems, applications and management tools, making adoption timing important to VMware’s product priorities.

Broadcom’s software chief said Arm servers would need at least three years to secure meaningful enterprise market share, giving VMware little reason to rush full commercial support. The company will keep x86 environments at the center of its near-term strategy while expanding GPU virtualization for AI workloads. VMware is also continuing research and development on VMware Private AI Cloud, aimed at enterprises seeking to run private AI models and inference workloads under existing virtualization and governance controls.