Broadcom VMware software asset management (SAM) is the ongoing discipline of keeping a defensible per-core, per-host inventory and a clear split between retained perpetual licences and new subscriptions, so a cease-and-desist letter or audit never finds you unprepared. This page explains what good VMware SAM covers, lists the firms that provide it with balanced pros and cons, and gives indicative outcomes — a directory, not a ranking.
Last reviewed: 5 June 2026 · Reviewed quarterly · Listed, not ranked. This page is information, not legal advice.
Under Broadcom's subscription model the asset record that matters is physical cores per host, the VCF entitlement mix, and the boundary between perpetual and subscription.
SAM must maintain a current physical-core-per-host count, the basis of every VMware subscription calculation.
Tracking which hosts run retained perpetual licences versus new subscription is the core reconciliation.
Mapping vSphere, vSAN and NSX use to VMware Cloud Foundation entitlement avoids paying for, or under-licensing, the bundle.
Knowing which components are cloud-connected and phoning home shapes both risk and data hygiene.
A renewal calendar avoids lapsed support and the late-renewal penalty that follows it.
A continuously maintained record turns an audit or C&D into a confirmation exercise, not a fire drill.
With Broadcom's enforcement the dominant 2026 story, audit readiness has moved up the agenda: about 62% of companies were audited by a major vendor in the last 12 months and roughly 52% now bring in outside help (LicenseFortress / Block64, 2024–25 surveys). Figures are survey-reported for the years shown.
Ongoing and inventory-led: build the per-core baseline, keep it current, and convert it into audit-ready evidence and a renewal plan.
The firm discovers hosts, clusters and connected components and builds a per-core inventory with the perpetual/subscription split.
Inventory is reconciled to entitlement, data hygiene around telemetry is set, and a renewal and change-control process is established.
The record is kept current so any audit or C&D is met with evidence, and renewals are planned to avoid penalties.
Listed in neutral alphabetical order with balanced pros and cons — a directory, not a ranking. Independence is shown as a pro; reseller, Big-Four or vendor-side-audit ties are shown as a con, stated as factual trade-offs for you to weigh.
Large multi-vendor ITAM and SAM services firm with ISO/IEC 19770 expertise across the major publishers.
CEE/EMEA-native independent SAM boutique with its own tooling, covering Adobe, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP and VMware.
Independent boutique focused on audit-defense strategy across Microsoft, Adobe and VMware.
London-based independent SAM managed-service provider with multi-vendor audit-readiness depth.
UK independent boutique covering multi-vendor SAM and cloud optimization, not a reseller.
DEMO — listings are compiled from public information and labelled demo until the verified registry is live. Firms are listed in neutral alphabetical order, never ranked. Independence is shown as a pro; reseller, Big-Four or vendor-side-audit ties are shown as a con — each a factual trade-off for you to weigh.
Indicative only. Outcomes depend on your estate, tooling and governance; we publish no firm-specific figures until the verified registry is live.
A maintained per-core record shortens and de-risks any Broadcom audit or cease-and-desist response.
Mapping real use to VCF entitlement avoids buying bundle capacity you do not need.
A renewal calendar keeps support current and avoids the late-renewal penalty.
Up to the Broadcom VMware vendor hub and the Software Asset Management service hub, and across to sibling services and vendors.
Broadcom's enforcement and licensing world →
How SAM engagements run, across vendors →
Responding to a C&D or audit →
Core right-sizing and exit options →
ILMT and PVU asset management →
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It tracks the physical cores per host, which hosts run retained perpetual licences versus new subscription, the mapping of vSphere, vSAN and NSX use to VMware Cloud Foundation entitlement, and which components are cloud-connected. That record is the basis of both cost control and audit readiness. This is information, not legal advice.
Audit defense responds to a specific cease-and-desist letter or audit; SAM is the ongoing discipline that keeps your inventory and entitlement current so that, if a letter arrives, the answer already exists. The two are complementary, and the same firms often provide both.
Broadcom prices VMware per physical core with a 16-core-per-CPU minimum, so the per-host core count directly determines your subscription requirement. An inaccurate or stale inventory is the most common reason a position is overstated.
Knowing which components are cloud-connected and what they report is part of good SAM, both for data hygiene and so you understand what evidence exists about your usage before any review.
No. This is a directory, not a ranking. Firms are listed in neutral alphabetical order with balanced pros and cons. Independence is shown as a pro; a reseller, partner or vendor-side-audit relationship is shown as a con. Both are factual trade-offs for you to weigh.
Nothing. The directory and matching are free for buyers, we add no markup and take no money from software publishers, and no vendor sees your brief. Engagement fees are agreed directly with the firm; we publish no prices.
Tell us your situation and we route your brief to the firms that cover it. The directory and matching are free for buyers, no vendor ever sees your brief, and no firm is recommended over another.
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