Broadcom Advances Open Ecosystem for VMware Cloud Foundation

Rhea-AI Summary

Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) announced expansions to the VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) ecosystem on Nov 12, 2025, including a new VCF AI ReadyNodes certification for CPU/GPU/accelerator systems, an ODM self-certification path via the Broadcom Technology Alliance Program, and support for edge-optimized nodes.

The company also described an open networking strategy centered on EVPN/BGP interoperability, alignment with Cisco Nexus One fabrics, support for SONiC, and open-source contributions including VKS achieving Certified Kubernetes AI Conformant status.

Positive

• VCF AI ReadyNodes certified for CPU/GPU/accelerator AI training and inference
• ODM self-certification via Broadcom TAP to expand ReadyNode sourcing flexibility
• VCF Networking moving to EVPN/BGP interoperability aligned with Cisco Nexus One
• VMware vSphere Kubernetes Service (VKS) is Certified Kubernetes AI Conformant

Negative

• None.

New ODM Self-Certification Program, Open Networking Initiative, and Open Source Software Contributions Fuel Flexible, Adaptable Private Clouds

New and Expanded Collaborations Announced with Cisco, Intel, OVHcloud, SNUC and Supermicro

PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO) announced it is advancing an open, extensible ecosystem for VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), enabling customers to build, connect, protect, and extend their modern private clouds. With these announcements, Broadcom is delivering a private cloud platform that is open and adaptable across all infrastructure layers. Customers will have increased ability to leverage their preferred data center and edge hardware infrastructure, open networking constructs, and open source technologies for on-prem and hosted private cloud environments, while VCF partners will have more opportunity for innovation.

“The momentum behind VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 is undeniable. It's a platform that's redefining how organizations approach their private cloud journey, offering a consistent operating model that spans data centers to the edge,” said Paul Turner, Chief Product Officer, VMware Cloud Foundation Division, Broadcom. “By fostering an open VCF ecosystem, we're empowering businesses to build modern private clouds that align with their strategic needs, ensuring they can leverage the technologies required for their unique environments.”

Open Hardware Ecosystem Enables Flexibility and Choice for Modern Private Cloud Deployments
Broadcom is expanding its open hardware certification program to increase Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) participation through new VCF AI ReadyNodes, ODM self-service certification, and support for new edge systems.

• New VCF AI ReadyNodes: This open and streamlined certification process will help ensure customers can adopt next-generation CPU, GPU, and accelerator technologies as they become available. VCF AI ReadyNodes will be certified with pre-qualified servers for AI model training and inference. Supermicro will be among the first OEM partners to certify an AI ReadyNode system.
  
• ODM Partner Self-Certification: Broadcom is expanding the VCF ReadyNode certification program to enable ODM partners to self-certify ReadyNodes through the Broadcom Technology Alliance Program (TAP). All certified systems will be validated for full interoperability with VMware Cloud Foundation with consistent VCF lifecycle management. This program expansion will provide customers more sourcing flexibility and help further improve VCF total cost of ownership.
  
• Edge Ecosystem Expansion: Broadcom will support new edge-optimized nodes for rugged, compact servers in industrial, defense, retail and other remote site applications. This will support the growing deployment of modern private cloud infrastructure closer to data generation points on factory floors and retail outlets.
  

“Supermicro is excited to be among the first hardware OEMs to certify our industry-leading GPU systems as VCF AI ReadyNodes,” said Ismail Sayeeduddin, Vice President, Business Development, Supermicro. “This milestone gives customers a clear migration path from previously certified Supermicro systems in the VMware certification program to the latest fully validated and optimized GPU solutions that help eliminate the cost and complexity of AI adoption.”

“Broadcom's open certification program for VCF Ready hardware supports our vertical integration strategy, enabling us to self-certify our server systems for VMware Cloud Foundation,” said Yaniv Fdida, chief product and technology officer for OVHcloud. “This will reinforce our commitment to deliver our customers with competitive, high-performance private cloud services that remain cost-effective. Broadcom’s program will help accelerate our time-to-market for innovative and secure cloud solutions powered by VMware technology, further solidifying our position as a leading global cloud player.”

“Broadcom's expansion of the ReadyNode certification program accelerates the deployment of VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 on Intel Xeon 6 platforms,” said Caitlin Anderson, Corporate Vice President, Americas Sales at Intel Corporation. “This combination delivers greater hardware consolidation and cost optimization, which, when delivered through certified configurations, directly enables AI adoption via faster infrastructure modernization.”

“The pairing of purpose-built SNUC extremeEDGE servers with VMware Cloud Foundation will enable customers across industries to deliver the edge of tomorrow,” said Steve Savage, chief operating officer at SNUC. “Through self-certification of extremeEDGE as part of Broadcom’s expanded ReadyNode program, we will deliver our edge innovations faster, helping our mutual customers across industrial manufacturing, healthcare, retail, and the federal government maximize the value of AI.”

Open Networking to Simplify Private Cloud Deployments with EVPN Fabrics
Broadcom is announcing a new strategy to unify network fabrics and simplify networking operations in the modern private cloud through standards-based EVPN and BGP networking. This strategy will enhance interoperability between application environments and the network, promoting cloud-like simplicity. The open standards approach will accelerate deployments, enable multi-vendor flexibility, and preserve existing network investments. Customers will benefit from VPC level protection, consistent network operations, routing, and visibility across VCF Networking (NSX) domains and third-party networking solutions, enabling unified operations with end-to-end fabric-driven automation.

This approach aligns VCF and Cisco’s Nexus One fabric solution, promoting more consistent and reliable outcomes for mutual Cisco and VCF customers across data center fabric architectural design choices. Cisco’s unified Nexus One fabric approach implements a standard-based VXLAN EVPN control plane and data plane. With VCF’s move towards EVPN-based interoperability and a unified and open architecture, customers can drive faster innovation, shorten time to value, and lower total cost of ownership as VCF extends to the Cisco Nexus One fabric solution.

“Cisco's foundational work in VxLAN EVPN, backed by the industry's most comprehensive IETF standards authorship, reflects our long-standing commitment to open networking,” said Murali Gandluru, Vice President, Data Center Networking, Cisco. “This collaboration with Broadcom demonstrates our shared commitment to open standards—giving our customers architectural flexibility and choice as they connect, protect and scale both AI and traditional, business-critical workloads.”

Additionally, VCF Networking (NSX) supports Software for Open Networking in the Cloud (SONiC), an open-source network operating system based on Linux, in customer deployments today. SONiC provides customers with cost reduction by running on multi-vendor, commodity switch hardware, lowering both capital and operational expenses. The modular, containerized architecture accelerates innovation and agility, allowing operators to perform seamless, zero-downtime feature upgrades and rapid component rollbacks. Furthermore, its Linux Foundation and native API support enhances automation and control, to simplify operations and integrate networking management directly into modern, cloud-scale DevOps workflows.

Open Source Community Contributions Enable Industry Innovation
Broadcom continues to be an active participant in the Kubernetes community as a top five long-term contributor to CNCF, with contributions to projects such as Antrea, Cluster API, ContainerD, Contour, etcd, Harbor and others. Recently, the CNCF launched the Certified Kubernetes AI Conformance Program, a new initiative to standardize AI workloads on Kubernetes and ensure consistent, interoperable infrastructure for organizations moving AI into production. Broadcom is announcing that VMware vSphere Kubernetes Service (VKS) is now a Certified Kubernetes AI Conformant Platform. This milestone reinforces Broadcom’s commitment to open standards and helps customers innovate freely, knowing their AI platforms are built on a consistent, interoperable foundation.

“VMware by Broadcom has been a long-time contributor to CNCF and continues to play a key role in supporting core projects like Kubernetes,” said Chris Aniszczyk, CTO of Cloud & Infrastructure at the Linux Foundation. “Their ongoing investment helps keep Kubernetes vendor-neutral and production-ready at scale, especially for newer AI workloads, and is critical for the health of the broader cloud native ecosystem.”

Additional Resources

• Read all the VMware Cloud Foundation blogs from Explore 2025
• Read the Private Cloud Outlook 2025 survey to learn about the Cloud Reset taking place
• Learn more about VMware Cloud Foundation
• Follow VMware Cloud Foundation social channels on LinkedIn, X, and YouTube

About Broadcom
Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO) is a global technology leader that designs, develops, and supplies a broad range of semiconductor, enterprise software and security solutions. Broadcom's product portfolio serves critical markets including cloud, data center, networking, broadband, wireless, storage, industrial, and enterprise software. Our solutions include service provider and enterprise networking and storage, mobile device and broadband connectivity, mainframe, cybersecurity, and private and hybrid cloud infrastructure. Broadcom is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. For more information, go to www.broadcom.com.

Broadcom, the pulse logo, and Connecting Everything are among the trademarks of Broadcom. The term "Broadcom" refers to Broadcom Inc., and/or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The information in this news release is for informational purposes only and may not be incorporated into any contract. There is no commitment or obligation to deliver any items presented herein.

Roger T. Fortier
VMware Cloud Foundation Division, Broadcom
roger.fortier@broadcom.com
+1.408.348.1569

FAQ

What did Broadcom announce for VMware Cloud Foundation (AVGO) on November 12, 2025?

Broadcom expanded VCF with VCF AI ReadyNodes, ODM self-certification, edge node support, EVPN/BGP networking alignment, and VKS AI conformance.

How does the new VCF AI ReadyNodes program affect AVGO customers?

VCF AI ReadyNodes provide pre-qualified server certifications for AI training and inference to simplify hardware adoption and lifecycle management.

What is ODM self-certification for VCF and why does it matter for AVGO partners?

ODM self-certification via Broadcom TAP lets ODMs validate ReadyNodes themselves, increasing sourcing flexibility and interoperability with VCF lifecycle tools.

How will Broadcom's EVPN/BGP networking strategy impact VCF networking for AVGO customers?

The EVPN/BGP approach aims to enable multi-vendor fabric interoperability, align with Cisco Nexus One, and simplify fabric-driven automation across VCF domains.

What does VKS becoming Certified Kubernetes AI Conformant mean for AVGO users?

VKS certification signals that VMware vSphere Kubernetes Service meets the CNCF AI conformance standard for consistent AI workloads on Kubernetes.