---
title: "Finally! VCF License Portability on Google Cloud VMware Engine"
date: "2025-04-23T00:00:00Z"
tags: ["Broadcom", "VCF", "BYOL", "GCVE"]
categories: ["Google Cloud", "Licensing"]
---


This is the announcement many of us have been waiting for since the Broadcom acquisition. Google Cloud and Broadcom have officially enabled **VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) license portability** for GCVE.

## What is VCF Portability?

Simply put, you can now decouple the hardware cost from the software cost. Previously, when you bought a node (like `ve1-standard`), the price included the VMware SDDC stack license. Now, you can purchase "hardware-only" nodes from Google and apply your own VCF licenses purchased directly from Broadcom.

![VCF License Portability Diagram][1]

## Why should you care?

1.  **Cost Savings:** If you have a massive Enterprise Agreement (EA) with Broadcom, your per-core cost might be lower than what was bundled by Google.
2.  **Flexibility:** You can move licenses between on-prem and cloud.
3.  **Future Proofing:** As we approach October 2025 (more on that in a future post), this will become the standard way to consume GCVE.

## Summary

This is the first step in a major shift in how we buy cloud VMware resources. Check your entitlements in the Broadcom portal before spinning up your next Private Cloud!

[1]: /images/uploads/2025/04/vcf-portability-diagram.webp

[100]: https://www.cio.com/article/3957459/achieve-greater-business-value-with-vmware-cloud-foundation-on-google-cloud-vmware-engine.html 'Achieve greater business value with VMware Cloud Foundation'