CISPE files antitrust complaint to force Broadcom to reopen VMware partner program
The termination removes an established VMware distribution channel for small and medium cloud service providers and enforces a 3,500-core minimum eligibility threshold that renders hundreds of CSPs ineligible.
Change
CISPE filed an antitrust complaint with the European Commission seeking interim measures that would require Broadcom to reopen VMware's cloud service provider partner program, reinstate displaced partners, and bar retaliation.
Why it matters
An interim order from the European Commission could legally prevent Broadcom from using high-core thresholds or invite-only criteria to exclude small and medium cloud providers in Europe. Such relief could also block enforcement of recent steep price increases and product-bundling or commitment requirements while the case proceeds, creating legal uncertainty around partner eligibility and contract enforcement.
Implications
- — Broadcom must reinstate displaced European VMware cloud service provider partners and suspend enforcement of the 3,500-core partnership requirement if the European Commission imposes the interim measures CISPE requested.
- — European Commission antitrust officials must decide whether to impose interim relief that would prohibit Broadcom from retaliating against former partners during the investigation.
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