You already moved to Azure. You shouldn't still be paying VMware licensing to stay there.
Azure VMware Solution (AVS) runs the full VMware stack — vSphere, vSAN, NSX-T — on Azure bare metal. That means Broadcom's licensing changes hit AVS customers just as hard as anyone still on-premises. F9 Infotech moves your AVS workloads to Nutanix Cloud Clusters (NC2) on Azure using Nutanix Move — keeping your Azure footprint, your networking, and your data exactly where it is, while retiring the VMware licensing line entirely.
Moving to AVS didn't exit VMware — it just moved VMware into Azure
AVS is a genuinely useful lift-and-shift path: it puts vCenter, vSAN, and NSX-T on Azure bare-metal hosts without re-architecting anything. But it's still VMware underneath — which means AVS customers are just as exposed to Broadcom's post-acquisition licensing changes, bundling requirements, and cost increases as anyone running VMware on-premises.
NC2 on Azure replaces the hypervisor itself — Nutanix AHV instead of vSphere — while keeping you on the same Azure infrastructure, the same VNets, and the same ExpressRoute connectivity you already have. It's the only path that actually removes VMware licensing risk without leaving Azure or re-architecting for Azure-native services your team may not be ready to run.
Staying on AVS vs. moving to NC2 on Azure
Both run on Azure bare metal. Only one still carries a VMware/Broadcom licensing line.
| Dimension | Azure VMware Solution (AVS) | NC2 on Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Underlying hypervisor | VMware vSphere / vSAN / NSX-T | Nutanix AHV — no VMware licensing |
| Licensing exposure | Subject to Broadcom's VMware licensing terms and bundling | Nutanix's own per-node consumption model |
| Azure footprint | Runs on dedicated Azure bare-metal hosts | Same — runs on dedicated Azure bare-metal hosts |
| Networking | Azure VNets, ExpressRoute | Unchanged — same VNets, ExpressRoute, Azure connectivity |
| Migration effort from AVS | N/A — already deployed | Automated conversion via Nutanix Move, minimal downtime |
| Management tooling | vCenter Server | Nutanix Prism Central / Element |
Nutanix Move, purpose-built for AVS-to-NC2 migration
Nutanix Move connects directly to your AVS environment and handles the hypervisor conversion for you.
Connect
Move links directly to your AVS environment to inventory and assess existing VMs.
Convert
VMware-format VMs are automatically converted to AHV-native workloads.
Map & Test
Guided VM mapping and network translation, with incremental replication so you can test before cutover.
Cut Over
Orchestrated cutover with minimal downtime — Azure networking stays unchanged from the workload's view.
Four reasons this beats the alternatives
The realistic alternatives are staying on AVS and absorbing rising VMware costs, or repatriating on-premises, or re-architecting for Azure-native. None of those are necessary.
No repatriation required
You keep your Azure investment, your network configuration, and your data gravity — nothing moves back on-premises.
No forced re-architecture
You don't need to redesign for native Azure services your team isn't yet equipped to run — NC2 keeps the same VM-based operating model.
Predictable, per-node licensing
Nutanix's consumption model replaces an open-ended VMware/Broadcom cost trajectory with a fixed, forecastable line item.
Migration tooling at no extra cost
Nutanix Move is provided at no additional cost for Nutanix customers — the migration path itself isn't a new line item.
From AVS assessment to a running NC2 environment
Assess AVS
Inventory your current AVS environment — vSphere clusters, vSAN storage, NSX-T networking, and VM dependencies.
Design the NC2 target
Size the destination NC2 cluster (minimum three nodes) and plan network translation to preserve existing connectivity.
Migrate with Nutanix Move
Convert and replicate VMs incrementally, testing in NC2 before final cutover.
Decommission & modernize
Retire the AVS environment and VMware licensing, then plan the next phase of modernization on NC2.
Deliverables from every AVS-to-NC2 engagement
- AVS environment assessment — full inventory of vSphere, vSAN, and NSX-T configuration and VM dependencies.
- NC2 target architecture — right-sized cluster design and network translation plan that preserves your existing VNets and ExpressRoute connectivity.
- Nutanix Move migration plan — VM mapping, test-before-cutover schedule, and a documented cutover runbook.
- Licensing transition plan — a clear path off VMware/Broadcom licensing onto Nutanix's per-node consumption model.
- Post-migration modernization roadmap — the path to a Zero-Compute DR tier and further Azure-native modernization once stable on NC2.
We know both sides of this migration, not just one
F9 Infotech is both a Microsoft partner and a Nutanix Solutions Partner — meaning we understand your AVS environment as deeply as the NC2 destination it's moving to. NC2 on Azure carries SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001-family, and CSA STAR Level 2 attestations, so the migration doesn't just solve a licensing problem — it lands you on an independently audited platform your compliance team can sign off on.
What a clean hypervisor swap looks like
How much is AVS's VMware licensing actually costing you?
Get an AVS-to-NC2 exit assessment from F9 Infotech and see the real licensing and migration numbers for your environment.