Short answer: Broadcom’s current vSphere licensing documents reviewed here set a minimum of 16 licensed cores per processor. A separate 2025 CRN report, citing an Arrow memo, described a 72-core minimum per VMware license order line and a late-renewal charge of 20% of the first-year subscription price. Broadcom’s published documents do not independently confirm those two reported terms as universal current rules. Your quote and executed agreement determine what applies to your purchase or renewal.
What changed, according to the report?
In 2025, CRN reported that an Arrow memo to solution providers described changes beginning April 10. According to CRN’s account, the memo said the minimum VMware license order would rise from 16 to 72 cores per command line, and that a late subscription renewal would incur a charge equal to 20% of the first-year subscription price. CRN quoted Arrow’s memo as saying: “Starting April 10, the minimum number of cores required for VMware licenses will increase substantially from 16 to 72 cores per command line.”
CRN also gave examples attributed to the memo: an 8-core, single-processor server would be licensed for 72 cores, while five dual-processor servers with 16 cores per processor—160 cores total—would be licensed for 160 cores. CRN reported that Broadcom and Arrow had not responded by publication time. The figures are therefore a report of what the memo said, not independent confirmation of a current, universally applicable contract rule. CRN’s report
Is the official minimum 16 or 72 cores?
Those figures describe different things. Broadcom’s May 2026 vSphere Standard Specific Program Documentation (SPD) sets a minimum licensing requirement of 16 cores per processor. The 72-core figure in CRN’s 2025 report refers to a minimum quantity per order line described in the Arrow memo. A processor-level licensing floor does not, by itself, establish an order-line minimum.
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The May 2026 Standard SPD says: “Software is subscription software licensed on a per Core license metric with a minimum licensing requirement of 16 Cores per Processor.” It also says every core on the server where the software is installed must be licensed, including cores disabled in BIOS. Broadcom’s February 2026 vSphere Enterprise Plus SPD states the same 16-core-per-processor minimum and all-cores requirement. Broadcom vSphere Standard SPD and licensing documents Broadcom support resources and document versions
So, based on those documents, the documented licensing floor is 16 cores per processor—not 72 cores per processor. They do not independently confirm the 72-core minimum per order line reported by CRN.
How many cores do you have to license per CPU?
For the vSphere Standard and Enterprise Plus documents cited above, count the physical cores in each processor in the server running the software, then apply the 16-core minimum to each processor. License every core on the server, including any disabled in BIOS. “CPU” is often used informally to mean a processor; check your product and agreement because the documents specify the licensing metric and applicable terms.
- A processor with fewer than 16 physical cores is subject to the documented 16-core-per-processor minimum.
- A processor with more than 16 physical cores requires licensing for its cores; the minimum does not cap the number.
- Where a server has multiple processors, count and apply the per-processor minimum to each, then account for all server cores as required by the SPD.
This calculation addresses the processor-level licensing rule. It does not settle whether a separate order-line quantity applies to your transaction.
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CRN’s account does not establish that every customer, region, product SKU, renewal, or reseller transaction is subject to a 72-core order minimum. Broadcom’s SPD says the applicable document version depends on the transaction: generally, it is the version published when Broadcom accepts the transaction document; for software delivered as part of support, the version in effect on installation applies. The SPD and your customer agreement—not a trade-publication account alone—are the documents to check.
Before approving a quote, ask Broadcom or your reseller to identify in writing the product SKU, geography, order-line minimum, effective date, and contract provision that apply to your specific transaction. Also confirm whether the quote is for a new subscription, a renewal, or software delivered through support.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happens if you renew VMware late?
The reported late-renewal charge is 20% of the first-year subscription price, according to the Arrow memo as reported by CRN in 2025. The official documents cited here do not independently establish that charge or verify that it currently applies to every customer. Ask for the fee calculation, trigger date, and applicable contract language in your actual quote or agreement before relying on the reported figure.
If your support contract has expired, Broadcom’s support guidance says you can request a support-contract renewal quote. For VCF/VVF 9.0, license files and management workflows differ from older license-key workflows; consult the product-specific guidance rather than assuming the older key process still applies. Broadcom: How to renew a support contract
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Quick Recap
What should you do before signing or renewing?
- Calculate the processor-level requirement. Count physical cores per processor on each server running the software, including cores disabled in BIOS, and apply the 16-core-per-processor minimum where the cited SPD applies.
- Separate licensing from ordering. Ask whether your quote has a minimum per processor, per server, or per order line, and request the specific written term supporting it.
- Get late-renewal terms in writing. Ask for the precise renewal deadline, any charge, how it is calculated, and which agreement clause governs it.
- Check the governing documents. Confirm the accepted transaction document, applicable SPD version, product edition, geography, and renewal status with Broadcom or your reseller.
- Compare alternatives only against your own requirements. If evaluating options such as Hyper-V, Scale Computing, or Proxmox, compare migration and renewal costs, workload and hardware compatibility, support, staff expertise, downtime risk, and contract exit costs. CRN’s mention of these products is not a technical or total-cost comparison. CRN’s report on alternatives mentioned by partner sources
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
