Termination of VMware IT Academy and Academic Software License Programs by Broadcom VMware

On August 2nd 2024, Broadcom VMware informed Network Development Group that it has terminated the VMware IT Academy and Academic Software License programs.

More information

In accordance with our Broadcom agreements, NDG will support VMware ICM and OSS labs until the required termination. In our continued commitment to supporting learners and academic institutions, NDG is providing alternative virtualization learning options. The NDG Proxmox VE 8: Setup and Management labs enable academic institutions to transition from VMware while continuing to teach virtualization effectively.

If you currently have or acquire a VMware vSphere license, NETLAB+ will continue to function as intended. Please note that a VMware vSphere license is not included with NETLAB+. The NDG team is working on a NETLAB+ version that will utilize Proxmox instead of VMware vSphere.

NDG has taken the following steps:

Development of Proxmox VE Labs:

• NDG has created Proxmox Virtual Environment (VE) labs tailored for academic institutions, allowing the teaching of an open-source hypervisor in classroom settings.
• Proxmox Virtual Environment (Proxmox VE) is an open-source server virtualization platform that is available at no cost. (APGLv3, and it is free to use - no license cost. There are optional support costs if you so choose.)

Advanced Proxmox Lab Library:

• NDG is finalizing a more advanced lab library for Proxmox, which will offer enhanced features and capabilities for educational purposes.

• NDG plans to migrate the NETLAB+ platform from VMware vSphere to Proxmox.
• This migration will require some time, and as of now, there is no specific date for when NETLAB+ Proxmox support will be available.