How VMware's Debt-Fueled Acquisition Is Killing Open Source
12 days ago
- #Open-Source
- #Broadcom
- #Bitnami
- Bitnami is ending its free tier, transitioning to a premium service starting at $72,000 per year.
- Broadcom's CEO Hock Tan has a history of acquiring companies, cutting costs, raising prices, and focusing on enterprise customers.
- The VMware acquisition by Broadcom led to significant price hikes, with some customers facing increases of up to 1,250%.
- Bitnami's changes follow Broadcom's strategy, with planned 'brownouts' to disrupt services and push users towards paid plans.
- Developers and organizations are outraged but face limited alternatives due to the deep integration of Bitnami images in their infrastructure.
- The broader trend shows open-source projects increasingly moving away from free tiers, impacting the developer ecosystem.
- Broadcom's financial success comes at the cost of layoffs, disrupted communities, and priced-out small businesses.
- The Bitnami situation highlights the clash between open-source ideals and corporate profit motives.