Moving toward LessOps with VMware-to-cloud migrations | MIT Technology Review

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Skip to ContentMIT Technology ReviewFeaturedTopicsNewslettersEventsAudioMIT Technology ReviewFeaturedTopicsNewslettersEventsAudioSponsoredComputingMoving toward LessOps with VMware-to-cloud migrationsAs enterprises seek to do more with less, VMware migrations offer a practical path to making progress on modernization goals with limited resources.
By MIT Technology Review Insightsarchive pageNovember 27, 2025In partnership withCognizant Today’s IT leaders face competing mandates to do more (“make us an ‘AI-first’ enterprise—yesterday”) with less (“no new hires for at least the next six months”). VMware has become a focal point of these dueling directives. It remains central to enterprise IT, with 80% of organizations using VMware infrastructure products. But shifting licensing models are prompting teams to reconsider how they manage and scale these workloads, often on tighter budgets. DOWNLOAD THE ARTICLE For many organizations, the path forward involves adopting a LessOps model, an operational strategy that makes hybrid environments manageable without increasing headcount. This operational philosophy minimizes human intervention through extensive automation and selfservice capabilities while maintaining governance and compliance. In practice, VMware-to-cloud migrations create a “two birds, one stone” opportunity. They present a practical moment to codify the automation and governance practices LessOps depends on—laying the groundwork for a leaner, more resilient IT operating model.
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Moving toward LessOps with VMware-to-cloud migrations presents a pragmatic strategy for organizations navigating the complexities of modern IT demands. As described in an MIT Technology Review Insights article, today’s IT leaders face a significant challenge: the imperative to increase operational efficiency (“do more with less”) alongside the need for rapid modernization initiatives, such as embracing AI. VMware, a dominant force in enterprise infrastructure (utilized by 80% of organizations), finds itself at the center of this tension, largely due to evolving licensing models that encourage reassessment of workload management and scaling strategies, frequently within constrained budgetary limitations.

The article highlights the adoption of a “LessOps” operational philosophy as a viable response. This model prioritizes minimizing manual intervention through comprehensive automation and self-service capabilities, while simultaneously maintaining crucial governance and compliance controls. The VMware-to-cloud migration process strategically creates an opportunity to implement these LessOps principles, essentially achieving “two birds with one stone”. Specifically, the shift allows organizations to simultaneously consolidate infrastructure and automate operational procedures, laying the foundational groundwork for a leaner and more resilient IT operating model.

The VMware migration, therefore, acts as a catalyst for establishing standardized automation and governance practices. The key benefit is not simply the movement to the cloud, but the deliberate incorporation of operational methodologies designed to reduce the need for extensive human oversight. This proactive approach addresses the core tension between doing more with less, offering a tangible pathway towards optimizing IT resources and enhancing overall organizational agility. The article posits that this strategic consolidation, supported by a leaner operating model, represents a practical solution for organizations grappling with the demands of modernization while simultaneously addressing resource constraints.