For Military VMware users: When Underwater Operations Meet Licensing Flexibility

📌 TLDR

VMware has introduced a new “critical license” mode for truly disconnected environments like military submarines and tanks, where regular license reporting isn’t feasible. This update suspends license check-ins until it’s safe to reconnect, reflecting a rare case of real-world operational needs shaping software compliance rules. For SAM teams, it’s a reminder to adapt licensing governance for secure, offline, or mission-critical systems—no matter how deep underwater they might be.

Fun fact: VMware has introduced a new “critical” license designation to accommodate environments where continuous connectivity for license reporting is impossible, like military submarines. This tweak highlights the growing need for licensing models that account for truly disconnected or highly secure environments.

What Changed

VMware software subscriptions traditionally require one of two licensing modes:

• Connected Mode: Systems must generate licensing activity reports and upload them every 180 days.
• Disconnected Mode: Customers must manually upload licensing information.

However, this created a problem for environments that cannot, or must not, connect, even periodically. Military submarines, for instance, operate in complete radio silence. Bringing systems online to report licenses risks exposure.

In response, VMware now allows certain deployments to be designated as “critical licenses,” suspending the reporting requirement until a safer, more convenient moment. According to Paul Turner, VP of Broadcom’s Cloud Foundation Division, this flexibility extends to other mission-critical systems like tanks.

NGL, I never thought we’d write, or read, about licensing for submarines or tanks. Yet here we are, in a world where compliance must contend with operational silence. This change is a quirky footnote in licensing history, but also a crucial reminder: SAM policies must reflect real-world usage, no matter how absurd it may seem.

Sources

• The Register, August 27, 2025 — “VMware tweaked its software licensing so submarines can keep running when they’re beneath the waves” techvxrealm.in+7The Register+7EasySAM+7
• VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 Licensing Documentation — Licensing overview, modes (connected/disconnected/critical), and unified license data management: https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/vcf/vcf-9-0-and-later/9-0/licensing/licensing-overview.html