Broadcom’s Support Offerings
Introduction – Why Support Matters More Post-Broadcom
Broadcom’s acquisitions of VMware, CA, Symantec, and others have made support agreements a strategic focus for enterprises.
The company’s hardline approach means support isn’t just a renewal formality – it’s a key part of your vendor negotiation.
Broadcom often changes support structures and terms post-acquisition, so IT leaders must understand the options to avoid being locked into unfavorable arrangements.
For the ultimate guide, read Negotiating Broadcom Support & Maintenance: How to Secure Better Support Terms.
Unified Support Explained (Pros, Cons, Traps)
Unified Support (one contract covering multiple products for a single fee) is Broadcom’s bundled support model (often branded as an Enterprise Support agreement):
- Pros: One contract and renewal date for all products (simpler vendor management). Possible volume discounts when bundling support. A single Broadcom support team can oversee your entire portfolio.
- Cons: Opaque pricing – a lump fee hides individual product costs, making it hard to drop products you no longer use. Strong lock-in: if you leave Broadcom or retire a product, you might still pay for its support until the term ends.
- Watch-outs: Always demand a cost breakdown by product in a unified deal, and negotiate rights to remove or swap products annually. Without these, unified support can force you to pay for shelfware.
Tiered Support Levels (Bronze/Silver/Gold vs Standard/Premium)
Broadcom offers tiered support levels with different service SLAs:
- Basic/Standard: Business-hours coverage and slower response times. Includes patches and standard help. Often called “Essential Support” or “Software Maintenance.” Fine for non-critical systems.
- Advanced (24/7): 24×7 coverage for critical issues, faster response for high-severity tickets. Good for systems that need round-the-clock support.
- Premium/Gold: Highest support tier – 24×7 for all issues, fastest response, and often a Technical Account Manager (TAM) or designated engineer. For mission-critical applications that demand priority attention.
Tip: Broadcom might quote the lowest tier by default (or push the highest tier as “necessary”). Don’t accept blindly. Match each product to an appropriate tier.
Use premium support only where downtime is intolerable, and stick to standard support for less critical tools. You can negotiate a mix of tiers across your Broadcom portfolio to avoid overpaying for unnecessary 24×7 coverage.
Read about how to reduce costs, Reducing Support & Maintenance Costs in Broadcom Contracts.
Traditional Maintenance (Per-Product Support)
The legacy model is per-product support maintenance. You pay an annual fee (typically 18–22% of the license price) for each product’s support and updates.
This remains common for many CA mainframe and Symantec products:
- Advantages: Flexibility to manage support on a per-product basis. You can renew support for one product and drop another if it’s no longer needed. Each product’s maintenance includes its updates and standard support.
- Drawbacks: Managing multiple contracts and various renewal dates can be challenging. Broadcom may raise maintenance fees yearly if not capped. Additionally, Broadcom is encouraging customers to adopt subscriptions (which include support), so standalone maintenance contracts may face price hikes or pressure to migrate.
If you stick with per-product maintenance, negotiate carefully. Ensure the maintenance rate is on your discounted purchase price (not list price).
Try to cap annual support fee increases or lock rates for a term. Align renewal dates whenever possible to increase leverage (one negotiation for all your support).
Support Variations by Product Family
Broadcom’s support model can vary across its portfolio:
- VMware: Historically had Basic (12×5), Production (24×7 for critical issues), and Mission Critical (24×7 + TAM) tiers. Broadcom may streamline this into a single standard support offering. Remember, VMware support is remote-only (no on-site visits). Verify the support level Broadcom will provide for your VMware products now – ensure it’s equivalent to what you had (e.g., if you need 24/7 support, confirm that it is included).
- CA Mainframe: Mainframe support often uses capacity-based pricing (tied to MIPS/MSUs). It typically includes specialized z/OS support engineers and is by nature comprehensive (mainframe shops demand high-touch service). Ensure you have 24×7 coverage, given the mainframe’s criticality. Also, clarify how support fees change if your mainframe capacity grows or contracts.
- Symantec (Enterprise Security): Support is usually priced per user or endpoint. Standard support covers updates and business-hours help. Broadcom also offers premium support options (akin to Symantec’s old Gold/Platinum levels) with faster responses and dedicated contacts for large security deployments. If security is mission-critical (e.g., DLP systems), consider a premium support upgrade; otherwise, standard support may suffice for general endpoint software.
Hidden Traps & Vendor Defaults to Watch
Watch for these Broadcom tactics:
- Minimal Support by Default: The initial quote may include only the lowest support tier. Essential 24×7 coverage or quick response might be omitted until you pay more. Clarify what’s included upfront.
- Unified Lock-In: Unified support contracts can lock you in. If you retire or replace a product, you may still be required to pay for its support. Negotiate the right to drop unused products from the support bundle to avoid paying for shelfware.
- List-Price Math: Broadcom sometimes calculates support fees on the full list price rather than your discounted price. This inflates costs. Insist on support fees being based on the net price you actually paid.
- Automatic Increases: Be cautious of auto-renewal clauses that include built-in yearly price hikes. Push back or cap any annual increase in support fees to avoid unexpected jumps later.
Negotiation Tactics for Support Agreements
Support terms are negotiable. Key tactics:
- Unified Support: Demand transparency and flexibility. Request a per-product cost breakdown from Broadcom. Negotiate a clause to adjust or remove products (with a fee adjustment) if your needs change. Ensure the unified fee includes the support level you require for each product (e.g., 24×7 for critical ones).
- Tiered Support: Right-size support for each system. You can mix tiers in one contract – leverage that. For example, agree to Premium support for your most critical application, but opt for Standard support for everything else. Also, pre-negotiate any future tier upgrades at a fixed rate, so Broadcom can’t overcharge if you need to elevate support later.
- Per-Product Maintenance: Control the costs. Ensure support is charged on discounted license costs and try to lock the maintenance percentage for multiple years. Co-term renewals are possible for a single negotiating event. If you anticipate dropping a product, obtain agreement on how that will affect fees (e.g., no penalties, pro-rated reduction, etc.).
Decision Matrix – Choosing the Right Support Model
- Unified Support – Ideal when you use multiple Broadcom products and want a single, simplified contract. It offers convenience and potentially better pricing for a big bundle. Use it if you’re committed to Broadcom’s portfolio in the long term and will benefit from one-stop support (after negotiating flexibility into the deal).
- Tiered Support – Ideal when your products have varying levels of criticality. It lets you pay only for high-end support where truly needed. This model can save money by not overserving less critical systems, though it requires managing different SLAs.
- Per-Product Maintenance – Best for stable or legacy environments, or when you only have one primary Broadcom product. It maximizes flexibility (you can drop or add support per product easily). This works if your support needs are basic and you want to avoid bundled commitments.
Large enterprises might use a mix – for example, unified support for most products but separate maintenance on a few niche tools.
The key is to consciously choose based on your environment, rather than simply accepting Broadcom’s default.
Checklist for Buyers Evaluating Broadcom Support
Ask yourself:
- What support level are we currently on? (Document your current tier for each product so you don’t lose any coverage when renewing.)
- Is Broadcom pushing Unified Support in this renewal? (Are they bundling multiple products’ support into one contract? Why, and is that good for us?)
- Are support fees based on our discounted license cost? (Ensure maintenance percentages apply to the price you actually paid, not list price.)
- Do the proposed SLAs meet our needs? (Will the response times and coverage hours support our operational requirements, especially for critical systems?)
Example Contract Clauses for Support
Consider including clauses such as:
- “Support fees shall be based on the net discounted license cost, not list price.”
- “Customer may elect to reduce the Unified Support scope annually by removing unused products.”
These contract terms enforce cost fairness and flexibility, preventing surprises over the support term.
Read about our Broadcom Negotiation Service.
