In a searing open letter, Platform9 accused Broadcom of pulling a “bait-and-switch” by revoking promised access to updates and bugfixes for customers who bought VMware’s perpetual licences in good faith.

“What was once a thriving, customer-focused VMware ecosystem has faced sweeping changes in licensing and strategy, often at odds with what was to their benefit,” Platform9 wrote.

The fury stems from Broadcom’s move to axe perpetual licences and Support and Subscription (SnS) contracts not long after its $69 billion buyout of VMware. At the time, Broadcom insisted existing licences would remain functional and secure. That promise didn’t last.

“This past week, that promise was broken,” Platform9 said, noting that customers have now received cease and desist letters demanding they strip out patches and fixes unless they sign up for a subscription.

According to the letter, Broadcom’s latest policy twist claims that perpetual licences only cover “zero-day” patches, meaning customers must now pay up to remain secure or run unpatched software and pray.

Platform9 called the shift a betrayal of long-standing relationships, adding it follows a pattern of sharp renewal hikes and higher minimum core counts designed to squeeze the faithful.

“Customers need a strategic enterprise-class alternative to move to today,” the company warned.

Naturally, that alternative is Platform9 itself, which pitched its Private Cloud Director as a straight up VMware alternative, built by ex-VMware engineers who developed vCloud Director.

“We built Private Cloud Director with the same genuineness that made VMware special,” Platform9 wrote, reminding everyone that its toolchain supports familiar workflows, doesn’t require fresh kit and uses the company’s vJailbreak tool to simplify migration.

The pitch ends with an invite to try the Community Edition for free. But the subtext is clear, Broadcom’s VMware game has shredded trust and rivals are now circling with knives out.