Brief

Topgolf cuts $11.3 million in costs by switching from VMware to VergeOS

The entertainment venue replaced 650 VxRail hosts with 400 Dell servers and secured a longer software license, cutting millions in expenses.

By Felo News Desk · Published Wed, 14 Oct 2026 10:36:23 GMT

Topgolf reported savings of more than $11.3 million after migrating its data‑center infrastructure from VMware to VergeOS, according to an Ars Technica article published on 13 October 2026.

The company swapped 650 VxRail hosts for roughly 400 Dell PowerEdge servers over a six‑month period, shrinking hardware spend by 87 percent. Storage capacity also fell from 35 TB across six‑node clusters to 5 TB in three‑node VergeOS clusters. Software licensing costs dropped 77 percent, and Topgolf secured a five‑year enterprise license agreement with VergeOS, extending beyond VMware’s three‑year offer.

Topgolf’s CTO, Forehand, said the move to VergeOS’s Virtual Data Center enabled multi‑tenant segmentation, simplifying upgrades, maintenance, and even allowing nested labs on a single cluster, which further reduced hardware requirements.

Key facts

Topgolf saved over $11.3 million after leaving VMware (arstechnica.com)
Hardware spend fell 87 percent by replacing 650 VxRail hosts with about 400 Dell PowerEdge servers (arstechnica.com)
Software costs dropped 77 percent and a five‑year license was secured (arstechnica.com)