After Broadcom shook up its VMware Cloud Service Provider (VCSP) business, Ahead is teaming with RapidScale to provide VCSP offerings to over 100 Ahead enterprise customers.
Channel superstar Ahead has tapped RapidScale as its new VMware Cloud Service Provider, a move that will see around 120 mid- to upper-enterprise customers from Ahead now teaming with RapidScale.
The partnership deal unites RapidScale’s scalable managed cloud platform and operational expertise with Ahead’s infrastructure and transformation capabilities to deliver continuity and a clear VMware roadmap for customers.
“We gave our clients clear notice that we were partnering with RapidScale and the contract would be moving over to them,” said Ahead’s Stephen Ayoub, co-founder and executive vice chairman. “We’ve had very little, if any, customer pushback. And our customers have been excited to lean in with RapidScale.”
[Related: VMware Star 11:11 Acquires ‘Hundreds’ Of IBM Customers In Blockbuster VCF Push]
After Broadcom dramatically cut the number of eligible VMware cloud service providers and revamped its VMware Cloud Service Provider (VCSP) program, many VMware partners need to find an official VCSP partner, like RapidScale, to fulfill their clients’ VMware needs.
RapidScale CEO Duane Barnes said his company and Ahead both have a similar enterprise client base that aligns with Ahead’s customers’ needs around VMware by Broadcom.
“We’re giving these clients the best of both worlds,” said RapidScale’s CEO. “They have the utmost flexibility and optionality with two of the best companies in the business working to support them every day.”
Ahead: RapidScale Was The ‘Best Match’ For Clients
Ayoub (pictured) said VCSP standout RapidScale was the “best match” for Ahead clients to flourish on the VMware Cloud Foundation platform. He said the partnership is designed to provide lasting continuity and proactively address any future constraints related to VCSP eligibility and timing.
“We’re still very focused on growth of our traditional resale Broadcom and VMware licenses, and have a massive implementation team,” Ahead’s co-founder said.
“We have a commitment to VMware to continue to position and sell the platform, optimize the platform, and make sure that our clients realize the full potential of the investment in the Broadcom suite,” he added.
Ahead will continue as a VMware reseller while leveraging RapidScale’s VCSP capabilities to support customers’ private cloud needs.
Barnes said RapidScale and Ahead have a joint go-to-market strategy in which both teams are referring business to each other out in the field.
“In our partnership agreement, we would encourage our sales teams and compensate them both directions when we uncover new opportunities together,” he said.
RapidScale ranks No. 173 on CRN’s 2026 Solution Provider 500 list, while Ahead ranks No. 24.
RapidScale One Of Few VCSPs Left
RapidScale is an Elite VCSP Partner and one of the few VMware partners big enough to qualify for the VCSP program, which has been trimmed significantly over the past two years.
In fact, RapidScale was named Broadcom’s 2025 VMware Cloud Foundation as a Service Partner of the Year.
RapidScale’s CEO said around 120 of Ahead’s mid- to upper- enterprise customers are adjusting to the new partnership.
“Our sales teams are super aligned,” said Barnes.
“The clients, other than just ask questions about us and our delivery models, have been largely unaffected at all—other than just getting acclimated to a new team,” he said. “But we are also working very closely with the Ahead account team. So from a go-to-market perspective, if a client needs more hardware, needs more widgets, licensing services—we’re still working together to serve that client jointly. So it wasn’t like a ‘Hey, let’s just hand this over the fence and they’re your clients now. We very much view them as joint clients.”
Details Of Ahead And RapidScale’s VMware Strategy
The more than 100 Ahead customers will now get access to RapidScale’s managed cloud foundation, gain expanded resources and a durable VMware services model, without disruption to their existing environments.
As part of the collaboration, Ahead sellers will offer RapidScale’s portfolio of private cloud solutions.
Ayoub said giving his clients a stable VCSP-backed path forward while Ahead can focus on modernizing data centers and delivering differentiated value on top of the Broadcom and VMware platforms, is key.
“We’re partnering with RapidScale on VCSP buy-in. So clients looking for managed services solutions where they do not own infrastructure and RapidScale is providing a service to them,” Ayoub said.
RapidScale is now Ahead’s sole VMware private cloud managed services partner.
VMware Customers Move To VCF 9
One goal is to migrate existing VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) customers to newer VCF versions such as VCF 9 if it makes sense.
“Migrating the clients from [VCF] 7 or [VCF] 8 to modern day [VCF] 9—there’s a lot of features that they can take advantage of that can save them money at the end of the day that weren’t available in prior versions,” said RapidScale’s Barnes. “And all the features are unlocked now, which were kind of not available in prior versions.”
Ayoub said VMware services and resale sales are increasing with no plans of slowing down Ahead’s VMware business in the future.
“We look at both resale as well as services, and we’re seeing both of those trending very favorably for us,” he said.
“Our clients, at the end of the day, are looking for partners that can help them maximize the investment that they’re making in the platform. When done properly and with the right partner, they’re able to substantially see business value throughout the entire suite of products,” Ayoub said. “So that’s where we’re focusing our efforts.”
