🧩 The Telefónica x VMware Case: A Strong Signal for the Secondary Market for Second-Hand Licenses

🧩 The Telefónica x VMware Case: A Strong Signal for the Secondary Market for Second-Hand Licenses

A new wind is blowing over IT optimization.

And this time, it doesn't come from an innovative startup…

But from a global telecommunications giant: Telefónica.

Recently, the Spanish operator made a strong strategic choice:

📉 Against the inflation induced by the acquisition of VMware by Broadcom, it favored the purchase of second-hand licenses.

A rare, courageous decision — and above all very instructive for the rest of the market.

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🧠 Why this decision discreetly changes the rules of the game

While VMware clients are currently undergoing a profound transformation of their contracts, pricing conditions, and support model, Telefónica took an alternative route:

✔️ Impossible renegotiation?

✔️ Rising costs?

✔️ Imposed SaaS model?

🔁 Solution: take advantage of the secondary market for still valid on-premise licenses, in compliance with European rules, notably the UsedSoft vs. Oracle ruling.

This movement confirms that the secondary market for licenses is no longer taboo. It becomes a tool for software sovereignty.

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📊 What this reveals about the evolution of the software sector

This emblematic case validates several weak signals already at work:

        • Companies want to regain power over their IT consumption model

        • Total cost of ownership (TCO) has become a priority again in an inflationary context

        • The “imposed” or forced cloud is no longer as appealing, especially in critical infrastructures

        • The secondary market becomes a concrete response to the planned obsolescence of license models

This is no longer just a crisis tactic.

It is a proactive strategy of budget optimization and operational continuity.

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🌍 Why this is excellent news for the entire ecosystem

At Softcorner, we see in this movement a strong — and optimistic — signal:

🔹 Large companies are leading the way.

What was sometimes perceived as “risky” or “non-strategic” becomes an act of reasoned management, defensible in the boardroom.

🔹 IT departments are regaining control.

The secondary market is no longer a last resort. It is a lever for flexibility, budgetary agility, and even, at times, operational resilience.

🔹 A domino effect is to be expected.

As often in the B2B world, the first movers create a dynamic. And the Telefónica case is likely to inspire others, especially among groups subject to digital sobriety plans or stricter budgetary arbitrations.

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🧭 What can your company do today?

If you use software like VMware, SAP, Oracle, or Microsoft, you have three options:

        1. Resell your unused or decommissioned licenses

→ Free up budget, simplify your inventory, stay compliant.

        2. Buy second-hand licenses to circumvent price increases

→ Reduce your acquisition costs by 30 to 70%, while maintaining your current architectures.

        3. Structure an internal software optimization policy

→ Equip yourself with a secondary market reflex in your tenders or contract reviews.

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Conclusion

🎯 Telefónica's initiative is much more than an anecdote in the post-Broadcom commercial war.

It is proof by example that the secondary market is a strategic, legal, and economically viable option.

For those who wish to regain control,

📩 it may be time to seriously explore this alternative.

And if you have unused licenses or occasional needs…

Softcorner is here to support you.