ITAM Roundup: 4/20/25

roundup Apr 20, 2025

📰 News

AWS claims 50% of Azure workloads would jump ship if licensing costs allowed

AWS told the UK's competition watchdog that up to 50% of Azure workloads would shift to rival clouds if Microsoft’s licensing costs and restrictions weren’t so prohibitive, arguing these practices unfairly inflate prices and limit competition. Both AWS and Google claim that Microsoft forces customers to repurchase licenses they already own when using non-Azure clouds, creating artificial barriers and making it harder for rivals to compete. Microsoft disputes these claims, defending its intellectual property rights and pricing, while the CMA is expected to issue a final ruling on the matter by July.

VMware closing a door opens up new VDI possibilities

The decline of VMware—accelerated by its acquisition by Broadcom and the uncertain future of its EUC division, now rebranded as Omnissa—has shaken confidence in legacy VDI providers and opened the door for alternatives. This shift, combined with dissatisfaction toward cloud giants and recent changes in Microsoft licensing, is driving interest in open-source and KVM-based VDI solutions, especially among SMEs and specialized industries. As organizations seek more secure, cost-effective, and flexible options, embracing open technologies can promote innovation and help counteract the dominance of big tech.

Court rules against Google in advertising technology antitrust case

A U.S. federal court has ruled that Google holds an illegal monopoly in the advertising technology market, specifically through its DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP) and AdExchange products. The court found that Google unfairly tied these tools together, making it difficult for competitors to operate and for publishers to access ad auctions without using Google’s services. While Google plans to appeal, the court will soon determine potential remedies, which may include forcing Google to divest parts of its ad tech business or alter its practices.

📖 Tips

Free ESXi Is Back! But What’s the Catch?

Broadcom has quietly reinstated the free version of VMware ESXi, a move welcomed by hobbyists and small labs but accompanied by limited details and registration requirements. While this gesture offers a lifeline to non-enterprise users, it doesn't change Broadcom’s overarching shift toward enterprise subscriptions and away from community-focused support. The return of free ESXi appears strategic—possibly a “freemium” approach to counter competitors like Proxmox—but its long-term commitment remains uncertain.

Elevate your packaging efficiency: Introducing ‘My Requests’ in AdminStudio

AdminStudio has significantly streamlined software deployment with its Package Feed Module, offering access to over 3,600 pre-tested vendor setups, one-click downloads, and ready-to-use silent installation commands—reducing packaging time from days to minutes. The new ‘My Requests’ feature further enhances efficiency by allowing users to request new applications directly within AdminStudio, eliminating support tickets and speeding up catalog updates. Together, these enhancements empower IT admins to deploy software faster, with fewer errors and greater transparency.

10 IT Inventory Management Challenges You Can Actually Fix

Managing IT inventory presents unique challenges — from limited asset visibility and outdated data to shadow IT, manual tracking, and poor lifecycle management — all of which can lead to inefficiencies, compliance risks, and security vulnerabilities. InvGate Asset Management addresses these issues with features like automated discovery, real-time updates, lifecycle tracking, and seamless integrations, giving teams centralized control and accurate data across hardware, software, and cloud environments.

Adobe Acrobat & PDF Services Enterprise Licensing Playbook

This Adobe Acrobat & PDF Services Enterprise Licensing Playbook helps CIOs of mid-to-large enterprises optimize their licensing strategy for Adobe Acrobat and related PDF tools. It outlines how to choose between Acrobat Standard and Pro based on user roles, compares standalone Acrobat licenses with the Creative Cloud All-Apps bundle, and provides cost-saving recommendations—such as limiting Pro to power users and avoiding duplicate licensing. The guide also includes practical steps for license audits, usage monitoring, and negotiating contracts to ensure efficient, need-based deployment and spending.

Adobe Acrobat & PDF Services Enterprise Licensing Playbook

Optimize Adobe Acrobat & PDF Services Enterprise Licensing Playbook for CIOs of mid-to-large enterprises. Choose the right Acrobat editions and licensing models strategically.

Redress Compliance - Just another WordPress siteFredrik Filipsson

🐛Bugs & Exploits

Cisco Webex bug lets hackers gain code execution via meeting links

Cisco has patched a high-severity vulnerability (CVE-2025-20236) in its Webex app that could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on users' systems through malicious meeting links. The flaw, caused by inadequate input validation in Webex’s custom URL parser, affects multiple versions of the app and has no workarounds, making updates essential. Cisco also addressed other security issues this week, including privilege escalation and LDAP enumeration bugs, though no active exploitation has been detected for these newly patched flaws.