TL;DR
Lenovo introduced an FX series of hyperconverged appliances certified to run both VMware and Nutanix stacks and designed to be converted between them. The company positions the machines for pilots and cloud repatriation projects, and offers installation and migration services to customers weighing moves away from VMware.
What happened
Lenovo has rolled out a new FX line of hyperconverged appliances aimed at customers exploring alternatives to VMware. The systems are certified to operate with VMware and Nutanix hyperconverged stacks; Lenovo says customers can request installation of either platform and convert the hardware later if they change course. The FX machines are presented as a flexible option for proof-of-concept and pilot projects, with the vendor describing the design as an "unlocked" hardware approach that reduces platform lock-in. Lenovo also continues to offer purpose-tuned SKUs for specific stacks — HX for Nutanix, VX for VMware and MX for Microsoft Azure Local — and it provides services support for customers that want help migrating or swapping hypervisors. The FX models use liquid cooling, which Lenovo links to an ability to handle heavier workloads including AI.
Why it matters
- Offers a vendor-backed path for organizations that want to reduce dependence on a single hypervisor.
- Facilitates proof-of-concept and pilot projects by allowing hardware to be reconfigured for different hyperconverged stacks.
- Signals vendor responses to customer interest in cloud repatriation and multi-hypervisor strategies.
- Liquid cooling and design choices indicate Lenovo expects customers to run more demanding workloads, including AI, on-premises.
Key facts
- Lenovo introduced the FX series of hyperconverged appliances late in 2025.
- FX appliances are certified to run both VMware and Nutanix stacks and can be converted between them upon request.
- Lenovo will install the chosen platform and offers services to assist migrations or conversions.
- Lenovo’s existing stack-tuned SKUs include HX (Nutanix), VX (VMware) and MX (Microsoft Azure Local).
- Lenovo describes the FX hardware as "unlocked" to make it more open to multiple hyperconverged platforms.
- The FX machines use liquid cooling, which Lenovo cites as useful for AI-capable workloads.
- Lenovo executives say customers are seeking infrastructure that doesn’t lock them into a single platform.
- Analyst Michael Warrilow noted that most large-scale VMware migrations made only limited progress in 2025 and expects multi-hypervisor environments to grow, but warned significant gains will take time and investment.
What to watch next
- Customer uptake of FX appliances for pilot and production deployments (not confirmed in the source).
- How many organizations actually convert between VMware and Nutanix on FX hardware versus remaining with their original choice (not confirmed in the source).
- Whether Lenovo will expand FX certifications to additional hypervisors or cloud stacks over time (not confirmed in the source).
Quick glossary
- Hypervisor: Software that creates and runs virtual machines, allowing multiple operating systems to share a single physical host.
- Hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI): An architecture that combines compute, storage and networking in a single system, typically managed through software to simplify on-premises private cloud deployments.
- Cloud repatriation: The process of moving workloads and data from public cloud services back to on-premises infrastructure or private cloud environments.
- VMware Cloud Foundation: VMware’s integrated private cloud offering that bundles virtualization, management and other components into a single platform.
- Liquid cooling: A cooling technique that uses liquid coolant to remove heat from hardware components, enabling higher sustained performance and denser deployments.
Reader FAQ
What does Lenovo’s FX series do differently?
The FX line is certified to run both VMware and Nutanix hyperconverged stacks and can be converted between the two; Lenovo positions it as an open, multi-platform appliance for pilots and migrations.
Will Lenovo help migrate workloads off VMware?
Yes. Lenovo offers installation and services support for customers who choose to deploy or convert platforms on FX appliances.
Does the FX series support other hypervisors beyond VMware and Nutanix?
Not confirmed in the source.
Is moving away from VMware straightforward?
Lenovo acknowledges migrations are challenging because many organisations have built skills and operations around VMware; an analyst noted such transitions take time, money and may yield limited short‑term gains.
VIRTUALIZATION Lenovo has a hunch you’re about to try quitting VMware Tweaks its hardware to run multiple private cloud stacks, and shift between them Simon Sharwood Tue 13 Jan 2026 // 05:48 UTC Lenovo…
Sources
- Lenovo has a hunch you’re about to try quitting VMware
- ThinkAgile FX: From Platform Disruption to Strategic …
- Lenovo leans into SAN, hypervisor multiplicity, Azure Local …
- Lenovo Launches New ThinkSystem and ThinkAgile Data …
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