vExpert is VMware's way of saying thank you to the people who help other VMware users. It started in 2009, it isn't an exam or a certification, and applications for vExpert 2027 are open now until 22 January 2027.
I've been a vExpert ten times, and this is the post I wish I'd read before my first application. It covers how the programme started, how it's grown, what it looks like under Broadcom, and how to apply.
How vExpert started
John Troyer, who looked after VMware's online communities, announced the award on the VMTN blog on 14 January 2009. It was for people who had "significantly contributed to the overall community of VMware users over the past year, either online or offline". In practice that meant blogging, answering forum questions, writing wikis and organising VMUG meetings.
John was clear from the start about what it wasn't. It wasn't "any sort of technical certification like VCP", and he added that it "won't even get you a free ticket to VMworld!" Winners got a certificate, a little gift, a listing in a public directory and access to a private community, and they could call themselves a vExpert for the year.
The first class was named on 25 February 2009, when emails went out to around 300 bloggers, user group leaders and other advocates for their work in 2008.
Seventeen years later, it's still recognisably the same programme. The application portal still says it isn't a technical certification, customers and partners can still apply, and each award still runs for a year, from February to January.
How the programme grew
These are the milestones I'd pick out:
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 14 January 2009 | John Troyer announces the vExpert award on the VMTN blog. |
| 25 February 2009 | The first class of around 300 is named. |
| April 2014 | 754 vExperts are named, with applications now reviewed in rounds through the year. |
| August 2016 | NSX and vSAN specialist programmes launch. |
| 10 October 2018 | vExpert PRO launches with 47 PROs across four regions. |
| March 2020 | The Cloud Provider vExpert programme launches. |
| February 2026 | The 2026 awards go out. The programme now includes vExpert VCF, vExpert Security and vExpert PRO. |
| November 2026 | Applications for vExpert 2027 are open, closing on 22 January 2027. |
vExpert PRO is the change I'd single out. Valdecir Carvalho launched it as a network of active vExperts who find, recruit and mentor new ones in their own region and language. If you're applying for the first time, it means there's someone local you can ask for help.
The specialist programmes have followed the products. NSX and vSAN came first, Cloud Provider followed in 2020, and the 2026 announcement lists vExpert VCF and vExpert Security. That's how it should be: the programme moves with what people are actually running.
vExpert under Broadcom
Broadcom completed its acquisition of VMware in November 2023, and plenty changed for customers. vExpert carried on. The 2026 awards went out in February, and the portal now lists 1,091 vExperts.
The old VMTN forums are now the Broadcom Community, and they're still the best place to start if you want to help people. Eric Nielsen's Broadcom Community Programs for 2026 post calls the community "The Core Hub". It's home to the product forums, documentation, betas and Flings, and blogs.
The change you'll notice most is the home lab licence. The old free licence perk has gone. Instead, the portal lists a three-year VCF or VVF licence for home lab use once you pass the VCP-VCF or VCP-VVF exam, along with a year of VMUG Advantage and 50% off exams. You have to pass an exam first, but the discounts make that a lot cheaper for vExperts.
The best part hasn't changed. People still write, speak, answer questions and run local groups, and the award is still for that work rather than for passing a test. If you want a feel for the in-person side, I wrote about the vCommunity at VMworld back in 2017, and more recently about what VMware Explore is and why you should go.
Why you should become a vExpert
If you're already sharing what you know, apply. The award recognises work you're doing anyway, and the people you meet through it are worth more than any of the perks. Having a group of people who've hit the same problems as you, and are happy to help, is what's kept me applying.
The portal counts anything you do beyond your normal job: VMUG leadership, blogging, podcasting, speaking, books, scripts, videos, and helping people on the Broadcom Community forums. If you're not quite there yet, start now. Write a few posts, answer some forum questions or offer a talk to your local VMUG, then apply in the second window later in the year.
What you get
These are the benefits on the portal at the moment:
- A year of VMUG Advantage.
- A three-year VCF or VVF home lab licence, once you pass VCP-VCF or VCP-VVF.
- 50% off exams.
- The vExpert logo for a year, and a listing in the public directory.
- Private vExpert channels and technical webinars. Private betas and pre-Explore briefings depend on admission.
- The chance to apply for a business unit sub-programme.
- An invitation to the yearly community reception at VMware Explore in the US.
The 2026 announcement also mentions vExpert swag at Explore and the chance of a full Explore pass. Treat the pass as a nice surprise if it comes, not something to book your flights around.
How and when to apply
Applications for vExpert 2027 close on 22 January 2027, and you apply on the vExpert portal. Everyone applies every year, including current vExperts. The programme's November 2025 post spells it out: even people awarded in November 2025 still had to apply for 2026.
There are two windows a year. The main one closes in January. Voting takes a few weeks after that, and every applicant gets an email with the result. If you think there's been a mistake, you can appeal within five business days of the announcement. The second window opens mid-year for anyone who missed January or wasn't selected. In 2026, the first awards were announced on 23 February and the second window opened in June.
You can edit your application at any point in the year, except while voting is on. I'd keep yours up to date as you go, rather than trying to remember a whole year's work in January.
A few things make a real difference:
- Quality beats quantity. Reviewers look at quality, originality, consistency and impact. The November 2025 post puts it well: "One solid, problem-solving article is worth more than ten quick news summaries." It suggests three to five good posts, such as a detailed how-to or a problem you solved.
- Link everything. Give a short description and a link for each contribution, so the reviewers can see the work for themselves.
- Keep it to your own time. Official company documentation doesn't count. Articles you write in your own time do, even if they're published on a company site.
- Get a second opinion. Ask a vExpert PRO in your region to read your draft.
Active VMUG leaders and VCDX holders qualify automatically, but they still need to submit an application.
Resources
- Are you a VMware vExpert? Announcing a new community award (John Troyer, 14 January 2009)
- VMware vExpert Awards (John Troyer, 25 February 2009)
- vExpert 2014 Announcement (1 April 2014)
- VMware vExpert Pro Program (10 October 2018)
- VMware Cloud Provider vExpert (17 March 2020)
- It's Never Too Late to Become a vExpert! (5 November 2025)
- Broadcom Community Programs for 2026 (11 March 2026)
- Announcing the 2026 vExpert Program (12 March 2026)
- vExpert application portal
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