HP starts offering a unified Cloud and in local data center security
package that aims to take on IBM directly. With the deals that HP has
been making with Microsoft and using the skills and talents that came
along with HP’s acquisition of EDS, this just might end up being an
interesting race to the top for Cloud Security Vendors.
In a quiet and not very publicized press release, Microsoft and HP
are working together to build support stacks on top of Windows Azure,
the Microsoft Cloud Computing platform. Martin Veitch from CIO.UK
reported on the 13th of January 2010 that:
HP and Microsoft are teaming up again, this time to
simplify deployment and support for Windows Azure-based Exchange, SQL
Server and other applications by pre-testing integration and
optimisation with hardware, virtualisation, systems management tools
and services in an effort to speed up progress to public and private
cloud computing. Source: CIO.co.uk
Add to that yesterday’s announcement that HP has built a new security services portfolio on Eweek and Computer World
you end up with an interesting combination of skills that are
immediately beneficial to anyone using Azure. This also provides HP a
playground to test security, security practices, and aligning security
standards and practices between the cloud and the local data centers
that companies run. EWeek reports that:
HP is rolling out its new Security, Compliance and
Continuity Services portfolio aimed at helping businesses and
government agencies reduce the cost and complexity of their security
initiatives by offering a tightly integrated set of services that span
traditional settings and cloud computing environments. HP officials
said the new portfolio is the latest step in their efforts to compete
more closely with services king IBM. Source Eweek
With HP’s new playground on Azure, as well as a tool set that helps
them work out complex policies and support mechanisms for information
security inside the cloud it might be possible to start seeing virtual
private clouds that are certifiable against many of the security
processes that need to be in place to meet audit and regulatory
requirements as I talked about yesterday in my “Can regulators keep up with Cloud Computing?”
article. This is what makes cloud computing security interesting,
companies may not have a choice anymore – they will have to start
outsourcing their information security practices until they can hire
smart professionals that have deep skills in this. HP is providing a
direct avenue along with Microsoft to ensure that compliance, along
with standards and practices can be met – abet only with an outsourced
company as support.
HP has a play ground, a deep understanding of the Azure network,
tools to help support and define the security standards and practices
that might meet audit standards, this is going to be a tough bit of
competition. While I would not count anyone out, especially IBM, HP
seems to be working in a very smart direction that can truly help
support cloud computing security.
