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VMware and EMC's RSA Security Division Accelerate Deployment of Information-Centric Security for the Virtual Data Center

Posted on: Thursday, 23 April 2009, 11:00 CDT

Joint Development between VMware and RSA Leverages Virtual Technologies to Help Reduce Risk and Increase Overall Security Posture

SAN FRANCISCO, April 23 /PRNewswire/ -- RSA CONFERENCE 2009 -- In a joint effort to help customers gain the efficiency and flexibility benefits of virtualization across even their most sensitive information and applications, VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW), the global leader in virtualization solutions from the desktop to the datacenter, and EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC), the world leader in information infrastructure solutions today announced an expansion of their strategic alliance, capitalizing on the work being done between VMware and EMC's RSA security division to enable advanced information-centric security functions within VMware vSphere(TM) 4, the industry's first operating system for building the internal cloud.

"RSA and VMware are in a unique position to capitalize on the intersection of virtualization and security," said Art Coviello, President, RSA, The Security Division of EMC. "The very dynamics of a virtual environment - where classic perimeters and boundaries no longer exist - strengthens the case for our information-centric, contextual, risk-based approach to security. We believe this combined approach will empower organizations to accelerate their journey towards a 100% virtual infrastructure with confidence in the security of their environment."

Both VMware and RSA are engaged in a multi-pronged effort to help customers understand the security opportunities in virtual environments and to validate the interoperability of RSA's industry-leading security products with VMware vSphere 4, helping lead to the delivery of virtual infrastructure solutions designed to increase an organization's security posture beyond what's possible in today's physical IT infrastructure. This includes collaboration that extends and enhances the VMware VMsafe(TM) technology along with further development of solutions that enable features such as data loss prevention, authentication and security information and event management within virtual IT infrastructure environments.

"Nearly every organization has concerns about ensuring security, compliance and trust in physical and virtual environments. Addressing these issues will speed up the pace of virtualization and accelerate the associated cost savings and operational efficiencies," said Charles King, Principal Analyst, Pund-IT, Inc. "With the right approach organizations can extend virtualization into environments containing sensitive data, and also leverage virtual technologies to increase security beyond what is common in purely physical IT environments."

RSA is committed to helping customers and partners understand how to sustain and accelerate their data governance, risk management and compliance initiatives while leveraging virtual technology. As part of that effort, RSA now offers a Virtual Security Assessment Service specifically designed to provide consultative guidance and best practices related to policy management, infrastructure hardening, operational processes, and lifecycle management in a virtual environment.

VMware is working closely with EMC's RSA security division to extend their alliance in order to build in security capabilities for the virtual enterprise through the integration of products from both company's portfolios. These joint development efforts are designed to support future advanced security functions for VMware vSphere 4 environments such as data loss prevention, security information and event management and strong authentication via RSA solutions. The companies are also qualifying the successful interoperability of multiple RSA products to be delivered as virtual machines.

Both VMware vSphere 4 and VMware VMsafe technology offer the ideal insertion point for information-centric security solutions to leverage unprecedented visibility and control provided by VMware vSphere 4. As organizations migrate to 100 percent virtualized environments, traditional perimeter-centric security solutions are rendered insufficient. The integration of RSA's information-centric security solutions with VMware vSphere 4 will enable persistent, pervasive and scalable deployment of security solutions across the virtual infrastructure.

"Security concerns often require organizations to make difficult choices between the flexible, agile use of information, the need to ensure its security, and the cost of trying to do both," said Dr. Stephen Herrod, Chief Technology Officer, VMware. "To provide the best of both worlds, and make choice, efficiency and control hallmarks of virtual infrastructure, VMware is committed to working with EMC's RSA security division to accelerate our customers' journey to becoming 100% virtual. Together, RSA and VMware are working on solutions designed to leverage the unique characteristics of virtualization to create new security paradigms and capabilities that can make virtual IT environments more secure than physical ones."

At RSA(R) Conference 2009, the companies will demonstrate practical examples of this joint development inside the RSA booth, showing a proof of concept of the RSA(R) Data Loss Prevention Suite leveraging the capabilities of VMware vShield Zones TM to deliver data loss prevention (DLP) via virtual networks.

The collaborative effort between RSA and VMware demonstrates a key point of control that would enable customers to deploy DLP in the form of applications that inspect data traversing virtual networks. This would help protect sensitive data close to the source using a centrally managed set of policies and enforcement controls to prevent data loss in the virtual datacenter. A combined VMware vShield Zones and RSA DLP solution is an innovative example that achieves a single point of security control without introducing a single point of failure.

"As organizations work to expand virtual infrastructure deployments with business-critical operations containing sensitive and regulated data, organizations need to rethink and adjust how they keep information secure in a virtual world," Art Coviello continued. "Our combined approach addresses customer concerns about risk and leverages the unprecedented visibility within VMware vSphere 4 to increase overall security. At the highest levels, we are dedicated to accelerating virtualization deployments and committed to investing in solutions, and working with VMware to help customers realize a flexible, efficient and secure IT infrastructure."

About VMware, Inc.

VMware (NYSE: VMW) is the global leader in virtualization solutions from the desktop to the datacenter--bringing cloud computing to businesses of all sizes. Customers rely on VMware to reduce capital and operating expenses, ensure business continuity, strengthen security and go green. With 2008 revenues of $1.9 billion, more than 130,000 customers and more than 22,000 partners, VMware is one of the fastest growing public software companies. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, VMware is majority-owned by EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC). For more information, visit www.vmware.com.

About RSA

RSA, The Security Division of EMC, is the premier provider of security solutions for business acceleration, helping the world's leading organizations succeed by solving their most complex and sensitive security challenges. RSA's information-centric approach to security guards the integrity and confidentiality of information throughout its lifecycle - no matter where it moves, who accesses it or how it is used.

RSA offers industry-leading solutions in identity assurance & access control, data loss prevention, encryption & key management, compliance & security information management and fraud protection. These solutions bring trust to millions of user identities, the transactions that they perform, and the data that is generated. For more information, please visit www.RSA.com and www.EMC.com.

VMware is a registered trademark or trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. RSA is either a registered trademark or trademark of RSA Security Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation. All other products and/or services are trademarks of their respective owners.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined under the Federal Securities Laws. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of certain risk factors, including but not limited to: (i) adverse changes in general economic or market conditions; (ii) delays or reductions in information technology spending; (iii) our ability to protect our proprietary technology; (iv) risks associated with managing the growth of our business, including risks associated with acquisitions and investments and the challenges and costs of integration, restructuring and achieving anticipated synergies; (v) fluctuations in VMware, Inc.'s operating results and risks associated with trading of VMware stock; (vi) competitive factors, including but not limited to pricing pressures and new product introductions; (vii) the relative and varying rates of product price and component cost declines and the volume and mixture of product and services revenues; (viii) component and product quality and availability; (ix) the transition to new products, the uncertainty of customer acceptance of new product offerings and rapid technological and market change; (x) insufficient, excess or obsolete inventory; (xi) war or acts of terrorism; (xii) the ability to attract and retain highly qualified employees; (xiii) fluctuating currency exchange rates; (xiv) litigation that we may be involved in; and (xv) other one-time events and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in the filings of EMC Corporation, the parent company of RSA, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. EMC and RSA disclaim any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements after the date of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements--VMware, Inc.

Statements made in this press release which are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements and are subject to the safe harbor provisions created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements relate, but are not limited, to expectations for the release and delivery of VMware products, prospects for VMware's collaborations with its business partners and interoperability of VMware products with partner products. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of certain risk factors, including but not limited to: (i) current uncertainty in global economic conditions that pose a risk to the overall economy as consumers and businesses may defer purchases in response to tighter credit and negative financial news, which could negatively affect product demand; (ii) end users' ability to integrate and to transition to new products and computing platforms; and (iii) changes to product development timelines. These forward looking statements are based on current expectations and are subject to uncertainties and changes in condition, significance, value and effect as well as other risks detailed in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including VMware's report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, which could cause actual results to vary from expectations. VMware disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements after the date of this release

SOURCE EMC Corporation

Source: PR Newswire

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