Unisys Rolls Out Updated Private Cloud Solution

Unisys has rolled out a new release of its "Secure Private Cloud Solution."

Version 2.2, which was announced this week at VMworld 2012 in San Francisco, adds additional software designed to automate and simplify security implementation while provisioning virtual resources in the cloud. This enhancement supports creation of an integrated security infrastructure for each virtual machine provisioned through the Secure Private Cloud Solution.

The capability leverages the Unisys Stealth Solution for Network cybersecurity software. For circumstances in which data requires extensive protection, establishing a Stealth environment makes the infrastructure accessible only to people who are assigned to that community of interest. Outsiders are ostensibly unable to access the virtual machine, or even able to see that it exists.

[Related: Unisys Makes its Stealth Security Offerings Available through New Channel Program ]

"The Stealth solution was first offered as a productized offering through the channel in May of this year," said John Stubbs, director of software channels at Unisys. "One of the components of Stealth is what we called 'communities of interest.' And, if you're not part of that community of interest, you're not even allowed to see the users, the clients or the virtualized servers. We encrypt the data in motion using AES-256 encryption, and we also shred the bits. And then, we are leveraging roles and responsibilities inside of things like LDAP, RADIUS and Active Directory. So, through the use of the automated tools, we know the communities of interest, we know the endpoints, we know the users and we know the servers. By belonging to the same community of interest, they receive unprecedented levels of protection."

The functions are carried out between the network layer and the link layer, thereby enhancing security by keeping the activities between layers two and three in the OSI model.

In addition to enhanced security, Unisys Secure Private Cloud Solution release 2.2 delivers organizations another key benefit of multitenancy in the cloud: the capability to increase the number of communities sharing the same cloud, leading to increased efficiency in infrastructure utilization and improved economies of scale.

"This is a huge benefit in colo environments where you have multiple tenants in the same environment, and you need to keep those tenants and their respective data and servers separate while sharing the same infrastructure," explained John Keller, cloud product manager at Unisys. "You can have two very similar companies with very important data sitting on the same server, running two different virtual machines on that same physical machine. Company A has no knowledge of Company B and has no access to their resources. Each would have their own respective community of interest."

NEXT: The Channel Impact

The system interoperates with clients’ existing cloud and network infrastructure, simplifying operations and helping to reduce costs.

"There are a lot of positive implications for the channel," added Unisys’ Stubbs. "We have already taken Stealth to the channel, and it has been well received, particularly in the financial services, healthcare, public sector and legal verticals. The channel has well-established relationships inside many of these large organizations, many of whom are looking to move into a private cloud. The partners can assist with this migration and add an unprecedented level of security while at the same time providing cost savings and agility."

Stubbs also added that channel partners can add additional value through their own professional services, particularly, though not limited to, vertical expertise.

"I think the unique characteristic comes down to the fact that you can't attack what you can't see," said Dan Safran, executive vice president at Project Leadership Associates, a Chicago-based technology consultancy. "They can't even see that this network traffic exists, unless they're part of the group, and that is very novel. It's not very often that you see this class of a system being made available to the midmarket."

Unisys Secure Private Cloud Solution release 2.2 can also provide compelling benefits to cloud service providers that offer shared cloud infrastructures hosting applications and data from multiple companies by leveraging security in the same way.

The solution has been certified as ’Vblock Ready’ and is available for VCE Vblock Systems, which integrate Cisco networking and server, EMC storage and VMware cloud infrastructure technologies into a single converged system. It includes the dashboard capability that enables integrated management and allows charge-backs to specific business groups. Prices start at $95,000 with immediate availability.

PUBLISHED AUG. 27, 2012