Verizon and Novell Unveil Cloud-Based Security Solution

More businesses are moving to the cloud, and a new offering from Verizon powered by Novell® technology will give enterprise clients the much-needed security to run their cloud-based applications.

Secure Access Services from Verizon -- a new on-demand identity and access management service -- will make it easy and cost-effective for enterprise clients to outsource the infrastructure and expertise required to extend and manage user access to cloud-based resources while maintaining control over policies and governance.

According to industry experts, adoption of cloud technologies is quickly gaining momentum, with about one-third of enterprises having some enterprise applications or business processes running in the cloud and an additional 16 percent planning to migrate applications or processes in the next 12 months. Security is the No. 1 cloud concern among IT professionals, with some experts cautioning without an adequate identity management and security framework, enterprises are putting themselves at real risk.

Many companies today rely on traditional premises-based identity and access management software for securing access to corporate applications. These deployments often involve complex integrations, lengthy deployments, extensive upfront software and hardware purchases, and significant ongoing operational and staffing costs.

With Secure Access Services from Verizon, enterprises can quickly tap into centralized management of Web access to applications and network services, identity federation and Web single sign-on -- without additional hardware or software, or dedicated IT resources. The service's built-in audit features can also help clients ease the burden of compliance reporting related to the access of systems and data.

"Cloud computing is core to Verizon's strategy," said Kerry Bailey, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Verizon Business. "By working with Novell as part of our overall cloud strategy, we're providing our clients with a more agile, cost effective and scalable way of securing the enterprise cloud environment so they can reap the full benefits of cloud computing."

Ron Hovsepian, Novell chief executive officer, said: "Security and identity management are critical to accelerating cloud computing adoption and by teaming with Verizon we can deliver these important solutions. We look forward to building on this agreement to offer other cloud-based capabilities. Our relationship with Verizon is an important validation of Novell's strategy to become the leader in the emerging intelligent workload management market."

Additionally, as part of this agreement, Verizon will be Novell's preferred identity and access management managed service provider.

Taking Cloud Computing to Next Level
Verizon and Novell are leveraging each other's complementary capabilities to deliver Secure Access Services. Verizon is providing the security expertise, infrastructure, management capabilities and portal. Novell's identity and security software offerings provide the technology to power the solution.

This identity-as-a-service offering is the first wave of cloud-based solutions the two companies will deliver to large enterprises with 500 or more users with multiple departments, business units and partners that also need to automate access controls for their extended partner or supply chain networks. With these offerings, Verizon will extend its portfolio of as-a-service offerings.

This solution will initially be available to Verizon and Novell clients based in the U.S. beginning in June.

Converged IP and IT Services Via a Cloud-Based Model
Verizon is leading the industry toward an "everything-as-a-service" (EaaS) model where cloud-based converged solutions are securely delivered through managed and professional services over the company's global IP network. Verizon is assembling the key components of that unique and powerful approach to serving enterprises, and its new agreement with Novell is another step in that evolution. The EaaS platform - with Verizon's global IP network and data centers as its foundation -- will enable enterprises to do business better by getting what they need, when they need it, where they need it.