Certes vCEP Dubbed 'VMware Ready'

Certes Networks has achieved VMware Ready status with its Virtual Certes Enforcement Point (vCEP) cloud security solution. The network and cloud encryption solution provider’s cloud security solution finalized its detailed test procedures and now officially supports VMware (NYSE: VMW) vSphere 5 for production environments.

The vCEP solution was built on the concept that running a cloud infrastructure offers customers cost savings, agility and operational efficiency, but executing infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) cloud workloads while at the same time protecting data has been a challenge for vendors, partners and customers. Certes’ solution was designed to solve the problem, so sensitive information can be secured in both cloud and general virtualized environments.

Certes CEO Thomas Gill noted enterprises can use Certes with vSphere 5 to “secure and cryptographically isolate sensitive data and workflows.” With security being such a huge question mark over cloud services and products, even though many vendors claim security in the cloud is generally at least as secure as traditional on-premise IT, there’s a big opportunity for channel partners to take security solutions for cloud computing to their customers to earn that vital “trusted adviser” role.

Now officially designated VMware Ready, Certes’ own vCEP virtual security appliance gives a boost to the company’s own solution. VMware Ready is part of the VMware Technology Alliance Partner (TAP) program, and there are thousands of partners in the program. The addition of Certes’ vCEP provides another option for the channel in the expanding cloud market.

“In conjunction with our industry-recognized policy and key management system, our customers are able to securely adopt cloud services and protect their data within both public and shared multitenant cloud infrastructures,” Gill said in a prepared statement. “The solution also allows our customers to maintain ownership and control of their own security policies and keys.”

In Certes’ case, its product uses the company’s TrustNet group encryption technology for scalable network encryption without tunnels. The solution is capable of protecting multiple virtual servers through the enforcement and isolation policies found in TrustNet Manager.