Security challenges cloud virtualization payoff

"A hypervisor needs hypersecurity," Hattar said. We have to rethink our security approach because when we virtualized, it increased complexity. In cyberspace, there are a lot more points of entry."

Cisco has noticed new forms of malware sprouting up in a virtualized environment, some of which could detect and adapt itself to a virtualized infrastructure. She stressed that enterprises embarking on virtualization and cloud computing need to plan copiously for operations, management, control and security of the new infrastructure.

'Think holistically about the IT infrastructure and have a plan," she said.

Her points were echoed by Novell President and CEO Ron Hovsepian, who said enterprises need to overcome challenges such as reduced spending, complex management and risk mitigation in order to have their heterogeneous IT assets work as a unified system.

"You have so much pressure on you to make these pieces come together," he told the Interop audience.

Key to bringing IT assets together are injecting agility into the data center through virtualization; enhancing end-user productivity through collaboration and pinpoint management of enterprise desktops; and then implementing and enforcing companywide IT identity and security policies and procedures through access and compliance management strategies.

"You have to minimize risk, reduce complexity and reduce cost," Hovsepian said.

He also encouraged attendees to avail themselves of their vendors' ecosystems of partners which function as a "community of innovation" harnessing open source code and open standards.

"It's more leverage you have to make IT work as one," Hovsepian said of the ecosystem opportunity. "Put more pressure back on us to do more for you."