While Open Source platform has always been seen in contrast to proprietary software applications and systems, today the scenario is changing quite drastically as it is seen as a key IT component to reduce cost and more of technological option for organizations. Moreover, the use of Open Source platform with virtualization technology is gaining more acceptance at enterprise level.

Red Hat India's Ravindra Ranande, head – Global Professional Services, talks to Pankaj Maru of CyberMedia News about Open Source technology's potential and benefits, its combination with virtualization as cost-saving means for enterprises, security aspect of open source and the recent agreement on interoperability with Microsoft Corporation. Excerpts:

IT budgets across verticals are shrinking with the emerging trend of virtualization and extensive use of open source. So from a CIOs perspective, how the combination of virtualization with open source platform can benefit enterprises?

Today, we are in the period where everybody is trying to save every single penny and save the cost. What we are trying to say here is that the technology already exists with the customers – the existing customers which are subscribers of Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

First of all, what we think from the customer's point is that he doesn't have to buy anything new or extra as the capabilities already exists with the customer, since he is already using the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 (RHEL5). In case, the customer is already a user or has subscribed Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 (RHEL4), he can easily upgrade to RHEL5 as per our policy, which allows upgradation for the subscription period. So once he unlocks that potential, he is going to get returns on investments.

All the CIOs know that normally a server is utilized 30 per cent because if it goes beyond 50-60 per cent, then every administrative charge jumps up and for that the CIO needs an extra server. With such kind of utilization, there's the unutilized capacity.

Now, that unutilized capacity can be utilized with virtualization technology. By virtualization of servers, the customer can work with multiple operating systems using the same existing hardware. Hence, this is how the customer can utilize its available resources at no extra cost and can work on newer innovative projects and increase its revenues.

We are saying that there is already the potential to save the cost as far as utilizing the existing resources and investments are concerned. Hence they can drive revenues with customers by developing more applications and innovations, which helps to utilize resources optimally.

It's more of spending on the same existing set of servers and resources, achieving more out of it, utilizing the existing capabilities and driving better returns on the same investments. We call it the value theory – ROI square. This means that there's an inbuilt virtualization capacity here. The customer is not required to buy any newer application but using the existing resources and the inbuilt software, the customer can unlock the potential.

For the AMC (annual maintenance cost), the same vendor can provide service to the customer and the same hardware is used by the customer, it helps to save cost on AMC.

How secured is Open Source platform and virtualization for enterprises?

Today open source is becoming synonymous with security. Typically at Red Hat, we have a security project called as Security Enhanced Linux (SEL), which is integrated with our operating systems (OS). It's been offered on physical servers and the same kind of security is offered on the virtualized environments also.

For example, the RHEL5 comes with SEL certification of EAL4 level. Suppose you are doing simple task like FTP, then it already has the security cover as it's inbuilt and available on the virtual platform the same way it is present on the physical servers. Hence, the customer is not charged extra for the security.

And we believe that security is business as usual and it cannot be over linked to the environment. Here security is available both on physical and virtual silos. So, if the security is cracked in one environment there's security cover available on the other layer that protects the system as security is available on two different silos.

Can you brief about the Microsoft and Red Hat's agreement on interoperability?

Recently, we announced an interoperability agreement with Microsoft with regard to virtualization, wherein we are committed to support each other's virtualization environments and related customer needs in future. It's a great step as we agreed to support the customers' choice and respect the freedom of choice to use technology.