Business service management software developer BMC Software announced Tuesday that it had struck a partnership with security solutions developer McAfee to jointly develop and provide a new product for data centers.

The two firms teamed up to deliver an integrated solution that combines IT operations and IT security, which they said traditionally acted independently from each other. The partners claim that integration of the two functions will increase compliance and productivity by eliminating communication gaps.

The new solution will integrate BMC BladeLogic Client Automation with McAfee Policy Auditor, McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator and McAfee Labs security and remediation content, according to a BMC statement. The integrated solution will quickly identify, report, patch and remediate policy violations. Calling it a "closed-loop process," BMC said it would ensure compliance with corporate policies and government regulations.

Businesses deploying it will benefit by lowering risk and increasing availability, as the number of security violations shrinks.

Security policies from McAfee Policy Auditor's security policy remediation library will be configured and automated by BladeLogic Client Automation along with the rollout of software, patches and power settings.

"By bringing IT operations and security together in a single, integrated solution, we are removing the element of conflict and ensuring both IT and security are aligned based on the needs of the business," Paul Avenant, BMC's VP of products for the Enterprise Service Management division, said in a statement.