Cisco’s Security Technology Business Unit VP and general manager Tom Gillis had a keynote yesterday in the RSA conference, where he discussed how “it’s time to rethink the entire system.”  He noted this in context to today’s increased endpoint customization and virtualization usage, which, according to him, requires totally new security models. He highlighted how enterprise users can determine which device(s) they’ll use for work, and exemplified Cisco’s ‘any device’ policy and program. The 60,000-member program decreased costs by 25 percent and increased satisfaction by 200 percent, according to Gillis.

“”People don’t want to be tied to a particular place, particular time or particular device to get their work done,” he said, adding that over the next three years the number of consumer devices will explode to 166 million and many of those will also be used for work. “Cool and easy will always win out over safe and clunky,” he added.”

The Cisco executive continued to say that as employees got extra freedom thanks to increased virtualization and endpoint use, the security architecture supporting them got old.  “We’re losing control of the endpoint,” he noted.  Gillis afterwards highlighted Cisco’s newly launched SecureX architecture, developed especially to replace outdated security polices, and concluded by urging RSA attendees to help eliminate “the barrier, the inhibitor” that is present day endpoint security.

In addition to Tom Gillis’ keynote, Cisco had other highlights at RSA 2011 as well. That includes a very interesting update from TeleCommunication Systems, Inc., that announced an exclusive agreement with Cisco  to be the operator of the world’s first space router. The router is the Cisco Internet Routing in Space (IRIS) solution which utilizes Cisco 18400 Space Router on Intelsat IS-14 to offer VPN services. Nonetheless, one small in Cisco may mean a serious share sliding. WSJ reports an Auriga USA analyst’s reporting seem to have discomforted investors:

“”In numerous instances, it seems that CSCO’s newer product offerings lack key software features as the company has migrated to new architectures and operating systems…However, the product discontinuity remains an area of concern as a lack of seamless migration path to newer products opens the door to more competition, particularly from Juniper (JNPR, Buy), over the next 3-4 years.”

The company also announced the upcoming RSA Cloud Trust Authority service pack. The service pack is a result of a partnership between RSA, VMware, Cisco, Citrix and others, and the first service set will be available in the second half of 2011. It will include various monitoring and control offerings, tough details are scarce.