Checkpoint to increase channel base to SMB market

Amrita Tejasvi

NEW DELHI: After marking a 100 percent growth YoY in enterprise segment, Checkpoint Software Technologies is now looking for an aggressive growth in the SMB and SOHO segment in Indian market for which it is planning to increase its channel base. The company has decided to add one more distributor in the list thereby taking the number to four. Select Technologies, Ingram Micro, Allied CNT and Inflow Technologies are currently the distributors of Checkpoint in India.

The drive has been driven by growth in the SMB segment especially UTM-1, the hardware that was launched in March 2007 which integrates Checkpoint security application designed for mid market. Till last year, the company has been harnessing its 80 percent of business from the software segment and the rest from hardware segment. However, with launch of the product, the ratio of business through software market has come down to 65 percent.

"Since the software is now available in our own product ie UTM-1, the hardware business has marked a steep growth and we are now looking to take this product to SMB and B class cities," informed Bhaskar Bakthavatsalu, Country Head, Checkpoint Software Technologies Ltd .
Checkpoint has currently 50 channel partners for SMB segment and it is planning to add 25 more by the end of this financial year. The security vendor is selecting the channel partners on the basis of expertise required for the particular product category. However, the company informed that, the partners' expertise required for enterprise segment is much higher as compared to SMB segment, hence the selection process is quite simple.
"For enterprise segment, the architecture of security product is designed specifically according to their needs and therefore the level of expertise is much higher whereas in SMB market, the software is available in our hardware, so driving that product is comparatively simple," informed Bakthavatsalu.