Check Point Goes To Bat With Nokia

Pitting the traditional enterprise security software company against other vendors in the unified threat management market, the Nokia/Check Point All-in-One Security Gateway helps Check Point resellers compete against other SMB security players offering all-in-one solutions, said Paul Kaspian, product marketing manager at Check Point, Redwood City, Calif.

“Customers are looking for simplicity,” Kaspian said. “With this bundle, VARs can bring enterprise-level security to midsize customers in a package that is ready to implement.”

The bundle also simplifies things for partners, Kaspian said. It is available as a single SKU from Ingram Micro and comes prelicensed, he said. The bundle is the second targeting the midmarket. In June, the company launched a bundle of Check Point Express software with an IBM server, available through Tech Data.

Targeted at customers with up to 500 users, the new bundle pairs the Express firewall and VPN software with a Nokia IP260 with disk-based storage or Nokia IP265 with flash-based storage. Some bundles also include the Check Point SSL Network Extender, which adds SSL VPN capabilities to the same appliance.

Peter Bybee, president and CEO of Network Vigilance, a security specialist and MSSP in San Diego, said bundling the software and hardware makes it easier for customers to understand and buy. But pre-licensing the hardware and software makes it easier for the partner. “Jumping through all the hoops on the licensing of the hardware and the software has been a problem in the past,” Bybee said. “Having it prelicensed and ready to go makes it a lot easier.”

Bybee said the Nokia pairing was interesting. “Nokia has been very strong with Check Point in the enterprise market,” he said. “But I don&t think that&s the case in the midmarket. This could be an interesting bundle.”

Pricing ranges from $4,795 for a 50-user license to $9,035 for 100 users, including the SSL VPN add-on.