Check Point’s smaller partners can benefit from a new niche accreditation around its endpoint, virtualisation and SSL/IPS technologies, the vendor has claimed.

The ‘Centre of Excellence’ (CoE) accreditation will net resellers the same margins as Gold partners on a given specialist technology. It is primarily aimed at the vendor’s lower-level Bronze and Silver partners.

London-based Network Technology Solutions (NTS) has qualified as Check Point’s first CoE for endpoint security.
Nick Lowe, marketing director northern Europe, said: “We are cutting our teeth on endpoint security because it tends to be an area that has small, technically competent companies that would not fit into our Platinum and Gold categories.
“CoE ensures that partners which want to specialise in a part of our portfolio can be on the same commercial footing as a Gold partner.”

Lowe said he expected up to ten partners to qualify for the endpoint CoE. A virtualisation certification will be available next month, with a qualification in SSL and IPS technologies set to debut in the summer.
Jonathan Lassman, managing director of NTS, said: “Data leakage prevention will be our strategic push this year and we are using Check Point’s endpoint security as part of the story. CoE gives us the ability to compete with bigger partners on endpoint security.”

Lowe emphasised that CoE would also be available to larger partners such as Vistorm and Integralis.

“We have seen a high degree of interest from some of the heavyweights and we would look to help them by protecting their cost of sale,” he explained.