Nick Lowe, managing director northern Europe at Check Point, said hardware would soon become the largest part of the vendor’s business, following the launch of its high-end Power-1 appliances earlier this year.

Lowe said: “The question I am asking myself is whether my current distributors can offer just-in-time access to Check Point appliances. Moving to appliances poses a challenge for software distributors. I would not be surprised if one went or we signed up a broader player.”