Following months of wrangling with its channel, security vendor Check Point has finally unveiled the new-look partner programme.

From January, the vendor will award its Platinum, Gold and lower-level Silver and Bronze resellers a sliding scale of discounts and marketing support.

Accreditation will now be based on the partner’s investment in technical and sales training and the regularity of its sales and marketing events, rather than raw scale.

Platinum partners, for instance, will be expected to have five accredited engineers and hold at least six business generation events per year.

Check Point will also now award its distributors with a rebate every six months for achieving set levels of sales growth with Silver and Bronze partners, while decreasing the discount at which they buy.

Nick Lowe, managing director of northern Europe for Check Point, was quick to shrug off suggestions the new system would add to its distributors’ administrative burden and give them less margin.

“There is more margin for distributors if they achieve their plans. If they do not, the difference will be marginal,” he said.

Dave Ellis, director of e-security at Check Point distributor Computerlinks, said: “We agree with the change in principle, but the devil is in the detail.”

Kay Eggleston, managing director at Check Point distributor Noxs, said: “It’s probably the right strategy, but until Check Point formally announces it to partners it is difficult to assess the impact.”

Check Point shifts gears on VAR margins
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