Check Point deal clears up muddle

Channel greets vendor's purchase of Nokia's security arm

Garlick: There had been friction

Security resellers have expressed relief that Check Point is to buy Nokia’s security appliance business, claiming that Check Point’s hardware strategy was confusing joint customers.

Late last month, Check Point confirmed it had signed an agreement to buy the Nokia division, which had been up for sale since September.

Check Point and Nokia have been partners for a decade with the most of Check Point software running on Nokia appliances.

But the duo’s relationship became strained after Check Point launched its own range of security appliances.

Nick Garlick, managing director of Nebulas Solutions Group, called the merger a perfect outcome.

“There had been friction and this sent an unclear message,” he said.

Ian Kilpatrick, chairman of Wick Hill, agreed that the deal would eliminate some of the confusion.

“This is a clear indication of Check Point’s strength in the appliance market,” he added.