Check Point dangles spiffs at VAR sales staff

Up to $1,000 up for grabs per appliance sold under short-term incentive programme

Individual sales staff at Check Point resellers can bag up to $10,000 for flogging its appliances under a short-term incentive programme.

Those who register for the vendor's Appliance Incentive Programme will net up to $1,000 in cash every time they sell a mid-range to high-end Check Point appliance between now and the end of December.

The rewards vary from $400 for a 4800 appliance to $1,000 for a high-end 21000 or 61000, although no individual can earn more than $10,000 in total.

Terry Greer-King, UK managing director at Check Point, said: "Along with our free 3D Security Report initiative, which pays partners to analyse the threats on customers' networks, we are giving our channel the tools to help them engage and sell more - and we're giving even more rewards to partners for doing this."

At the same time, Check Point is offering partners secured "double-digit" margins on competitive trade-ins of security gateways or appliances from rival vendors.

David Hobson, security sales director at Check Point partner MTI (pictured), said he was ambivalent towards vendor "spiff" incentive programmes.

"I understand why spiffs are there and always support a vendor doing this," he said.

"But if a salesperson ever missold as a result of a spiff I would show them the door."

Michael Sharwin, account manager at Check Point partner Imerja, said: "The new Check Point appliances are already proving their value to the market, and this incentive helps focus attention on developing larger opportunities where higher-end appliances benefit customers by consolidating multiple security functions onto a single gateway, improving efficiency, security and simplifying management."