Check Point's India Channel Strategy for Cybersecurity Growth

In the cybersecurity domain, channel partnerships play an important role in helping vendors maintain relevance, scale operations, and secure market share. Check Point Software Technologies, a cybersecurity solutions provider states that they are a 100% channel-driven organisation. In an in-depth interaction, Manish Alshi, Senior Director, Channels & Alliances, India & South Asia, Check Point Software Technologies, shared key insights into how the company is driving growth through a partner-led model, adapting to new technologies, and serving the needs of India’s dynamic enterprise and SMB segments.

Check Point's Channel-Centric Growth in the Last Year

Reflecting on Check Point’s India performance over the past year, Alshi confirmed that the company had exceeded its revenue targets, dedicating success to a multi-layered growth strategy.

“We focused on enterprise customer retention while simultaneously expanding our footprint in cloud security and endpoint protection. Our unified security architecture—delivered through the Infinity platform—enabled us to deliver intelligence and services beyond just products,” he said.

With a partner-led go-to-market model, the company added over 300 new customers in 2024 alone. “That expansion was made possible by our partners, especially in regions we hadn’t previously covered in depth. This partner-led motion contributed significantly to our geo-expansion strategy.”

Check Point also scaled its India operations, growing to a 130-member sales team and expanding its technical assistance centre (TAC) and shared services out of Bengaluru. A new R&D facility was also established in the city, making India a key innovation hub for the company.

Reimagining the Partner Program

A core principle of Check Point’s success, according to Alshi, has been its 100% channel-driven strategy. “We’ve always been a channel-first organisation,” he stated, noting that the company recently overhauled its global partner program to simplify engagement and enhance support.

“We reduced our partner tiers from six to four, to streamline the model. At the same time, we introduced specialisations aligned with our core solution areas—network, endpoint, and cloud security—so that partners could ramp up quickly and effectively respond to customer needs.”

Check Point has also enhanced its enablement mechanisms, offering free certifications based on tier level, quarterly sales and pre-sales training, and increasing co-op and marketing development funds (MDF) to support partner-led demand generation.

“We are not just pushing product sales—we are building technical and consultative capabilities among partners to engage more deeply with customers,” he added.

Expanding in Tier 2 and Tier 3 Markets

With the threat landscape extending beyond metro regions, Check Point has actively pursued a regional expansion strategy through its channel.

“In 2024, we added eight new partners who are not just in core cities but also in tier 2 and tier 3 regions,” said Alshi. These new additions were guided by Check Point’s distributors and onboarding lifecycle support, helping partners ramp up with hands-on enablement and joint selling.

On the technology front, Check Point has introduced purpose-built solutions for these markets. “Our Quantum Spark series, starting from the 1500 to 2000 gateways, is designed to be simple and scalable. These solutions integrate AI-powered threat prevention and are tailored for smaller organisations,” he noted.

Products also span across endpoint, cloud, and collaborative security—ensuring a 360-degree protection model for regional and mid-sized customers.

Enabling SMB Cybersecurity with the Right Model

The SMB and midmarket segments demand high-performance security without the heavy upfront investments of large enterprises. Check Point addresses this through dedicated products, flexible commercial models, and partner support.

“We have an evolved MSSP (Managed Security Service Provider) program where customers can pay as they go,” said Alshi. “Whether it’s licensing by user count or time period, the model adapts to the budget cycles of SMBs.”

Further easing adoption, Check Point has introduced leasing models for hardware such as firewalls, allowing SMBs to consume infrastructure as a service. “This significantly reduces capex and aligns cost with actual usage, which is a major factor for small businesses,” he explained.

He also pointed out the channel strategy that underpins all of this: “We don’t just onboard partners, we reward them. There are backend rebates, margins, and recurring post-sales revenues to ensure profitability for partners.”

Selecting the Right Partners for New-Age Technologies

When asked about selecting partners for fast-emerging domains like generative AI and cloud-native security, Alshi emphasised depth over novelty.

“From our experience, the best partners to drive new technologies are the ones who are already deeply ingrained in cybersecurity. They understand the nuances, customer environments, and evolving threat vectors better than those just entering the space,” he said.

Check Point’s Infinity platform further enables these partners to manage diverse security layers—network, cloud, endpoint—through a unified interface. “It’s not just our solutions. We even support API integrations with other OEM products. This makes the management platform extensible, and our experienced cybersecurity partners are ideally positioned to leverage it.”

Empowering Partners with Technical Proficiency and Real-Time Insights

To address the growing demand for managed security services amid evolving cyber threats, Check Point has developed a robust partner enablement strategy centred around knowledge access, continuous training, and hands-on experience. According to the company’s leadership, the strategy is designed to equip channel partners with the same depth of product and technical expertise as the internal Check Point team, empowering them to deliver high-value cybersecurity services to customers.

A critical part of this initiative is the Check Point Partner Portal, a comprehensive repository offering product-specific literature, training documents, and technical resources. This self-serve platform ensures that partners can access and stay updated on the latest product features and threat intelligence across Check Point’s solution stack.

Complementing this is Checkmates, a community-driven platform that facilitates ongoing partner engagement through webinars and updates, providing timely insights into the rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape.

Training, Certifications, and Events: Building a Skilled Partner Network

Check Point’s structured training programs are tier-based and supported through Check Point University, which offers both technical and certification courses. The company also sponsors a partner’s initial certification requirements based on their strategic alignment—be it in network, cloud, or secure workspace security.

Beyond online modules, the company organises quarterly Partner Exchange events across key Indian metros, aimed at aligning partner sales and pre-sales teams with Check Point’s FY25 product roadmap. These day-long sessions are structured to enhance market readiness and strengthen sales alignment with Check Point’s growth focus.

Additionally, hands-on labs provide in-person training using Check Point’s appliances, enabling technical teams to gain practical deployment and management skills. These labs are typically held in metro cities, with partners from other regions flown in as needed. This approach fosters a community of technically proficient partners who can serve as front-line support and advisors for customers across varied implementations.

Strategic Role of Channel Partners in a Hybrid Cybersecurity Landscape

Check Point views its channel partners not just as sales enablers but as strategic extensions of its organisation, especially in light of the vast and fragmented cybersecurity market in India. Given that OEMs often operate with limited direct resources, partners play a pivotal role in expanding market reach and delivering local support.

Importantly, most partners operate in multi-OEM environments, making their advisory role critical. They must evaluate and recommend the right cybersecurity solutions tailored to specific customer needs across domains such as cloud, network, and endpoint security. Check Point supports this by ensuring partners are equipped with product awareness and real-world use cases to aid customer decision-making.

Furthermore, Check Point positions itself as a product-centric organisation, relying heavily on partners for implementation, support, and services. From deploying resident engineers to providing technical account management, these services not only enhance customer satisfaction but also open new revenue streams for partners.

Future Outlook: 100% Channel-Driven Growth with Unified Cybersecurity Vision

Check Point reiterates its commitment to remaining a 100% channel-driven company. It will continue to invest in partner training, joint GTM activities, and expanding its services-led capabilities through the ecosystem. The vision is to enable partners to build centers of excellence around Check Point’s technologies and generate long-term value for both customers and their own organisations.

The company’s product portfolio is also expanding—organically and through acquisitions—with a strong focus on hybrid mesh architecture. The unified platform offers a single-pane-of-glass management experience while maintaining an open garden approach to support multi-vendor environments. This flexibility is gaining traction with partners and customers alike, particularly as organisations navigate complex security requirements across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

Conclusion

As the cybersecurity threats are rising at a rapid rate—fueled by geopolitical tensions and digital transformation—Check Point is focusing on its partner-first approach. Through comprehensive enablement, strategic alignment, and a unified product vision, the company is reportedly enabling its partners to serve as trusted cybersecurity advisors. With growing customer interest in platforms and integrated security offerings, the stage is set for partners to play a defining role in the growth and securing of enterprises across India and beyond.

Read More:

Cybersecurity Channel Strategy in India is Evolving: Securonix Country Head

MSP Market is Majorly Driven by AI Adoption : Rajesh Chhabra, Acronis

New Relic Partner Program: Insights on the Enhancements with AI Integration

Freshworks Partner Program: Insights into the Evolving Channel Ecosystem