Check Point targets managed services market

Security firm Check Point and its SofaWare Technologies subsidiary have unveiled what they claim to be the industry's first fully hosted web-based security management service for managed security service providers.

Security Management Portal On-Demand is a service provider-oriented network security management system targeted at small and medium sized businesses.

SMP On-Demand allows service providers and resellers to offer value-added managed security services.

Industry analyst Yankee Group estimates that the global managed security services market will reach more than US$4bn in 2006, growing to US$6.8bn by 2010.

Check Point believes that SMP On-Demand offers an easy way to enter this lucrative market, enabling service provides to increase their value proposition.

The service includes managed firewall and intrusion prevention for Safe@Office UTM appliances as well as always-on antivirus protection, VPN management, centralised reporting and other value-add features.

Since SMP On-Demand is a hosted solution, no purchase of software or servers is required, while service providers can offer a high degree of flexibility using pay-as-you-grow pricing.

SMP On-Demand services can be branded with a customised look and feel to help promote the service provider's own brand.

"In developing SMP On-Demand, we listened to what our partners believed they needed to be successful with their customers," said Laura Yecies, vice president of marketing at Check Point.

"SMP On-Demand gives resellers and service providers the opportunity to offer the same high quality security services to their SMB customers that Check Point provides to Fortune 500 customers.

"It creates a great selling opportunity for partners to provide a customised value-added service and is being offered at a very competitive price."

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