Channel partners are key to the growth of cyber security solutions company Check Point Software Technologies in Africa, executives from the company have stated.

At the company’s African Check Point Partner Day and award ceremony, hosted virtually on 25 March, Pankaj Bhula, Regional Director of Check Point Africa said, “We are very proud, appreciative and thankful for each and every one of our partners. In 2019 we saw some amazing growth and amidst the challenges of 2020, our partners continued to deliver.”

The company added that partners continue to be a key pillar in its strategy for growth and said in 2020, the ecosystem rolled out the Jumpstart Training to over 2000 students in Africa, starting in places such as rural Thembisa and Diepsloot, South Africa.

In the same year, over 1291 certifications across the partner ecosystem were awarded, ensuring best practice learnings, the company stated.

“I want to personally thank the hundreds of partners who provided amazing feedback and showed confidence in Check Point. This is the year of responsibility and we have the opportunity to provide cyber-security solutions across the continent,” said Bhula.

Award winners included Westcon Group as Distributor of the Year for 2020, Sybyl Limited as Cloud Partner of the Year 2020, Reportstar Technologies as Partner of the Year for 2020.

Matthew Barker, Head of Channels Africa, said, “Last year has shown the real strength in relationships that we have with our channel partners and created stronger bonds, both professionally and personally. Working together with our loyal partners has enabled us to combine our skills and strengths, making our go to market approach stronger and creating a better experience for our customers.”

“We can expect to see further investment in services across the continent, further investment into resources including people and programs designed to enhance our partners’ position and our customers’ outcomes for safe and agile security,” he added.

According to Check Point, enterprises have accelerated their digital transformation programs and changed IT priorities in response to COVID-19, which has increased their cyber risk exposure and increased the complexity of managing employees remotely.

Rafi Kretchmer, VP of Product Marketing at Check Point, said: “With a surge in sophisticated cyber-attacks, the need for securing businesses and remote workers has become the number one priority. It is up to us to redefine the role of cyber-security in 2021.”

“We will continue to resolve the complexities of the of the enterprises’ next-generation cybersecurity requirements. Together, we provide the turnkey solutions our clients need to ensure they are protected end-to-end, across all lines of their business, and regardless of the evolving threat landscape,” concludes Kretchmer.