Firewall Systems is to distribute the Check Point range of security software and devices. The deal will see Firewall using the products to develop a series of managed service offerings.

The move is the latest is a series of steps Firewall is taking to evolve from a specialist distributor to a managed security services provider. In February, it took on Exinda's Optimizer product to offer network quality and business continuity services to the channel.

Through its new Check Point relationship, it would co-develop a threat management service to launch in June, marketing director, Nick Verykios, said.

"The offering will initially be based around Check Point's Safe@Office appliances to provide constant monitoring, updating, reporting and management," he said. "Resellers can also access a service level agreement, which they buy from us but we administer. That way, they maintain control over their customer but are backed by us."

On top of targeting existing Check Point resellers, Firewall would seek more than 50 new dealers to push the managed services, Verykios said. Cisco premier partners would be at the top of the list, together with other tier-two resellers specialising in business productivity tools.

Verykios said it was hard to determine the potential value of the new service, but said he expected revenues of at least $5 million in the first year of operation.

"There is such a large Check Point install base, but each one of those is a potential customer," he said. "As the security market matures we expect to see traditional networking resellers and applications developers come on board."

With only one spot left to fill in its security vendor lineup, Firewall would shortly look to launch its own services brand, Verykios said.

"Where we have rolled out services with a vendor in the past, our future services will be rolled out under our own FireWatch brand and managed through our FireStation website" he said. "To that we will add our own FireBlanket advanced replacement service for devices."

Through launching its own site, Firewall aimed to remove much of the cost associated with managing services, CEO Scott Frew said.

"Websites as an operations tool can take a lot of cost and grief away for resellers," he said. "They will also be able to rebrand the site to allow end-users to manage their own security."