R70 "Free Upgrade" Check Point Promo Discussion

[Thorpuse]

Originally Posted by hotice_

So CP is considering that VPN is NOT an existing functionality in the current R65 license ?!

No, the SKU used is CPFW, a FW1 license. These haven't existed since for a number of years, as CP made a "revolutionary" change to remove the FW-1 product back then and upgrade everyone to VPN-1 with a $0 promotional upgrade scheme (funny, does this sound familiar????). Anything purchased since then has been a VPN-1 license, including every NGX SKU. Separating VPN from firewall functionality really was a "Back to the Future" moment for those with long memories!

[hotice_]

Originally Posted by chillyjim

I cannot find the upgrade quote tool yet, but if I read slides right, no you would get FW+IPS blade for 100 users for free and for 20% of the cost of the FW module you would get the FW-VPN-IPS.

Yes I know this doesn't exist on the price list, so yes the number of SKUs are going to explode. Everyone ready for the 2GB cpmacro file ;)

Calculator just came online...

Tried this:

CPUTM-CKP-3-100 gave me two options

1) FREE - SG103 + SM303. So far so good except that SG103 is limited to 1 core and 50 users only while prevoius license was good for 100. So we actually lose here...

2) 1400$USD - SG203 + SM303 - 2 cores and 500 users

[chillyjim]

Originally Posted by hotice_

1) FREE - SG103 + SM303. So far so good except that SG103 is limited to 1 core and 50 users only while prevoius license was good for 100. So we actually lose here...

If the calculator isn't generating the right SKU, please contact account services. If you had 100 users before you get 100 users now.

[boldin]

Quality control again? ;)

[Thorpuse]

Originally Posted by hotice_

1) FREE - SG103 + SM303. So far so good except that SG103 is limited to 1 core and 50 users only while prevoius license was good for 100. So we actually lose here...

This would have to be (yet another) custom SKU to work, unless they're going to take you up to 500 users. Hmm... simple? flexible?

I have another question about this - actually it's a more general question about multicore licenses. One of my upgrades is going to be to a bundle, where the GW component will be upgraded to a SG805. However, that gateway is part of a cluster, and the other cluster member is only rated for an upgrade to SG203U or SG405. Can a cluster work with the licensing set to different core counts?

[chillyjim]

Originally Posted by Thorpuse

Can a cluster work with the licensing set to different core counts?

I have been told this is OK. I cannot personally confirm it though.

[RayPesek]

We purchased a SmartUpdate license and have been told by our reseller that it will not be converted to a Provisioning blade. We will just lose the functionality. CPMP-SUP-1-NGX

All of our other licenses are converting fine. They said the list price of the license is $780 yet the only SmartUpdate license listed at pricelist.checkpoint.com for NGX is $8,000 CPUTM-SMUP (a UTM license).

Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks,

Ray

[Thorpuse]

That's ridiculous - get someone from CP involved, that must be an oversight.

Another one that could be potentially interesting is the removal of SmartPortal from the SMU-007 bundles. Some people do use SmartPortal, I wonder what CP would do if you made it known that their "upgrade" doesn't cover this?

[PhoneBoy]

Losing SmartUpdate doesn't seem right to me, either, neither does losing SmartPortal. Things to check on when I come off vacation, if you guys haven't sorted it out by then ;)

[northlandboy]

Yeah, SmartPortal was one of the features that we were going to lose if we had upgraded last month. We don't use it a lot, but I like to have the feature available.

[RayPesek]

Some of the SKU's we were given are not at pricelist.checkpoint.com. The reseller said that special ones are getting created for this promotion. They have kicked the SmartUpdate issue back to Check Point.

Now, what would be REALLY nice is if Check Point would allow us to exchange existing licenses that we may not fully need for new blade licenses of equal list price.

For instance, if I could trade in my $8,000 SmartUpdate license for a $4,000 SmartView Monitor and a $4,000 IPS Analyzer license, I would be a much happier customer and they could report it as two new sales. :-)

Ray

[Thorpuse]

Originally Posted by RayPesek

For instance, if I could trade in my $8,000 SmartUpdate license for a $4,000 SmartView Monitor and a $4,000 IPS Analyzer license, I would be a much happier customer and they could report it as two new sales. :-)

Ray

You might be able to do something like this as a trade-in/functionality upgrade. However you won't get 100% credit for this.

[hotice_]

Originally Posted by chillyjim

If the calculator isn't generating the right SKU, please contact account services. If you had 100 users before you get 100 users now.

Jim,
Are you 100% of this?

We contacted our sales channel and were told that no custom SKU would be created. If the customer had 100 users before, he would be forced to get the 500 users license SG403 in order to benefit from this promotion

[chillyjim]

Originally Posted by hotice_

Jim,
Are you 100% of this?

We contacted our sales channel and were told that no custom SKU would be created. If the customer had 100 users before, he would be forced to get the 500 users license SG403 in order to benefit from this promotion

Ahh sorry I must have mis read you. I read it as you had 100 and were getting 50. You should get equal or better functionality, at least that is what we were told. Are you working directly with CHKP or with a VAR?

[serlud]

Originally Posted by chillyjim

Ahh sorry I must have mis read you. I read it as you had 100 and were getting 50. You should get equal or better functionality, at least that is what we were told. Are you working directly with CHKP or with a VAR?

Not only force to get an new (free) lic but also to pay more for support rate
example 1
CPUTM-CKP-3-100 $6.500 Old Support rate 975 (15%)
CPSG-P203-CPSM-P303 $9.500 New Supprort rate 1425 (15%) =1.46*975
different 1425-975=450 just plus 46% for support rate

example 2
CPVP-VFM-U $9.880 Old Support rate 1482 (15%)
CPSG-C201U-F CPSB-VPN $11.500 New Support rate 1725 (15%) 1.16*1482
different 1725-1482=243 just plus 16% for support rate

example 3
CPMP-HVPG-U $8.736 Old Support rate 1310,4 (15%)
CPSG-C201U-HA-F $10.400 New Support rate 1560 (15%) 1.19*1310,4
CPSB-VPN-HA
CPSB-ADN-HA
different 1560-1310,4=249,6 just plus 19% for support rate



Negative: Conclusion support rate for equal product will raise (according CP for a couple of procent -see Recorded Webcast) in reality for 16-46%

With our current lics CP will make 30% profits every years just for one revolution in Lics , we will get only the same Product , just other way to force every customer to pay for MultiCore Lics. Sorry,but I could not find any old Lics for which we will pay LESS support rates (only MORE option is avaible by CP)

[hotice_]

Originally Posted by chillyjim

Ahh sorry I must have mis read you. I read it as you had 100 and were getting 50. You should get equal or better functionality, at least that is what we were told. Are you working directly with CHKP or with a VAR?

You didn't misread...

From original CPUTM-CKP-3-100

Free option: SG103 (50 USERS) + SM303
Low Cost: SG203 (500 Users) + SM303 (1300$ USD)

So we go from 100 users to 50 users if we select the "free option"

We're a CSP and our CP sales guy tells us this is no error. If he wants to maintain 100 users, he must buy the 500-user license...


Account services can't help me, they transferred me to Inside Sales...and nobody answers the phone there...

[PhoneBoy]

Originally Posted by serlud

Not only force to get an new (free) lic but also to pay more for support rate

To be fair, you would be paying the extra support even with the non-free (or low cost) upgrade option.

[RayPesek]

Originally Posted by PhoneBoy

To be fair, you would be paying the extra support even with the non-free (or low cost) upgrade option.

You have a vendor-centric understanding of the word "fair", dude. :-)

However,to be fair, it does look like our support costs from a CSP will in fact go to go down. Perhaps this is an advantage of not dealing directly with Check Point for support or maybe just a reflection of our product mix.

Ray

[hotice_]

just got off the phone with Account Sevices...

CPUTM Bundle for 3 sites with 100user gateway upgrade to Software blades will bring you down to 50 users if you go the "free" path

[Thorpuse]

Originally Posted by RayPesek

Y

However,to be fair, it does look like our support costs from a CSP will in fact go to go down. Perhaps this is an advantage of not dealing directly with Check Point for support or maybe just a reflection of our product mix.

Wow, that's the first case I've heard of this - what's you product mix? Lots of Eventia and Web Intelligence licenses? Can't think of anything else that would do that....