Check Point’s One Step Ahead Campaign

If You’re Going To Be In the IT Management Business, You Can’t Afford to Fall Behind

This is not a blog post about Check Point – however I am at the Check Point SKO 2016 this week – and excited to hear the phrase, One Step Ahead. It’s Check Point’s 2016 Vision Statement Summary, but it needs to be everyone’s. Pictured above – Amnon Bar-Lev, President of Check Point Software, communicating the vision to his team and reseller partners.

Meanwhile, Walmart if closing down about 150 stores including both superstores and the smaller stores they’ve experimented with since 2011.

Remember when Walmart was idolized for their amazing achievements using technology to build the JIT (Just In Time) inventory machine? They were unstoppable. Taking over cities, pushing out the little guys. Taking over the world.

We probably all still buy from Walmart. I know my daughters pick up groceries there every week. But then look at Jeff Bezos, a computer science guy about my age. In 1994 he had a crazy idea to start an online bookstore. After consulting with his wife – she said, “Go for it!” and he did. He started Amazon.

That’s the competition. Amazon is eating Walmart’s lunch because they are one step ahead. And if you look at what they’ve done, it’s all about customer experience. The second most important value proposition I’ve written about over the past decade. Watch over the next 5 years and we’ll see some some big shifts in who leads in business growth. Expect companies like Google, Amazon, and Facebook to reshape everything we know about business.

Several of the resellers I’ve been working with this year are here this week – and it’s become clearer than ever, Security is the Most Important Thing They Can Be Talking About To Their Clients.

In fact, on the break today, one of these resellers had a quick call with a new prospect. They are evaluating new IT Mannagement companies right now, and wanted to meet him this week. Of course he can’t – he’s here. She then told him he would not be considered. His response – “I’m at a security conference and you’ll want to hear what I have to say because none of the people you are considering understand how to keep your data safe.” She immediately extended her process to give him a meeting next week. Coming from this week’s meeting, I expect he’ll be armed with a compelling story, an assessment offer, and a high likelihood of closing the business.