Bangalore, India, November 21, 2011 ― Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT) − a leading network security provider and the worldwide leader of unified threat management (UTM) solutions − today announced that, as part of its aggressive channel expansion program, it has appointed its 200th channel partner in India, and is on track to hit 300 partners in the India and SAARC region within the next 12 months.

These partners − established security players in their geographical areas of operations − will help Fortinet increase its geographical outreach, especially in India. Partners already on board include nationally recognized names like Dimension Data, HP, Sify and Wipro. The expanded partner network will further strengthen Fortinet's pre-sales and post-sales customer service and responsiveness.

The channel expansion program is a cornerstone of Fortinet's broader plan to capture a larger share of the fast-growing Indian network security market, which, according to Frost & Sullivan, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15.3 percent between 2011 and 2017.

"Fortinet is pursuing its aggressive growth plan and we cannot be successful without the support of a strong channel network, composed of high-value and dedicated partners," said Vishak Raman, regional director of Fortinet India and SAARC. “Our leadership position in the Indian market* in the last few years speaks volumes for our brand and products. Together with a growing sales structure covering the whole country and an attractive channel program, we represent a solid proposition to our partners.”

Fortinet has also expanded its sales and pre-sales teams across regions to provide adequate support in line with channel expansion. In particular, Fortinet has invested in dedicated skilled resources for Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Kochi.

“Our objective is to maximize market reach by building an optimum and well-spread reseller community of 300 quality partners in India and SAARC by September 2012, which will concentrate on the top 50 cities in India,” Raman added.

Fortinet’s FortiPartner Program (FPP) is based on three tiers − namely gold, silver and bronze – and aims at driving value and commitment for Fortinet’s distributors and resellers by focusing on channel profitability, technology leadership and a strong certification program, through the recruitment of Authorized Training Centers locally. Through the FPP, Fortinet offers partners an attractive program which includes reward programs for both resellers’ sales and technical team members; strong support through interactive and regular hands-on training; a strong services renewal model; dedicated technical support for partners; and a comprehensive range of marketing and sales tools.

For more information on Fortinet’s partner program in India & SAARC, please contact us at: india@fortinet.com.

* According to IDC's security appliance tracker, Fortinet is UTM leader in India for both factory revenue and units shipped for 2010 and first half of 2011.