Check Point at the Tipping Point [Fool.com] January 29, 2007

Check Point at the Tipping Point [Fool.com] January 29, 2007: "Check Point at the Tipping Point
By Tom Taulli
January 29, 2007
As a security software developer, Check Point Software Technologies (Nasdaq: CHKP) must deal with tough competitors, such as IBM (NYSE: IBM), EMC (NYSE: EMC), McAfee (NYSE: MFE), and Symantec (Nasdaq: SYMC). To get an edge, the company is investing heavily -- in internal resources and acquisitions -- to build a comprehensive suite of products.
Management calls this 'unified security architecture,' and it looks like the company is poised to get results from the strategy. In the fiscal fourth quarter, sales increased 3% to $160.1 million but net income fell from $89.2 million, or $0.36 per share, to $79.5 million, or $0.35. Much of the decline came from the company's charges for its stock option plan. "