Just as your pulse is checked during a routine physical, free cash flow is used as an indicator of a company's health. It equals the cash brought in from operations minus the money needed to pay the bills. Think about leftover money in your checking account after you pay this month's bills.

Investors and analysts see this leftover money as a gauge of a company's ability to perform. It is available for transactions such as handing out dividends and working on new products.

Some argue free cash flow is wrongly overshadowed by the emphasis often placed on earnings. Earnings numbers can be manipulated and don't always tell the whole story -- and earnings don't mean much if there's nothing left over after a company pays its expenses. Even if you bring in a six-figure salary, but no money left after paying the bills, are you in great financial shape?

You don't have to be Einstein to figure out free cash flow. To calculate the number, subtract the company's expenditures and dividends from its operating cash flow.

If the free cash flow is written in red ink, it doesn't necessarily signal curtains. This is common for young companies looking to grow. It also could be a result of heavy investments, which in the long run could be worth a standing ovation.

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Monday, July 28, 2008

Check Point Software Announces Participation in Third Quarter Investor Conferences

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Jul 28, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) ----Check Point(R) Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:CHKP), the worldwide leader in securing the Internet, today announced the company's expected investor conference participation for the third quarter of 2008. Events include:

-- 10th Annual Pacific Crest Technology Leadership Forum August 4, 2008 - Vail, CO

-- RBC Capital Markets 2008 Technology, Media & Communications Conference August 7, 2008 - San Francisco, CA

-- Citi Investment Research 15th Annual Global Technology Conference September 2, 2008 - New York, NY

-- Raymond James North American Investor Conference September 4, 2008 - London, UK

-- Deutsche Bank 2008 Technology Conference September 9, 2008 - San Francisco, CA

-- Jefferies 2nd Annual Technology Conference September 10, 2008 - New York, NY

Members of Check Point's management team will present at the conference and will discuss the latest company strategies and initiatives. Check Point's conference presentations are expected to be available via webcast at the company's web site. To view these presentations and access the most updated information on presenters and the schedule, please visit the Investor Relations section of the company's web site at http://www.checkpoint.com/ir. The schedule is subject to change.

About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (www.checkpoint.com) is the leader in securing the Internet. Check Point offers total security solutions featuring a unified gateway, single endpoint agent and single management architecture, customized to fit customers' dynamic business needs. This combination is unique and is a result of our leadership and innovation in the enterprise firewall, personal firewall/endpoint, data security and VPN markets.

Check Point's award-winning ZoneAlarm solutions protect millions of consumer PCs from hackers, spyware and identity theft. Check Point solutions are sold, integrated and serviced by a network of Check Point partners around the world and its customers include 100 percent of Fortune 100 companies and tens of thousands of businesses and organizations of all sizes.

SOURCE: Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.

Check Point Software Technologies Investor: Kip E. Meintzer, +1-650-628-2040 ir@us.checkpoint.com
   or Media: Greg Kunkel, +1-650-628-2070 press@us.checkpoint.com