Network security appliance maker Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT) shipped its one-millionth unit some 10 years after offering the first one, marking a milestone that has translated to a top position in the unified threat management (UTM) segment, company officials said.

Fortinet shipped the millionth unit, a FortiGate 3950B firewall, to Bell Media, Canada’s largest multimedia conglomerate and owner of Canadian television network CTV.

Researcher IDC pegs Fortinet’s leading share of the UTM market at 16.8 percent for 2011, a sector that grew at 17.4 percent last year with expectations to reach some $2.2 billion by 2016. IDC rates Fortinet as the fourth largest network security vendor worldwide with a 5.1 percent share of the $7.4 billion segment, which advanced 6.1 percent in 2011 and is projected to approach $10.1 billion by 2016, according to the researcher’s figures.

Anticipated growth in the UTM market means opportunities for channel partners to sell services around the technology.

Ken Xie, Fortinet founder, president and chief executive, had kind words for the company’s employees, channel partners and customers: “Fortinet’s milestone one millionth shipment could not have been achieved without the security innovation, dedication and teamwork of every individual within our company and channel community. What’s more, we wish to thank our growing base of customers, many of which have remained with us since we shipped our first industry-leading security appliances ten years ago.”

Fortinet said it reached additional milestones in 2012, including: