Acronis Expands Cloud Backup, Adds BYOD File Sync And Share

Acronis has expanded its data protection capabilities with a new version of the Acronis Backup Cloud and the introduction of a new private cloud-based file sync and share service.

The expanded Acronis Backup Cloud is the latest extension of the Cloud Backup-as-a-Service solution first launched last year, said John Zanni, senior vice president for cloud and hosting sales at the Burlington, Mass.-based data protection technology developer.

The Acronis Backup Cloud, which already has 150 MSPs in production, with another 450 MSPs in trial mode, is available as a service hosted by Acronis or by service providers, Zanni told CRN.

[Related: Acronis Makes First Launch Since Revamping Channel Program With Cloud Backup-As-A-Service]

New to the service is the ability to both back up and restore data on a granular basis from Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Exchange, Zanni said.

The company also has added Mac OS X backup capabilities, a new console to manage data stored in a cloud or locally, and the ability to do seed backups via USB drives that can be sent directly to Acronis or the service provider, he said.

"The goal of our new platform is to make it easy for partners to offer the service while making it affordable to customers," he said.

Also new is the Acronis Files Cloud, a version of the file sync and share application Acronis got with its 2012 acquisition of GroupLogic.

The Acronis Files Cloud, which can be hosted by Acronis or its services partners, now includes bring-your-own-device capabilities, Zanni said.

"It lets mobile users use their own devices while protecting corporate data with encryption, audit trails and role-based permissions," he said.

Customers definitely need the enhancements to Acronis' data protection line, said Jon Iglehart, president of Pro River Technology, a Colorado Springs, Colo.-based solution provider and eight-year partner of Acronis.

"A lot of software vendors need to move into the services business to stay alive," Iglehart told CRN. "Local data protection is a dying business. Everything is moving to the cloud."

As an MSP, Iglehart said his company has to continually upgrade its services to provide value to customers of any size, especially as IT budgets can be cut significantly.

"Every customer we have has either downsized its IT infrastructure or has completely moved away from it," he said.

For data protection and disaster recovery, Pro River Technology uses Acronis unless customers have their own specific requirement, Iglehart said. "It's highly secure and available," he said. "We've had times when we needed to recover data, and we've done it with Acronis without a hitch."

The Acronis Backup Cloud has proven itself as a solution that ensures data is protected, Iglehart said.

"I'm backing up 17,000 devices every night with Acronis," he said. "No human can keep track of that. Customers rely on us. They just want to run their business. We quickly and conveniently ensure the backups are done, and we've never had a restore not work."

PUBLISHED JULY 21, 2015