Data Backup Digest

Acronis is an international provider of data protection solutions, offering services in the backup, disaster recovery and file sharing fields. The firm was founded in 2003 and has offices in eighteen locations, the headquarters being in Switzerland. The company plays host to more than 5 million consumers and 300,000 businesses; Acronis is certainly no bit player in the data industry. Acronis is solid across the world by 30,000 resellers and is one of the key data protectors out there on the market.

Of course, Acronis isn’t the only company out there that offers things like data backup. But they certainly want to put their mark on the market. The company recently appointed a new president, Yury Larichev, following the new leadership of CEO Serguei Beloussov. They have announced that they plan to grow the company and redefine what it means to back up and protect data.

The new Acronis AnyData platform offers businesses backup and data protection that is oriented around their applications and workloads. The company believe that data shouldn’t all be sent through the same path, but that routes should specifically be built for data protection that meet the operational needs and priorities of each business.

“Data protection is more important today than ever before. Since losing business critical data is not an option, organizations are acutely aware of the need to protect their data,” said Beloussov. “Our mission is to be the leading provider of easy, complete and safe new generation data protection solutions. With AnyData technology and our updated suite of products, we have redefined best-in-class for backup, disaster recovery and secure access.”

“The Acronis AnyData engine delivers the industry’s best data protection for specific workloads, while seamlessly integrating to become a comprehensive solution. Our new team is the same – made of professionals who are the best in their individual fields, but when assembled, they will take Acronis to a new level,” he continued.

Larichev stated that Acronis’ vision was to provide better options for building backup systems, with on-premises software or cloud-based infrastructure. By the end of 2014, the company will offer new products that integrate with businesses and offer end-to-end management of data flows.

The point of all this, from Acronis’ view, is to step away from the standard backup talk of data systems, priorities and operational workflows. Instead of trying to compete on features or price, Acronis wants to drive home the idea to their customers that their system is a key driver of operational integrity.

Axcient, a competitor, adopted a similar approach by calling their system ‘recovery as a service’. It’s a term that you’re likely to see popping up more and more. Additionally, SunGard Availability Services wishes to promote the idea of data protection that integrates with legacy systems.

Acronis have said they wish the company to grow into a billion dollars’ worth. It’s unknown how close they are to that target, being a privately held company, but their desire to change the definition of backup may help drive growth their way. It’ll be interesting to see whether other backup providers follow suit.