ENTERPRISE TECHNOLOGY
Distribution of Acronis global hosting locations.
and they are interoperable. I can move data from physical to virtual to cloud with a single console,” explains Zanni.
The Acronis Backup solution and Acronis Cloud storage is available from datacentres across the world. Large enterprises have the choice of selecting in which datacentre to back-up their Acronis Image and data in order to comply with their own business continuity policies. For small and medium enterprises, Acronis has been offsetting the initial cost of cloud storage in multiples of 1 Terabyte to encourage data migration to the cloud.
For on-premises end-user installations, Acronis follows a license based pricing approach. When there is cloud based backup, the pricing changes and is dependent on storage space consumed by the end-user. The same pricing approach is used by Acronis with its regional channel partners. Acronis uses a two-tier channel structure to reach its commercial and business end-customers, while 100 % of its sales is indirect in the region.
Channel partners that are selling Acronis Backup software on-premises use a license based payment approach with the storage space provided for by the end-user. However, when the enduser is backing up the Acronis Image into the Acronis Cloud and using the Acronis Backup administrative console
to synchronise between onsite and cloud folders, the pricing used by channel partners is based on storage space consumed in the Acronis Cloud.
Since all Acronis global datacenters are based outside the Middle East and Africa region, regional Acronis channel partners are moving towards a third model of pricing and service offering. Channel partners can now combine the Acronis Backup administrative console with localised cloud storage within the country or within the region, using local and regional service providers and datacenters.
In this case also, the unit of pricing will remain as the storage space consumed through the channel partner outside the Acronis Cloud. However, the unit value of the pricing charged by Acronis to the channel partner will be less in comparison to when the Acronis Cloud is used by the end-customer.
“ They do not have to use our datacentre. They can use a datacentre service provider that is local, or public cloud, or AWS, Google, Microsoft Azure,” adds Zanni, implying that end-customers can choose to save their data on a cloud platform of their choice. They could opt for such cloud storage, building their disaster recovery and business continuity capabilities, while ensuring compliance with country specific data privacy legislation.
Acronis channel partners can negotiate to buy volume space in the Acronis Cloud and slice and dice the cloud storage space using their own metrics. But for every end-user accessing storage space in the Acronis Cloud, channel partners will need to attach a unique instance of Acronis Backup administrative console. Service providers have the further option of white labelling Acronis Backup software to boost their selfbranded cloud backup and disaster recovery services to enterprise customers.
“ Today we are offering Acronis Backup in our datacenters. So, you can build out a virtual IT environment in our datacentre. Next year it will be enabled in service provider datacentres as well,” adds Zanni.“ What we have done, we have taken that solution and we are democraticising it.” Acronis Backup will also be split into two versions- one for small businesses and the other for the middle range markets.
How should end-users cope with latency in their networks and increasing costs associated with high speed data transfer rates?
Using localised and regional datacenters is an important part of coping with network latency and availability. The next most important initiative is to have a priority schedule of which files and folders to backup into the cloud. Understanding the nature and quality of the network being provided by the service provider is also important. The backup software being used should also be smart enough to pause and continue from the last point of data transfer in case of a network interruptions.
Acronis can provide its own service level agreement built around its global datacenter operations, if it has a turnkey contract with the end-user. If the end-user has a service level agreement with a service provider, then the Acronis Backup service level agreement will terminate with this service provider. With the increasing momentum towards digital transformation in the region, for all types of businesses, Acronis and at its channel partners will continue to witness fast growth in demand for easy to use, data and cloud based solutions.
20 Issue 05 INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS