Scale Computing HC3 Platform Now Integrates Acronis Backup

Scale Computing now offers Acronis Backup with its HC3 hyperconverged computing platform, making it easier to add backup protection against cyberattacks and other threats.

Acronis backup protection is being integrated with Scale Computing’s HC3 under an OEM deal that addresses the concerns of many customers and channel partners who have asked about such an integration, Jason Collier, co-founder of Scale Computing, told Channel Futures. Acronis backup, which is available immediately through Scale, offers archiving, enhanced data protection, disaster recovery and threat mitigation atop the Scale Computing HC3 platform. The backup capabilities are available on premises or on the cloud.

Scale Computing’s Jason Collier

The agreement between the two companies allows for Acronis backup to run on Scale Computing’s HC3 platform and gives customers and partners the ability to detect ransomware attacks before they hit a company’s servers, storage and other infrastructure, he said.

“I think that is the most compelling piece of what we’re offering with that package today,” said Collier.

Acronis was chosen as the OEM partner for the new capabilities because of its existing and deep work in cyberprotection, he said.

Customers have sought the added capabilities to increase their protection against recent ransomware attacks and other threats, said Collier.

“That’s what our customers have really been asking for and asking us: ‘How can you help?'” he said.

For partners, the new capabilities offer a streamlined and simplified way to sell the combined technologies in a prepackaged form using one SKU that can be purchased and primarily supported by Scale, according to Collier.

“So customers don’t have to deal with two partners to get it,” he said. “Scale can do that in one step. It’s easier to put it together as a package deal for partners.”

Lou Melograna, CTO for Scale Computing partner StarNet Solutions, said his company has been working with Scale for about two years and is happy to see it creating the new offering with Acronis.

StarNet Solutions’ Lou Melograna

For the channel, the deal brings strength and solidarity between the two complementary vendors, he said.

“This actual partnership helped us close our most recent sale,” he added. “It gives us extra leverage over the competing brand and has helped my company’s partnership with Acronis grow.”

In addition, the deal gives StarNet more to offer to customers.

“Having the company that invented hyperconverged computing – Scale Computing – partnered with Acronis just gave us an edge for our customers,” he said.

Dennis Hahn, an analyst with research firm IHS Markit, said the Scale Computing-Acronis OEM deal addresses a big need for partners and their customers who need to find comprehensive ways to protect data in business IT systems.

IHS Markit’s Dennis Hahn

“It is a real problem — ransomware getting into a data center, even a small data center, because once it gets in there it just messes everything up,” said Hahn. “The problem is when a worm gets in, it’s just catastrophic as far as its effects on a data center. And the data center people don’t always have the best and most updated security, so sometimes they need help from a specialist.”

To protect against such threats, customers need an immutable copy of their data so they can fall back to it if it is needed, said Collier.

“What Scale Computing has done is helped users pick a vendor and pre-integrated it onto their platform so it is all ready to go,” he said. “That makes it simpler for channel partners who want to offer it to customers.”

Using Acronis backup on Scale Computing HC3, users will gain long-term data retention for future data retrieval, full bare-metal system recovery capabilities, Acronis universal restore capabilities and the ability to do granular data recovery by searching for and restoring specific files and folders without requiring full database or systems recoveries. Acronis backup has flexible on-premises and cloud storage options to serve the needs of a wide range of customers, the company said.