If there’s one thing everyone in the cybersecurity space can agree on, it’s that things aren’t getting any easier. Threats are more sophisticated. Customers are still the weakest link. MSPs, especially the small and mid-sized ones, are increasingly left holding the bag when something goes sideways.
That reality isn’t lost on Acronis, a company most MSPs still associate with backup, but one that’s quietly evolved into something much bigger and more strategic. At Acronis’ recent Acronis TRU Security Day event, ChannelPro sat down with several of Acronis’ top executives to get a behind-the-scenes look at where the company is headed, and why they believe the next generation of MSP success will be built on integration, automation, and a whole lot less tool sprawl.
From Backup to Full Stack
Pat Hurley
Pat Hurley, Acronis’ vice president & general manager for the Americas, pointed out how frequently he was approached at trade shows with praise of its imaging product, which is now currently less than 1% of Acronis’ business. “Most service providers still think of us as a backup company,” Hurley said. “But we have purpose-built our platform for MSPs and now have over 300 integrations — RMM, PSA, EDR, cloud storage, hyperscalers — anything an MSP touches, we integrate with.”
That evolution didn’t happen overnight. The company stopped all on-prem development in 2014 and doubled down on cloud, investing heavily in building a modular, MSP-friendly platform from the ground up. Since then, growth has accelerated — especially during the COVID era — and today Acronis supports more than 20,000 MSPs worldwide.
Why Consolidation is the New Differentiator
At the heart of Acronis’ pitch is a philosophy that’s quickly gaining traction among MSPs: simplify the stack. “No single tool solves every problem,” Hurley said. “Consolidation is our top story after features and speeds. MSPs trust one partner across their stack, making staff certification on one solution efficient.”
That message resonates, especially as tool sprawl becomes a major pain point. The promise of fewer vendors, tighter integration, and a seamless technician experience goes beyond convenience to business strategy. MSPs can certify their teams on one system, reduce switching costs, and gain more operational control.
Acronis, he believes, is playing the long game. Its platform spans backup, disaster recovery, EDR, email security, and remote monitoring and management, all supported by 24/7 global partner support and over 60 data centers for data residency flexibility.
Securing the New Threat Landscape
Gerald Beuchelt
As much as platform efficiency matters, security still dominates the conversation, which is getting more complicated by the day.
“We’re a security company, so interest in us is obviously higher than, say, the grocery around the corner,” said Gerald Beuchelt, the company’s chief information security officer. “ They face security issues as well, but since we’re at the center point of many activities to protect the internet, we face broader, more comprehensive threats.”
Beuchelt pointed to the rise of AI-fueled attacks like voice impersonation, spear phishing at scale, and malware generated on the fly through “malware-as-a-service” platforms. “Signature-based detection alone isn’t enough anymore,” he warned. “You need behavioral heuristics, threat intel, and automated detection and response.”
And yes, Acronis eats its own dog food — or rather, drinks its own champagne as Beuchelt puts it. Acronis uses the same platform stack that MSPs do, acting as “customer zero” to validate features and secure internal systems. “It helps us stay aligned with the challenges our MSPs face,” he said.
AI That Delivers (Without the Buzzwords)
For Acronis, AI isn’t a buzzword, but instead a core part of their defense and operations. “In our XDR and MDR platforms, we’ve invested in AI-based event interpretation and enrichment,” said Beuchelt. “Instead of needing tier-two or tier-three analysts, a level-one technician can get a summary of an event, perform natural-language queries, and generate a report for customers via an automated system.”
That’s a big deal for MSPs struggling with security talent shortages. And it’s exactly the kind of automation that turns security from a cost center into a margin enhancer.
Selling Security the Right Way
Gaidar Magdanurov
Of course, none of this matters if MSPs can’t get their customers to say “yes.” That’s where Acronis President Gaidar Magdanurov comes in, and he didn’t mince words about the biggest mistake partners make when pitching security: focusing on features.
“Customers don’t care about automated failback, or all those features and cool technical stuff,” Magdanurov said. “They care about how much they actually save. Tell them, ‘Your downtime is costing you $3,000 a month. Pay a little more and we cut that in half.’ Now you’ve got a sale.”
He also stressed that today’s security story needs to include disaster recovery, patch management, and compliance. “It’s not antivirus anymore. It’s a complete portfolio — endpoint, server, cloud, remote management. And the easiest pitch is: ‘We already have the Acronis platform. We can just turn this on.’”
Compliance and Cyber Insurance: The Hidden Growth Driver
Security isn’t just about protection. It’s becoming the key to growth. As cyber insurance and regulatory requirements get stricter, MSPs who can’t check all the boxes may find themselves losing customers or being denied insurance altogether.
Beuchelt emphasized that Acronis helps MSPs meet these demands without claiming compliance outright. “We don’t say, ‘We make you HIPAA compliant.’ What we do is provide the documentation, attestations, and reporting tools MSPs need to show as evidence for their security-control requirements.”
The Business Case for Acronis
Beyond reduced tool sprawl and better integration, Hurley pointed to value-added programs many partners aren’t even aware of. “We let MSPs co-brand with our sports sponsorships — Red Sox, Yankees, F1, 49ers. Stadium signage and team partnerships drive referrals and brand recognition.”
That branding benefit, combined with sales support, rebates, and community events like TRU Security Days, is part of what Hurley called “relationship-driven growth.” After all, he added, “Technology breaks; who answers the phone when it does?”
Final Takeaway
It doesn’t matter whether you think of Acronis as a backup company, a security vendor, or a full-blown MSP enablement platform. They’re betting big on helping MSPs do more with less. And in a market that’s evolving faster than ever, that could be exactly the kind of partnership MSPs need.
Jonathan Browning contributed to this article.
