Acronis addresses long-term data storage challenges for MSPs in APAC

Acronis' move into long-term archival storage reflects growing demand for predictable, regionally supported storage in APAC.

Keeping business data for years is no longer optional for many companies, especially across Asia-Pacific. Governments and regulators in the region are tightening rules around audits, records, and data residency, pushing even smaller firms to rethink how they store information long term. For managed service providers, this has created a growing gap between what customers are required to do and what traditional storage options can support at a stable cost.

Acronis has introduced a new archival storage option aimed at this problem, with clear relevance for MSPs operating across APAC markets. The service is designed for long-term storage of data that is rarely accessed but must remain secure, searchable, and available when regulators, auditors, or legal teams request it.

The storage is built on S3-compatible object technology and connects directly to the Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud platform. For MSPs, this means archival services can be managed and billed through the same system they already use for backup and cyber protection. That native integration removes the need for separate tools and helps providers avoid cost surprises that often come with public cloud storage.

"For many customers, regulations and industry best practices require data to be retained for years," said Gaidar Magdanurov, President at Acronis. "With Acronis Archival Storage, MSPs can now provide their clients with long-term storage built for compliance readiness, cost predictability and ease of use. Native integration with Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud makes using archival storage effortless."

Cost predictability is a central issue for service providers in the region. Public cloud archival options may appear affordable at first, but egress and API fees can quickly eat into margins when data needs to be accessed. Tape-based systems avoid those fees but introduce delays that are difficult to justify during audits or investigations. Acronis's archival storage is positioned as a middle ground, offering millisecond-level retrieval without additional charges for pulling data out.

This balance may be particularly useful in Asia-Pacific, where compliance requirements differ widely between countries. Data often needs to stay within national borders, and access speed can matter during regulatory reviews. Acronis operates seven data centers worldwide, which can help MSPs place data closer to where it is required to be stored while maintaining consistent performance.

The service also includes encryption and write-once-read-many controls to help protect stored data from tampering. Rather than replacing backup storage, it is designed to sit alongside it, giving MSPs a clearer way to separate short-term recovery needs from long-term retention. That separation can simplify compliance conversations with customers in regulated industries.

"Data's true value is realized when organizations can securely preserve, access, and harness it for innovation and insight," said Melyssa Banda, SVP, Edge Enterprise Storage and Services at Seagate. "Our partnership with Acronis ensures archival data is protected and accessible for compliance, AI and more, with economic predictability and peace of mind—secured by Seagate Lyve Cloud."

For MSPs, the launch also strengthens Acronis' broader channel strategy. By extending its platform from backup into long-term archival storage, the company now covers more of the data lifecycle within a single environment. In a region facing rising compliance mandates and tighter data residency rules, that consolidation may make it easier for service providers to package, price, and scale their offerings without relying on multiple vendors.

As regulatory pressure continues to build across Asia-Pacific, long-term storage is becoming less of a niche service and more of a baseline expectation. For MSPs, solutions that combine predictable costs, fast access, and regional compliance support may play a growing role in how they compete and grow.