What is our primary use case?
One of my clients needed backup software, and Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud comes as an all-in-one tool. Through the policies, we can choose backups alone, backups with antivirus protection, or even enable endpoint detection and response.
Once the policies are published, we monitor the clients in safe mode to ensure compliance and receive notifications on the web console. On the user's machine, there's no real interaction; it runs in the background unless there's a notification. Everything else is managed on the web console with extended alerts.
We can manage alerts either on the console itself or through an RMM tool.
How has it helped my organization?
The biggest benefit is that everything is transparent to the end-user. It just works in the cloud without any interference. However, I haven't had to test the antivirus features in a real-world scenario, so I am not sure whether it's good enough or lacking.
Acronis's update process impacted workflow efficiency:
The update process is quite efficient. They send admin alerts one day in advance when updating data centers or products. On the end-user side, everything is transparent, and updates don't impact them at all. It only affects admins, who need to be prepared in case something goes wrong. In my experience, nothing has gone wrong.
The support team is intelligent and quick to respond to any questions or difficulties.
What is most valuable?
The backup itself is quite good. One client was backing up about a terabyte of data, and even with a 100 Mbps line, there wasn't any noticeable bandwidth overuse.
It backed up during the day and has a continuous volume backup utility, similar to Windows Server Shadow Copy, but it automatically picks up file changes without disrupting the client's work. It works very well and simultaneously.
What needs improvement?
On the client-side, the antivirus engine was slowing down their finance server terribly. It seems the client was identifying Windows Defender as an administrator and trying to scan it while people were working. If they can improve that, they'll have a better product and a better experience for end users.
At this stage, I think they have a complete service with backup, antivirus, and patch management. I wouldn't add anything extra now, but I suggest more testing in all scenarios to improve product quality.
For how long have I used the solution?
It has been more than six months now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability a seven out of ten. Everything works well except for the fact that the anti-malware slows things down. If it weren't for the anti-malware, I would give them a ten.
Every other aspect has been tested, and it hasn't broken down at all. There was no need for me to troubleshoot, so I didn't find any issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Acronis products do get acclaim because it's quite feasible.
I would rate the scalability a ten out of ten because it's quite usable. We just load whatever users we need, and the tool automatically adjusts the pricing according to the number of users.
Whether you want to scale up or scale down, it's feasible. You enter the information in the Cyber Protect Cloud console, and it does everything in the account. It's linked with licensing as well.
Currently, it's five users on my side, but we just moved to Linux and are in a bit of a dilemma because Acronis hasn't fully supported Linux yet. My client was using it for about 50 users, but due to internet issues, he decided to wait and see until their environment is fixed.
How are customer service and support?
They're quick to get on board, but in my case with the anti-malware, they couldn't suggest anything other than to switch it off. That's what gave them a negative rating.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have experience with Fortinet, SonicWall, Acronis Backup, and Nextiva Backup, and I will be working with a cybersecurity solution as well. They offer antivirus, email security, and EDR.
How was the initial setup?
The deployment is quite straightforward. You basically install an agent or client on the machine or device, then connect it to a user account. From the cloud console, you create a policy and publish it. It was all really really straightforward.
The only challenge I had was a problem on one client's machine where everything slowed down after the software was loaded. I logged a call with Acronis, and the problem resolved itself, but I never found the root cause.
Deployment time: It shouldn't take more than an hour, depending on the end user's availability. As soon as you load the client, it connects to the cloud within a minute, and then the machine is protected and licensed. So it doesn't take long.
Maintainenance: It's straightforward. Most things can be done by one person unless there are many clients having issues at the same time. Then you can use remote management tools to log in and see what's happening. But on the web console, one person is more than enough.
Cloud-provider: I use AWS, but on the client side, they're using a direct connection to their data center.
What was our ROI?
My clients have the assurance that their backups are safe and secure and can be restored at any time. The antivirus is also a bonus, as they don't have to worry about using another product.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's relatively cheap, but you see the benefits more at a higher volume. If you're just doing a small amount of backups, you might end up paying more than what you're using.
Like in my case, I pay for the full license, but I don't even use 50% of the available storage. There's a threshold you need to reach before you really see the benefits.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend it a 100% if you know what you need.
If you don't know, I'd give it a six out of ten because it slows down some machines. More testing is needed.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: