Acronis launches new version of Mac backup software

I exchanged messages with Acronis' PR firm about the launch of a new version of the company's Acronis Backup & Recovery for Mac. It is clear that Macs have started being an important part of organization's desktop and laptop strategies, and have been favored choices in many bring-your-own-device (BYOD) programs.

Apple's Mac OS offers many wonderful features, but tight integration into a Windows, Linux, or Unix environment isn't one of them. Acronis, among many others, have sought to fill the gaps left by Apple.

Here's what Acronis has to say about its Backup & Recovery for Mac:

Whether IT likes it or not, Macs in the enterprise are a reality. In fact, sales of Macs to businesses grew nearly 50 percent year over year in 2012 (meanwhile, PC sales were down 13 percent). Many see the advantages of enterprises moving to a more user-centric model where employees are free to use their workstation of choice, but using Macs in the enterprise also presents major compliance issues and threatens business continuity if Mac files are left unprotected.

IT departments clearly need a solution that can resolve the legal, financial, and bottom-line risks of Macs in the enterprise. And, to address this, on Wednesday, February 27, Acronis is releasing an architecture that seamlessly integrates Mac backups into its corporate data protection strategy, without affecting the user or administrator experience. The new solution, based on ExtremeZ-IP® and Acronis Backup & Recovery®, centrally protects Mac OS X® Time Machine® archives, with the flexibility to store Mac files to disk, SAN, tape, or the cloud. This means users can continue to operate on their workstation of choice, and administrators can be assured that IT is flexible, seamless, and fully compliant.

Ultimately, Mac integration is an important step in moving beyond traditional backup and disaster recovery to encompass a broader enterprise strategy for comprehensive, secure data protection. Regardless of where data resides, IT must ensure it is available, accessible, and protected in physical, virtual, and cloud environments.

Snapshot analysis

Acronis is known by its users as a provider of easy to use, but powerful backup and recovery software. That being said, Acronis faces a bewildering array of competition including Apple's own backup capability, which is part of Mac OS. Here are a few of products tools that can be seen as competition for Acronis' products:

• Backup Exec 2012 agent by Symantec

• ChronoSync by Econ Technologies

• Data Backup by Prosoft Engineering

• Tri-BACKUP by Tri-Edre

• SuperDuper by Shirt Pocket

• Synk Standard by Decimus

• Knox by Agilebits

• SmartBackup by Freeridecoding

• Time machine by Apple

• Synchronize! X Plus by Qdea.

Which of these is the best product depends, of course, on your requirements. Some of these products are clearly designed for a single user or small company. Others are designed to bring Macs into a corporate backup and recovery environment.

Is Acronis Backup and Recovery for Mac the right choice for you? If you need to bring Mac OS-based machines into your backup strategy, regardless of whether that backup is to the cloud, your SAN, to tape, or to an external disk, Acronis might be a good solution for you.

While Kusnetzky Group has been happy with tools that replicate files to a backup volume on our storage server, that solution might be problematic for those who prefer a "set it and forget it" approach. Acronis users have always said nice things about the company and its products when interviewed or included in a Kusnetzky Group survey. Either way, it's worth a look.