Acronis launches 'archival storage' to solve the MSP data retention crisis

New S3-compatible tier offers millisecond retrieval, zero egress fees, and immutability for long-term compliance.

Acronis, a global leader in cyber protection, has officially launched Acronis Archival Storage, a new "cold" storage tier specifically designed to help Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) manage the skyrocketing costs of long-term data retention. Announced on January 13, 2026, the solution addresses the growing regulatory pressure in sectors like healthcare, finance, and legal to keep data for years, or even decades, without breaking the bank.

By integrating this new tier directly into the Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud, the company is removing the traditional friction of managing multiple storage vendors and unpredictable cloud invoices.

The end of "surprise" cloud bills

A major pain point for businesses using traditional public cloud archives (like AWS Glacier) is the hidden cost of getting data back. Acronis is positioning its new service as a predictable, high-performance alternative.

Unlike many competitors, Acronis has eliminated egress and API fees. This means MSPs can set predictable margins, knowing exactly what the bill will be, even if a client needs to retrieve large amounts of data for an audit or legal investigation.

Also, while traditional "cold" storage often requires hours or even days to "thaw" data, Acronis Archival Storage provides access in milliseconds. This is critical for organizations that need instant access to historical records during high-stakes compliance checks.

The infrastructure boasts 99.999999999% durability and 99.5% availability, ensuring that data stored for ten years remains as intact and accessible as the day it was archived.

Strategic partnership with Seagate

The service is powered by a deep technical integration with Seagate’s Lyve Cloud. This collaboration allows Acronis to leverage Seagate's massive global storage footprint while maintaining a unified management interface for the end user.

"For many customers, regulations and industry best practices require data to be retained for years," said Gaidar Magdanurov, President of 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."

Key compliance & security features

Acronis has engineered the platform to meet the strictest "Write Once, Read Many" (WORM) requirements, making it a viable replacement for cumbersome physical tape systems.

• Immutability: Once written, data cannot be modified or deleted until the retention period expires, providing a "bulletproof" defense against accidental deletion and ransomware tampering.

• Encryption by default: Data is encrypted both in transit and at rest, ensuring that sensitive information remains private even within the archival tier.

Global footprint: The service is initially launching through seven strategically located data centers worldwide (including sites in the U.S., Germany, and Japan), helping businesses meet regional data sovereignty requirements.

For MSPs, this launch represents more than just a new storage bucket; it is a way to transition "compliance-heavy" data from a cost center into a managed, revenue-generating service that lives alongside backup and disaster recovery in a single console.