EFolder Buys Replibit For Data Protection Tech, Says Deal Will Not Impact Other Partners

Cloud storage and business continuity technology provider eFolder has acquired one of its technology partners in a move the company said will give it better control over its intellectual property development.

Atlanta-based eFolder, which provides hybrid on-premise and cloud-based data protection technology to managed service providers, on Wednesday said it has acquired Replibit, a developer of data protection and disaster recovery software for MSPs.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

[Related: eFolder Acquires Cloudfinder For Tech To Back Up Cloud App Data]

Replibit is one of five data protection software vendors which provides technology that is combined with commodity hardware by eFolder in an on-premise data protection solution that is also backed up by eFolder's own 30-TB storage cloud, said Ted Hulsey, eFolder vice president of marketing.

In addition to Replibit, eFolder produces backup and data recovery appliances featuring technology from Dell, Acronis, Veeam and StorageCraft, Hulsey told CRN.

The acquisition of Replibit does not impact eFolder's relationships with the other four vendors, all of which were told about the acquisition in advance, he said.

"Replibit will be the lead in our portfolio," he said. "But each partner brings unique capabilities that MSPs need. We are able to serve more of the MSP market with this unique open strategy. For instance, customers choose Veeam for completely virtualized environments, or Dell AppAssure for good integrity checks for Exchange and SQL environments, or StorageCraft's ShadowProtect for small-business clients."

Instead, Hulsey said, the acquisition is a recognition that it is important for a storage technology provider to have its own intellectual property.

"We believe in partnerships, and in our open strategy," he said. "But sometimes it's important to own the intellectual property, We believe in partnering. But our partners could change some day."

EFolder owns a 30-TB-plus storage cloud which it uses to provide cloud-based storage services to MSPs, Hulsey said. That cloud currently serves about 3,000 MSPs, nearly all of which deal direct with eFolder, he said.

Phillip Long, CEO of Business Information Solutions, a Mobile, Ala.-based MSP that partners with several of eFolder's backup and data recovery appliances, told CRN that he has known the eFolder people for years and that it makes sense for the company to acquire this technology.

"I trust them when they say the acquisition will not impact the business of their other partners," Long said. "Each of eFolder's vendor partners has its own niche. Actually, the acquisition might help eFolder up its game. Competition is always healthy, and benefits the consumer."