A healthy sports team requires more than just strong athletic talent and exceptional tactics, it takes an equally skilled team working behind the scenes to keep the team safe and stable. Sports teams are just like any other business, requiring dedicated staff and a functioning and well-protected digital infrastructure. Acronis’ #TeamUp program enables the leading cyber protection company to partner with a managed service provider (MSP) and professional sports teams, securing the team’s backend while offering a far reach of exposure for all parties involved.
In May 2021, Acronis teamed up with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and Executech, a managed service provider, as part of its #TeamUp program.
Representatives from Sacramento Kings and Executech spoke to Acronis about the partnership and how it’s benefited their bottom line and protection needs since it was established over a year ago. This included a one-on-one with Eric King, Vice President of Technology for the Sacramento Kings, who’s been with the organization for twelve years, overseeing all integrations of technology and system solutions. Here is a summarized version of their reports, as well as what it says about cyber protection and the significance of strong alliances.
Off-court challenges
First, it’s important to understand why data is so important for a sports team such as the Kings. The Sacramento Kings are committed to providing its fanbase with the best possible experience, and data is used to drive that engagement. Data is used by the team for point of sales, ticketing, and loyalty programs, and drives the team mobile application, available to keep fans as connected as possible.
The Kings joined the #TeamUp program to work with a product allowing it to scale with its partner and internal needs as a growing organization itself, while affording opportunities that wouldn’t be offered through traditional means. The Kings use Acronis cloud backup and disaster recovery technology to protect its digital infrastructure. The team states that protecting data safeguards the loss of revenue, ensuring the team is operational in the event of a breach or potential attack. Maintaining its reputation, the team said, is also a big motivator behind keeping its data as secure as possible.
A cloud-based solution that was easy to deploy was the team’s biggest priority. Over the past few years, the Kings migrated a majority of their workloads from on-premises to the cloud. Acronis’ platform met all their need for a cloud-based solution that would also support the data left on-premises. “Acronis has an efficient, easy-to-use backup and extra recovery solution that fit our needs,” King said.
Acronis’ onboarding process was “outstanding,” according to the Kings. The technology team at the Kings was assisted every step of the way to get the solution fully integrated. “My team is now able to focus on projects and tasks, instead of being stuck in a console managing alerts all day.”
Leveraging global expertise in data storage and backup allowed the team to continue revolutionizing the fan experience while reducing disruptions to day-to-day business operations, according to the Kings. Since the move to Acronis, the team now has full remote site backups, high availability, and data resilience. “The solution continues to meet our backup and recovery needs. The migration solution and support have been effective, and we feel very confident about their products.” King continued that Acronis took the time to study the Kings, made recommendations, and provided solutions that work, adding that the process is established on strong, trust-built relationships. The results are consistent with other cases, showcasing how a single-platform cyber protection solution simplifies security while strengthening backend operations. The #TeamUp program continues to prove successful, offering the expertise of each party to benefit all involved and expand the reach of brand recognition.