Acronis Launches Blockchain Technology Initiative with Availability of Prototype Data Authenticity Solution for Service Providers and Businesses

Burlington, MA - May 25, 2016 - Acronis, a global leader in hybrid cloud data protection, today announced a strategic initiative to develop applications of Blockchain technology for data protection. Acronis has formed a dedicated research and development team that is initially focused on delivering 'tamper-proof' data storage with verifiable sync and share solutions that leverage Blockchain to ensure data authenticity, privacy and control. The groundbreaking Blockchain technology, which provides a record of digital events distributed across different participants or entities, has the potential to open up a broad range of new data protection use cases for businesses and organizations worldwide.

Today's digital world contains a huge number of assets whose originality and ownership are difficult and costly to define and track. Blockchain can solve this problem by providing global authenticity and security for data and transactions of any kind, reducing the cost and complexity of centralized systems, while making data 'tamper-proof'. With Blockchain, data and transactions can only be updated by rules of consensus between participants in the system, and when new data is entered, it can never be erased.

Acronis is taking a unique and targeted approach at how Blockchain can be used to solve specific data protection problems by seeking and developing use cases that exist today. Data and transactions that are protected from tampering by Blockchain can be used for those use cases where individuals or businesses absolutely must maintain the integrity of the original information.

For example, Acronis is currently extending its data storage solutions and file sync and share solutions with Blockchain technology to monitor data integrity and guarantee validity at all times. Examples of data that can be protected from tampering using Blockchain include property and medical records, stock transfers, chain-of-evidence for court documents, police video or security camera footage, long-term archiving that could be subject to IT audits, and 'consortium' data storage, where multiple individuals or entities can securely store and exchange massive amounts of data and information.

As part of the initiative, Acronis is unveiling a prototype solution to give its service provider partners and end user customers an introduction to the power of Blockchain technology for data protection. The prototype shows an example of how Blockchain can be used to verify and protect data with timestamps and certificates of authenticity. By making the prototype available to the public, Acronis is seeking input on potential data protection use cases for Blockchain technology. Participants will be asked for their name and contact info in an effort to better understand the market need and potential of Blockchain for data protection.

For more information and to try the prototype, click here.

"The potential for Blockchain reaches far beyond Bitcoin transactions with its built-in ability to deliver data protection and authenticity at costs that are dramatically lower than traditional systems," said Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, a Blockchain technology provider. "By applying Blockchain technology to its solutions, Acronis is the first data protection vendor that we've seen embrace this innovative technology to bring new levels of data protection to digital records and transactions."

"When harnessed to its full potential, Blockchain will bring levels of data authenticity, privacy and control to data protection that we have not seen before," said Serg Bell, Co-Founder and CEO at Acronis. "By exposing real applications, people will start to understand the power and potential uses of Blockchain, and we are excited and confident that Acronis solutions with help unlock its huge potential for data protection."

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