Backup Exec customers have seen the data protection solution undergo several changes over the last few years. Initially a Veritas solution, after the Cohesity acquisition of NetBackup, the product was put under the stewardship of newly formed company, Arctera. The Cloud Software Group recently acquired Arctera and now owns Backup Exec.
These changes may not have impacted most Backup Exec customers, except from an administrative perspective regarding contract renewals and support contacts. However, all Backup Exec customers will be affected by the Cloud Software Group’s decision to sunset the product. This decision will require your company to rethink its data protection strategy.
What Does This Mean for Backup Exec Customers?
We will look at the specific dates shortly, but the short take is that if you currently use Backup Exec as a data protection tool, you will need to find a new solution. The Cloud Software Group will honor existing support and services contracts until they expire. At that time, customers will have no recourse except to adopt a new backup and data protection solution.
Key Dates for Backup Exec’s Sunset
Cloud Software Group is not immediately pulling the plug on Backup Exec support, but has the following plans for sunsetting Backup Exec services, sales, and renewals.
- Immediate end of service sales. All Backup Exec service-related SKUs are discontinued. No new service engagements will be initiated, and renewal purchases are not available. Existing contracts will be honored through their contracted periods.
- Backup Exec sales will end on March 31, 2026. After this date, licenses cannot be renewed or extended. As of this date, customers can renew existing subscriptions until the product’s End-of-Life date. Users must pay for multi-year renewals upfront. Customers will continue to receive support in accordance with applicable lifecycle policies. Renewal purchases will no longer be available after this date.
- Backup Exec End-of-Life (EOL) is set at April 30, 2029, at which point all support, maintenance, and updates for the product will cease. Customers must be proactive and plan their transition from Backup Exec before the EOL date.
Next Steps for Backup Exec Customers
Organizations currently using Backup Exec must take action and identify a new data protection solution. We recommend our Cloud Backup-as-a-Service (CBaaS) offering, which provides an excellent data protection platform with the following multiple benefits for customers.
- Short Deployment Times, especially critical as you have been put on the clock!
- No Hardware to Maintain or Refresh
- Reduced Attack Surface
- VAST’s experts manage the solution, so your team does not need to learn new technology.
- Our cloud-native architecture is built for enhanced resilience and supports business continuity and disaster recovery initiatives.
- The solution automatically scales as your business grows with no manual intervention required.
- CBaaS provides modern security and compliance support to ensure the safety of your data and your business.
Don’t wait until the last minute to implement your next data protection solution. Call VAST’s expert today and learn how easy it is to transition to our CBaaS offering and keep your valuable data safe.
