‘The strategy behind acquiring both SkyKick and Axcient was to further expand our cybersecurity and data protection portfolios,’ said Ameer Karim, executive vice president and general manager at ConnectWise. ‘As cyber threats evolve, data protection and cybersecurity must go hand-in-hand.’

In a move to bolster its cybersecurity and data protection capabilities, ConnectWise has acquired Axcient and SkyKick, reinforcing the critical role of data protection as the last line of defense against cyber threats.

“The strategy behind acquiring both SkyKick and Axcient was to further expand our cybersecurity and data protection portfolios,” Ameer Karim, EVP and GM at Tampa-based vendor ConnectWise, told CRN. “As cyber threats evolve, data protection and cybersecurity must go hand-in-hand. By integrating these two innovative companies, we’re strengthening our business continuity, disaster recovery and overall data protection offerings.”

The deal provides ConnectWise with a full-fledged MSP-focused business continuity and disaster recovery offering to go head-to-head with MSP platform powerhouse Kaseya, which acquired storage backup vendor Datto in June 2022 for $6.2 billion.

The combined Axcient/Skykick/ConnectWise portfolio will go head-to-head against Kaseya 365, an MSP platform unveiled in April that incorporates endpoint management, endpoint security, backup and automation.

Terms of the deals were not disclosed.

CRN previously reported that ConnectWise was in talks to buy Denver-based business continuity and disaster recovery vendor Axcient for between $400 million and $500 million, according to two people with knowledge of the deal.

About 300 Axcient employees, including CEO Rod Mathews are coming over in the deal, Karim said.

Seattle-based SkyKick is known for its work in cloud backup and security solutions, particularly for Microsoft 365.

“SkyKick has built an exceptional platform for cloud management and backup,” Karim said. “Their expertise will seamlessly integrate with our existing solutions, enhancing our cybersecurity and data protection capabilities.”

Todd Schwartz, co-CEO of SkyKick, said more than 100 employees are coming over in the acquisition and he and co-CEO Evan Richman are staying on.

“When we evaluated potential partners, ConnectWise stood out due to our complementary product synergies,” Schwartz told CRN. “We’ve been at the forefront of developing cloud backup and security solutions for the MSP community, and joining forces with ConnectWise felt like the right move to accelerate growth and innovation. Combining our strengths and cultures is a natural fit and provides an opportunity to further enhance our offerings.”

Both acquisitions will bring enhanced data protection through business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) solutions and SkyKick’s Microsoft 365 Cloud Backup. SkyKick and Axcient customers can expect a smooth transition as they join the ConnectWise ecosystem through the Asio platform.

“Nothing will change for existing SkyKick and Axcient customers,” Karim said. “They will continue to receive the high level of support they are accustomed to and will now benefit from additional resources and support from ConnectWise.”

The integration of SkyKick into ConnectWise’s portfolio is set to provide expanded solutions for partners, leveraging both companies’ strengths in cloud technology.

“This merger will allow us to deliver even more innovative and comprehensive solutions to our partners,” Schwartz said. “We’re thrilled about the possibilities and confident that this strategic alignment will drive significant advancements in the cloud security and data protection space.”

ConnectWise partner Marc Menzies said he likes the move as he had been looking to become an Axcient partner.

“It shows ConnectWise’ strategy shifting towards BCDR,” Menzies, president and CTO of New York-based MSP Overview Technology Solutions, told CRN. “SkyKick will back up the data but also it’s about transferring data between clouds. ConnectWise is recognizing that not only do we need data continuity products but also how MSPs need a way for data to be portable to migrate from one public cloud to another. Having all that integrated into ConnectWise’s stack, including Axcient, could allow for the two tools to work in tandem in an interesting way.”

Fellow ConnectWise partner Jason Slagle, president of Toledo, Ohio-based CNWR, said SkyKick’s product is “awesome” as he’s previously used them for migration.

“I think ConnectWise has done a good job of buying components that, combined, create a really compelling backup solution,” he told CRN. “Axcient has a pretty good file and folder and image-based backup. SkyKick has best-in-class SaaS backup, so combining those two create a very compelling offering that can much better prepare them to compete with the Dattos of the world.”