Storage Vendors Pivot to Support Managed Service Providers
New partner programs and interfaces allow firms to shift from capital-heavy hardware procurement to outsourced Opex models.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Data Centers
Live Poll
Do you trust that outsourcing essential IT functions to third-party providers makes your business more efficient?
As of October 2026, backup and storage vendors are shifting strategies to prioritize managed service providers (MSPs) as enterprises increasingly outsource IT operations. This trend reflects a broader move toward Opex-based infrastructure management as organizations address critical IT skill shortages.
Why it matters
Organizations are increasingly offloading administrative tasks to third parties, forcing hardware and software vendors to pivot their partner ecosystems to support MSP-delivered services. This transition allows firms to avoid the capital expenditure and overprovisioning typical of on-premises hardware maintenance.
Data from the 943-participant survey shows 59% of organizations now outsource IT functions to MSPs, with 56% of respondents coming from companies with 500 or fewer employees. Vendors are responding by introducing specialized partner programs and new technical interfaces, such as XenData’s S3 archive interface, to facilitate these service-delivery models.
The players
AvePoint
A provider of data management software for cloud ecosystems that recently launched a dedicated MSP partner program.
XenData
A developer of digital archive software and storage hardware that introduced an S3 interface to support managed service workflows.
Kaseya
A software company focused on IT management solutions that tracks the adoption of managed service providers through annual industry surveys.
Arcserve
A data protection and recovery vendor that expanded its market position following a merger with StorageCraft.
Acronis
A data protection and cybersecurity company that underwent leadership changes with Patrick Pulvermueller replacing Serguei Beloussov.
The details
Vendors are retooling their stacks to enable an Opex-based consumption model, replacing traditional capital-heavy procurement. By launching partner programs and standardized interfaces like S3—a protocol used for object storage in cloud environments—these companies allow MSPs to integrate backup and archiving tools directly into their service portfolios. This infrastructure shift enables smaller enterprises to access enterprise-grade storage and security capabilities without the burden of maintaining internal technical teams.
Timeline
2021: Kaseya published its IT Operations Survey.
February: Arcserve completed its merger with StorageCraft.
June: The merger between AvePoint and Apex Technology Acquisition Corporation closed.
October 2026: AvePoint and XenData launched new MSP-focused initiatives.
The Tech Race
Storage vendors are actively competing to define the standard for hardware-as-a-service, following the path set by companies like Infinidat and Pure Storage. This shift marks a departure from traditional perpetual licensing, as firms race to integrate their platforms into the managed service delivery chains that now support over half of all organizations.
IT managers at smaller firms can now shift backup and storage costs from upfront capital outlays to predictable, consumption-based Opex models. This transition allows organizations to bridge technical skill gaps by leveraging third-party expertise for core tasks like security monitoring and cloud management.
The takeaway
The move toward managed service providers signals a long-term shift away from in-house infrastructure management. IT departments should monitor whether these new partner programs effectively lower administrative overhead as more vendors release their Opex-friendly interface roadmaps in 2027.
Further reading
For more on how infrastructure providers are adapting to evolving enterprise demands, visit our Data Centers section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TechTarget.
Live Poll
Do you trust that outsourcing essential IT functions to third-party providers makes your business more efficient?
