Synology Targets Enterprise Backup

Summary

Synology has launched ActiveProtect, a backup appliance aimed at enterprise customers. The appliance offers a simplified licensing model and integrates Synology’s hardware and software. It supports various workloads, including VMware, Hyper-V, and Microsoft 365, and features data protection capabilities like air-gapping and immutability.

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** Main Story**

So, Synology, you know, the guys who make those NAS boxes we all recommend to small businesses? Well, they’re making a pretty serious play for the enterprise backup market now with their new ActiveProtect appliance line. They launched it in January of ’25, and the idea is to bundle their hardware and software to offer a simple data protection solution for mid-sized businesses and enterprises. It’s a bold move, right? Taking on the likes of Dell and HPE? But maybe they can pull it off.

Licensing Simplicity & Feature Richness

And get this, one of the biggest things they’re pushing is their simplified licensing. I mean, how many times have you heard clients complain about the crazy licensing schemes of enterprise backup solutions? ActiveProtect lets you back up unlimited workloads, limited only by the appliance’s storage capacity. One-time purchase, and you’re set, the base license covering up to three backup servers. You can add more licenses if you need for larger deployments. That’s a huge win for SMBs making the leap to proper enterprise stuff; it keeps costs predictable. You remember that client, Miller & Co, their bill nearly doubled when they started scaling up their backups? ActiveProtect is trying to stop that from happening to you.

It doesn’t stop there, though, because ActiveProtect isn’t just about easy licensing; it’s loaded with features, too. We’re talking global source-side deduplication, immutable backups, air-gapping… the whole nine yards. Plus, it checks all the boxes for regulatory compliance, which is a must these days, isn’t it? They’ve got versatile backup plans and solid ransomware protection too. All this helps you implement a solid 3-2-1-1-0 backup strategy, ensuring data is safe and sound and that you can get back up and running quickly after an incident. The ActiveProtect Manager (APM), it is a centralized management console, gives you enterprise-grade visibility and control, supporting up to 150,000 workloads.

A Look at the Product Lineup and Performance

There are five models in the ActiveProtect family, from smaller tabletop appliances to rackmount units for big enterprise environments. AMD processors power them all, and of course, storage capacities vary. The DP7400, their flagship model, handles up to 2,500 servers and 150,000 workloads, a pretty clear signal they’re going after the big fish.

Some of the early reviews are pretty positive, especially around the DP7400’s affordability and features. The integration of hardware and software is supposed to really boost backup performance. They’re even claiming their cloud email backup is seven times faster than their Active Backup for Microsoft 365 when you’re using their NAS devices. And that global source-side deduplication can reportedly cut storage usage by up to 50%, so more money in your pocket, which you cannot argue with.

Potential Hurdles and What’s Next

Now, even with all this, some analysts think Synology has an uphill battle ahead of them. A lot of enterprises are already heavily invested in hybrid cloud or cloud SaaS backup solutions. Synology needs to prove they can compete at that level. And while ActiveProtect could be a great option for growing SMBs needing continuity or storage, getting bigger organizations to ditch their current setup? That’s going to take some serious convincing.

Besides, their ambitions aren’t limited to just backup appliances. Word on the street is they’re planning to drop some new high-performance, scale-out storage products in 2025, meaning even more options for enterprise customers. Plus, they’re putting money into flash storage to offer all-flash array solutions, which are increasingly important for those needing serious throughput. All in all, it looks like Synology is really committed to making a name for themselves in the enterprise world and trying to go toe-to-toe with the established players, which could bring really great things to the market.