Datto says sync-and-share giveaway will create one million leads for MSPs

Data protection vendor wants to help MSP partners get new customers by giving away leads for its new product

Datto has pledged to help generate one million leads for its MSP partners by giving away its new file sync-and-share product for free.

The data protection vendor claims Datto Drive will enable MSPs currently selling its disaster recovery solutions to get their foot in the door with new SMB prospects.

Effective today, the first one million SMBs which sign up to Datto Drive will get one terabyte of data storage space free for a year. After that, Datto Drive will be offered for £10 per month across an entire organisation.

Andrew Stuart, managing director of EMEA at Datto, said: "Datto Drive is a new play for us. We are bringing a very mature file sync-and-share product to the market but we are doing it at a price point that allows [partners] to turn heads for new prospects.

"We are looking to drive new leads into our partners to allow them to continue growing their businesses."

Every single pound of revenue from year two will flow through Datto's partners, promised Datto, which claims to sell 100 per cent through the channel.

Stuart added: "While there were a number of file sync-and-share products around, we felt that they weren't designed to support partners. They were also at a price point that was often out of reach for small businesses."

Only a third of SMBs are currently working with MSPs, Stuart estimated.

"We think there is a huge amount of value in an engagement relationship with MSPs to ensure they have both scalable and secure systems," he said.

Reseller partner Complete IT's co-founder Colin Blumenthal said he sees the incentive as a positive step for channel partners.

He said: "It's a very good way of increasing their brand awareness in the UK and worldwide and it is potentially a good way for Datto to generate some leads to pass down through the UK reseller community.

"I think it will benefit all of the Datto partners who receive the leads, as we could potentially receive some quality leads from companies who sign up to have the free trial for the year."