StorageCraft, the data backup and disaster recovery software provider for servers, desktops and laptops, has set its sights on pursuing new managed services provider (MSP) partners in 2012. To that end, the software provider has develop a new pricing plan specifically designed for MSPs to better afford ShadowProtect, the company’s signature data protection solution for servers, desktops, operating systems and applications.

The StorageCraft move is a part of the company’s effort to expand the reach of the StorageCraft brand. The news comes on the same day that StorageCraft partnered with Intel to offer its backup and disaster recovery services within the Intel hybrid cloud environment.

Beginning immediately, StorageCraft MSP partners will receive a special price on the company’s virtual servers. Details on the exact price have not been released. But we do know that the company is honing in on the European virtual server market, as the special virtual server pricing offer is only available to MSPs in the U.K. and Ireland.

According to European Sales Director for Storage Craft Europe Tammie Coles, the new virtual server pricing model for MSPs is a direct response to what the company’s MSP partners have long been asking for. Coles also said that the new pricing model will help StorageCraft’s channel partners offer a more intriguing and cost-effective virtualization and business continuity solution package to their business end-users

So what exactly are StorageCraft partners getting a discount on? They’re getting a deal on the entire ShadowProtect product line, which includes things like recovery from bare metal to dissimilar hardware, as well as recovery to and from virtual environments. And what’s more, there’s no commitment involved. In fact, MSPs are free to remotely deactivate their ShadowProtect licenses from their MSP licensing consoles.

StorageCraft Pitches to MSPs

StorageCraft’s new pricing model for MSPs is not the first action the company has taken to target MSPs. Back in April 2011, StorageCraft partnered with Artisan Infrastructure, an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provider, to offer cloud-based services for MSPs and VARs on the StorageCraft ShadowProtect platform. And most recently, StorageCraft partnered with Kaseya, the remote monitoring and management (RMM) software provider, on an RMM-storage combo solution for MSPs.