Table of contents
Deterministic automation: A backbone of probabilistic automation
What is workflow automation?
Introducing Acronis Workflow Automation
Key features and how it works
How Acronis compares to Rewst and Zapier
Where Acronis stands apart:
Supported use cases
Getting started
Conclusion
Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud
for Service Providers
The global economy is shifting toward total automation.
Almost every industry is moving from manual work to automatic or semi-automatic
workflows that act proactively or respond on their own, deliver results faster
and operate with minimal human intervention. MSPs should be at the center of
this transformation.
This is the beginning of the autonomous MSP era – service
providers that deliver reliable, scalable operations with minimal manual work,
very high productivity and consistent quality.
Deterministic automation: A backbone of probabilistic automation
Automation is divided into two fundamental types based on
how decisions are made: probabilistic automation driven by AI and deterministic
automation that is rule based. In reality, the most effective automation
strategies combine both. Probabilistic automation powered by AI excels at
interpretation, pattern recognition and decision support, but it requires a
stable execution layer to turn insights into consistent outcomes. That
execution layer is deterministic, rule-based automation.
Deterministic automation provides the structure, guardrails
and reliability that AI alone cannot guarantee. It defines how systems should
react when specific conditions are met, enforces standard operating procedures
and ensures that actions are executed the same way every time. This is
especially critical in MSP environments, where predictability, security and
accountability matter as much as speed and intelligence.
In practice, deterministic workflows act as the backbone for
AI-driven automation. AI can enrich workflows with context, recommendations or
prioritization, while rule-based automation ensures that the resulting actions
are safe, repeatable and auditable. For example, AI may help assess the
severity of an incident or identify anomalous behavior, but deterministic
workflows control what happens next: isolating a device, notifying the right
teams, triggering remediation steps or enforcing approval paths.
This combination makes AI more effective rather than less
constrained. By embedding AI insights into deterministic workflows, MSPs can
adopt AI in a controlled and scalable way, avoiding fragile or unpredictable
automation. The result is stronger automation that balances intelligence with
reliability, speed with safety and flexibility with control.
That is why we’re introducing Acronis Workflow Automation.
It establishes a solid deterministic automation layer across Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud, creating the foundation on which AI-powered capabilities can
be introduced responsibly and at scale.
What is workflow automation?
Workflow automation is an example of deterministic,
rule-based automation. It means defining what should happen when a specific
event or condition occurs, then letting the system automatically execute a
sequence of steps across one or multiple systems. It connects triggers,
conditions and actions into end-to-end workflows that span services and tools,
running consistently without human intervention.
For MSPs, this unlocks predictable onboarding, instant alert
handling, consistent SOP execution and faster remediation – all without adding
headcount.
Introducing Acronis Workflow Automation
Acronis Workflow Automation is a new, no-code automation engine built into Acronis
Cyber Protect Cloud. It enables technicians to automate actions across all core
Acronis services — backup, DR, RMM, EDR / XDR, PSA — and third-party services
through an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface.
It is part of the platform; there is no extra product to
buy, install or integrate. Every partner using Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud gets
access to automation features out of the box.
Key features and how it works
Acronis Workflow Automation provides a robust set of
capabilities for building and managing automations:
- No-code workflow builder with a drag-and-drop approach.
- Rich libraryof triggers, conditions and actions.
- Cross-service automation across backup, DR, RMM, security and PSA.
- Validation and error handling that prevents misconfigured workflows (coming soon).
- Execution history and monitoring(coming soon).
- Workflow templates to accelerate adoption.
- Multitenant propagation with version control.
- CyberApp-based actions contributed by ISVs and MSPs for ecosystem automation (coming soon).
- Cross-system integrationswith third-party services (coming soon).
Supported triggers and actions in the initial release range
from device registration to alert creation to EDR incident updates, along with
actions such as isolating devices, applying protection plans, running patch
management, dismissing alerts, creating users, sending notifications and more.
How Acronis compares to Rewst and Zapier
Rewst and Zapier are very well-known tools for automation:
Rewst
A powerful but scripting-heavy automation framework. It
supports many systems, yet it requires technical expertise and custom code. It
also sits outside the security and protection stack, so many tasks need API
integration.
Zapier
Built for general business automation rather than MSP
operations. It is not designed for security response, RMM events or deep
integration with endpoint protection.
Where Acronis stands apart:
- Native to the Acronis platform with direct access to backup, EDR / XDR, RMM and PSA events.
- Designed for technicians rather than developers.
- Strong focus on security automation with actions like isolate devices, run malware scans, quarantine files and more.
- Multitenant-readywith workflow propagation across all customers.
- Extendablethrough ISV-built CyberApp triggers and actions.
- No additional cost for Acronis partners.
Supported use cases
The initial release focuses on real, high-impact tasks MSPs
handle every day. The list will grow continuously as new triggers and actions
are added.
Today, you can automate the following:
Customer onboarding automation
Create users, assign roles and send a welcome email as soon
as a new tenant is created.
Device protection upon registration
Automatically apply protection plans, start the first backup
and run initial security checks after a new device registers.
Alert noise reduction
Automatically dismiss low-priority alerts while escalating
important ones. Ideal for reducing noise and improving technician focus.
EDR / XDR incident response
automation
Respond instantly when threats are detected. Automate
isolation, internal notifications and follow-up actions.
A complete list of actions and triggers is available in this documentation article.
As Acronis expands the automation engine, more scenarios
will be introduced over time.
Getting started
To start using Acronis Workflow Automation, watch this
step-by-step demo video:
Conclusion
Acronis Workflow Automation brings MSPs closer to the
autonomous future by turning routine tasks and security actions into reliable,
repeatable workflows. With its no-code builder and deep integration across
Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud, partners can operate faster and more consistently
without added complexity. Now is the right moment to try it and bring
predictable automation into your daily service delivery.
If you’re new to Acronis, you can try Workflow Automation
with a free trial.
If you’re already an Acronis partner, follow the steps in
the demo video or use this documentation section to get started and begin automating your operations.
Happy workflow automation!
A Swiss company founded in Singapore in 2003, Acronis has 15 offices worldwide and employees in 60+ countries. Acronis Cyber Platform is available in 26 languages in 150 countries and is used by over 21,000 service providers to protect over 750,000 businesses.
