The business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) market is no longer the quiet, stable corner of the IT industry it once was. For years, the category was defined by incremental innovation, predictable demand, and entrenched vendors. Today, that stability is giving way to a convergence of forces reshaping both the technology and partners' expectations around it.
At the core of this shift is the changing threat landscape. Backup is no longer just about recovering from hardware failure or accidental data loss. It has become a critical component of cybersecurity strategy, particularly as ransomware, supply-chain vulnerabilities, and AI-enabled attacks expand the scope and scale of risk. In this environment, backup is increasingly viewed as the last line of defense — and, in many cases, the only guaranteed path to recovery.
At the same time, managed service providers (MSPs) are reassessing their vendor relationships. Many have accumulated multiple BCDR solutions over time to meet different customer requirements, pricing tiers, or technical constraints. That fragmentation is now colliding with a broader push toward consolidation, efficiency, and standardization. MSPs are looking to simplify their stacks while demanding higher performance, faster recovery times, and tighter integration with security workflows.
Compounding this shift is growing dissatisfaction with vendor practices. As consolidation has swept through the IT channel, some providers have shifted toward what partners describe as “extraction” models — raising prices, bundling products, and delivering uneven innovation. The result is a widening gap between cost and perceived value, leaving MSPs searching for alternatives that better align with their business models and customer needs.
This combination of technological change, operational pressure, and market frustration is creating an opening for new entrants. Vendors that can deliver modern architectures, leverage advances in storage and compute, and demonstrate a clear commitment to partner success have an opportunity to reset expectations in the category.
Slide is one such entrant aiming to capitalize on this moment. Built with a focus on MSP workflows and future-ready infrastructure, the company is positioning itself as both a technological and philosophical departure from legacy BCDR approaches.
Austin McChord and Michael Fass join Larry Walsh on "Changing Channels" to discuss the ascent of Slide.
