The program includes a bulk reseller plan for channel partners who can purchase capacity in bulk and then “slice and dice” that capacity as needed to provision end-user accounts using the company’s APIs or via a browser, Kulkarni told CRN. To make that happen, Idrive recently introduced a formal channel program specifically for its Idrive e2-branded AWS S3-compatible cloud storage. And with the introduction of its S3-compatible object storage service, that indirect focus is growing, said CEO Raghu Kulkarni. While Idrive has grown primarily by offering its technology direct to end users, the company has a small but growing indirect channel partner base. Idrive, which also offers a remote PC access technology called simply RemotePC, this spring started offering raw cloud storage compatible with the ubiquitous Amazon Web Services S3 object storage protocol. One of those vendors is Idrive, a Calabasas, Calif.-based company founded nearly 30 years ago as a provider of raw storage capacity along with data protection. It features an eclectic mix of mature companies and hot startups, with some focused on providing just the raw storage while others offer a range of various services including storage-related services such as data backups and archiving, as well as some non-storage-related services.

The storage industry is full of cloud storage providers, big and small, each trying to carve out its niche in a market characterized by commoditized offerings and ever lower prices.