Arctera Backup Exec · UAE and GCC
Backup Exec licensing, renewals and support in the UAE
New licences, maintenance renewals, upgrades and hands-on support for Backup Exec, formerly Veritas and Symantec Backup Exec. A Dubai-based team, onsite across the UAE and remote across the GCC.
- Renewals and new licences
- Local Dubai team
- UAE onsite support
- GCC remote support
At a glance
Licensing and renewals
Quotes for new licences, subscriptions and maintenance renewals of perpetual licences.
Lifecycle confirmed in writing
We confirm the current lifecycle dates for your version before you renew.
Hands-on support
Troubleshooting, upgrades and health checks from engineers who work with Backup Exec every week.
No forced migration
If Backup Exec still fits, we keep it healthy. If it no longer does, we plan the move with you.
Product status
Is Backup Exec end of life? What changed in 2026
In January 2026 Arctera announced an end of sale for Backup Exec, Desktop and Laptop Option (DLO) and System Recovery, and an end-of-support date in April 2029 was widely reported. Much of what you will read online still treats that as the final word.
In June 2026 partners were told that the products are available to purchase again and that the life of the product is extended. Virtech quotes renewals and new licences for customers in the UAE and GCC, and confirms the current lifecycle dates for your version in writing before you renew.
In short: you do not have to migrate in a hurry. You do need a clear view of your version, your maintenance dates and your options, and that is what we provide.
Sound familiar?
When Backup Exec needs attention
Backup Exec protects the servers, virtual machines and applications that many mid-sized organisations depend on. Virtech can help when you see any of the following:
- Your maintenance renewal is due and you are not sure who can quote it, or whether you still can.
- Jobs fail, run past the backup window or finish with exceptions nobody has time to investigate.
- You are running an older release and need a supported upgrade path for new Windows Server, SQL or VMware versions.
- Tape, deduplication or cloud storage targets are filling up or behaving unpredictably.
- The person who set up Backup Exec has left, and nobody is confident a full restore would work.
- Management is asking whether to stay on Backup Exec or move to another platform.
What we do
Backup Exec services from one local team
Licensing and renewals
We quote new Backup Exec licences and subscriptions, and Essential maintenance renewals for existing perpetual licences, including agents and options such as VMware and Hyper-V, applications and databases, library expansion and deduplication.
Send us your account ID or entitlement IDs, expiry dates and SKUs, and we will confirm quantities, lifecycle dates and lead time with the quotation. See all licence renewals.
Support and troubleshooting
We diagnose failed and partial jobs, agent and media server problems, catalog and database issues, tape and library faults, deduplication storage and VMware or Hyper-V backup errors. We work from logs and evidence, and escalate to the vendor when a product defect needs it.
Upgrades
We plan and carry out Backup Exec upgrades with compatibility checks for Windows Server, SQL, Exchange, VMware and Hyper-V, a backup of the Backup Exec database and catalogs, and post-upgrade test restores.
Health checks
A focused assessment of job success, schedules, retention, storage, licensing and restore readiness, with a prioritised list of fixes. It is the quickest way to know where you stand before a renewal.
Ransomware resilience
We review how your backups would survive an attack: separate credentials, immutable or offline copies, tape rotation and tested restores. Small changes here often matter more than a new product.
Renewal coming up? Send us your entitlement details and we will confirm your options.
Comparison
NetBackup vs Backup Exec: which suits you?
Both are capable platforms aimed at different sizes of estate. This is a practical guide, not a vendor scorecard.
| Backup Exec | NetBackup | |
|---|---|---|
| Product owner | Arctera | Cohesity |
| Typical estate | Single site or a few sites, tens of servers | Large, multi-site and regulated enterprises |
| Administration | Single console, quick to learn | Policy-driven, built for dedicated backup teams |
| Workloads | Windows and Linux servers, VMware, Hyper-V, Microsoft applications and databases | Broad enterprise workload, database, virtualisation and cloud coverage |
| Scale and appliances | Software on your own servers, disk, tape and cloud targets | Scales to very large estates, with NetBackup appliance options |
| When to choose it | You want dependable backup without a dedicated backup team | You need enterprise scale, strict recovery objectives or central control across many sites |
How it works
How a Backup Exec engagement starts
- 1
Tell us what you need
A renewal, new licences, an urgent fault, an upgrade or a second opinion on the platform's future.
- 2
Share the details
Your version, entitlement IDs and expiry dates, or the error and job logs for a support case.
- 3
Receive a clear answer
A quotation with confirmed lifecycle dates and lead time, or a diagnosis and an agreed action plan.
- 4
Keep it healthy
Ongoing support or managed services keep jobs succeeding and restores tested.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is Backup Exec end of life?
In January 2026 Arctera announced an end of sale for Backup Exec, DLO and System Recovery, and an end-of-support date in April 2029 was widely reported. In June 2026 partners were told that the products are available to purchase again and that the life of the product is extended.
Virtech quotes renewals and new licences for customers in the UAE and GCC, and confirms the current lifecycle dates for your version in writing before you renew.
Can I still renew Backup Exec maintenance in the UAE?
Yes. Virtech quotes Essential maintenance renewals for perpetual licences and subscription renewals for customers in the UAE and across the GCC. Send us your account or entitlement IDs and expiry dates and we will confirm availability, quantities and lead time.
Can I buy new Backup Exec licences?
Yes, new licences and subscriptions can be quoted. We confirm the current terms, lifecycle dates and delivery lead time in writing with the quotation.
Who owns Backup Exec now?
Backup Exec was developed by Symantec and then Veritas. When Cohesity combined with Veritas' enterprise data protection business in December 2024, Backup Exec moved to Arctera, together with Enterprise Vault, InfoScale and DLO. NetBackup went to Cohesity. Since June 2026, Backup Exec, DLO and System Recovery have been sold and renewed through a channel appointed by the vendor, and Virtech quotes them for customers in the UAE and GCC. Read more in Veritas, Cohesity and Arctera: what changes.
How much does Backup Exec cost?
It depends on the edition, the number of servers or front-end capacity, the agents and options you use, and the maintenance term. We do not publish prices because they change, but a quote for your exact configuration is quick. See how licence renewals are priced.
What is the latest version of Backup Exec?
Backup Exec 25 is the current major release line. Before any upgrade we confirm the latest supported release, the upgrade path from your version and compatibility with your Windows, SQL and virtualisation versions.
Should we move from Backup Exec to NetBackup or Cohesity?
Only if there is a reason: growth beyond what Backup Exec handles comfortably, stricter recovery targets, many sites, or a wider data protection strategy. If Backup Exec still fits, keeping it healthy is usually the best value. A health check gives you the facts to decide.
Do you support Symantec Backup Exec and older versions?
Yes. We support current and older Backup Exec releases and help plan an upgrade to a supported version. Very old releases may need an intermediate upgrade step, which we confirm before starting.
Can Virtech support us onsite?
Yes. Our Dubai-based team works onsite across the UAE and remotely across the GCC. Response times and coverage are set out in the applicable support agreement.
Do you also renew Desktop and Laptop Option (DLO)?
Yes. See Desktop and Laptop Option for DLO subscription renewals, deployment and support.
Talk to a Backup Exec engineer
Whether you need a renewal quote, an urgent fix or a straight answer about the platform's future, speak directly with our team in Dubai.