The European Union is continuing discussions regarding new data protection laws that, if approved, would have ramifications for how companies manage and protect their customers' data. Among the effects would be a requirement that companies hire for a new role: data protection officer.

Increased adoption of cloud computing, virtualization and other big IT shifts are rewriting the relationship between technology vendors and their channel partners. These shifts are having big affects further downstream, too, changing how resellers and managed service providers (MSPs) offer value to their own customers. Andrew Hamilton, director of engineering and professional services at Unitiv, a leading enterprise IT systems provider, discusses how his company serves its customers’ data protection needs amidst the changes.

The following is a guest post by John Grady, senior manager of product marketing at XO Communications:

Before that glossy magazine hits the shelf, a lot of work takes place behind the scenes. Freelance writers are hired, stories are edited, photos are chosen and sorted — and all of these elements are compiled using editing software. Losing the final version of a feature story, or misplacing a commissioned photo, adds further time and effort, so it's essential that publishers back up everything to keep the production schedule on track.