The twin pressures of increasing data volume and complexity are the primary data protection challenges for small- and medium-sized IT departments today, according to new research from IDC and Acronis. With more and more data to protect, on more devices and in physical, cloud, virtual and mobile environments, data protection is more challenging than ever.

Backing up data may seem like a hassle, but it's important — especially when it comes to recovering data that could otherwise be lost. Thinking about linking a device to a computer or waiting while it syncs with the cloud seems like a productivity killer but, in fact, it could be a productivity saver.

Windows is known as the workplace platform, but Macs are gaining more traction in the enterprise because of widespread BYOD acceptance and other factors. Many companies are addressing this shift by allowing employees to choose between a Mac or PC and offering IT support for both platforms.

Businesses know that they must protect and back up corporate data, but when that information lives everywhere from company-issued laptops to employee smartphones, the task is easier said than done. As workers increasingly do their jobs from various devices on the go, data backup becomes even more complicated. Today only about one-fifth of corporate data is managed in traditional databases, according to a recent eWeek report. The remaining 80 percent lives in mobile devices.