... it's not even a function.
The same as security or quality, it permeates everthing you do or product - unless it doesn't, which is when you're fscked anyway.
My recommendation is training key users in the technology that's actually being used, and have the necessary resources sit with the corresponding departments. Someone should oversee it (ideally a CIO), and make sure every department has taken care of things like contingency plans, desaster recovery (nobody cares about backups - you only ever care about restore!), etc...
If you're big enough to warrant system images for your company, then you can start having an IT department. Before that, you only need an IT budget - and regular meetings of the IT people to talk about what's going on and what needs to happen... if THEY say "hey, we should do more IT than our job", or even "we should hire someone to do IT full time", then it's time to act... before that? Let engineers be engineers...
Also, don't fall into the outsource trap. Most of the time it's better to join forces with offices around you and support each other by lending the expertise...
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If you want to store the data yourself, have a look at http://owncloud.org/features/
... it's not even a function. The same as security or quality, it permeates everthing you do or product - unless it doesn't, which is when you're fscked anyway. My recommendation is training key users in the technology that's actually being used, and have the necessary resources sit with the corresponding departments. Someone should oversee it (ideally a CIO), and make sure every department has taken care of things like contingency plans, desaster recovery (nobody cares about backups - you only ever care about restore!), etc ...
If you're big enough to warrant system images for your company, then you can start having an IT department. Before that, you only need an IT budget - and regular meetings of the IT people to talk about what's going on and what needs to happen ... if THEY say "hey, we should do more IT than our job", or even "we should hire someone to do IT full time", then it's time to act ... before that? Let engineers be engineers ...
Also, don't fall into the outsource trap. Most of the time it's better to join forces with offices around you and support each other by lending the expertise ...