Acronis has announced a $10m investment to innovate in cloud, big data, archiving and mobility tools.
The backup firm will pour the money into launching its new R&D arm, Acronis Labs, as well as hiring computer scientists, developers and programmers to build new solutions around the technologies.
The company said it will be addressing the need to store vast amounts of data, the desire to cut down on the cost of doing that and utilising the cloud, building on existing products like True Image.
CEO Serguei Beloussov said: "The data protection and backup sectors are more important now than ever before, since we’re deluged with growing amounts of data that’s central to our personal lives and businesses.
"We are launching Acronis Labs to accelerate the creation of new technologies that solve this massive problem, which potentially affects everyone who uses a computer, tablet or mobile phone.
"Acronis Labs is the place to be if you want to create new ways of dealing with data storage and see them pushing the limits of what is possible for millions of users of Acronis products."
The R&D facility will consist of four units – the Core Lab, looking at big data, mobility and cloud, and the Performance Lab, where teams will develop ways of optimising next-generation storage components.
Then the IP Lab will assign patents to new innovations, as well as encouraging employees to push the envelope, while the Product Lab will focus on perfecting existing technologies which would later be incorporated into Acronis products.
Acronis Labs will be overseen by its new head, VP of engineering, Max Lyadcinsky.
