Britain's businesses are struggling under the weight of computer data, research shows.

According to a study by PMP Research, commissioned by the Evaluation Centre, more than four out of five firms have reported a massive increase in their data storage requirements.

Furthermore, ten per cent of respondents confirmed that their data requirements have increased by between 150 per cent and 200 per cent over the last two years.

"When it comes to managing the IT infrastructure, many companies feel they are caught between a rock and a hard place," said PMP Research, in its report.

"While it is vital to [obtain value from IT infrastructure] investments, cost cutting can compromise the security and the performance of the business-critical applications on which their organisation may depend for its survival," the company added.

However, a majority of firms have confirmed an intention to restructure the number of servers utilised by their business.

PMP Research offers analysis on telecommunications and information technology.