Eaiest way I've found is to export them to a csv file, then import them into your g-mail contacts, then they will get downloaded to your phone automatically.
As far as backing up the phone, if you mean contacts and email, the contacts will be pushed to G-mail so they are backed up there, as to email, if you are using exchange, they will still be on the exchange server, same with G-mail, if you are using POP3 then you might need to find some way of backing them up, easiest would be to just leave them on the server, then check your mail from a desktop computer at work or home and have that computer delete them from the server, that way they will be in 2 places.