Widen Enterprises Presents Cloud-Based DAM Provider

Widen Enterprises, Inc. announced that digital asset management (DAM) provider has become the first to integrate a searchable digital asset archive into a web-based DAM system.

Introduced in Media Collective 7.0, the last version of the company’s DAM system, the asset archive has made long-term storage of multiple terabytes of data convenient for organizations that choose to preserve a large digital record.

Powered by Amazon Glacier, a low-cost storage solution, it makes it possible to save photos, videos, graphics, PDFs and other digital assets without disconnecting them from the DAM system. Unlike tapes, hard-drives and other cold storage systems where assets are invisible, archived assets can still be managed, searched, previewed and retrieved within the software.

Previously, organizations with high asset storage needs were trapped. DAM solutions required a heavy investment, ongoing maintenance and direct support from internal IT while cloud-based systems promised high storage costs over the long-term, putting the TCO out of reach for many organizations. Industry analysts recognize that a cloud-based service with integrated cold storage solves this dilemma.

“In today’s world, organizations across the spectrum are increasingly being challenged to manage and archive their ever growing digital information repositories efficiently and in a cost effective way,” said Mukul Krishna, senior global director, digital media, Frost & Sullivan “This is especially true for educational institutions, SMBs, houses of worship and non-profits. Widen Media Collective 7.0’s use of Amazon Glacier cold storage to enable managed archive, full search and download of assets is a very cost effective method that goes a long way to help fill a vast void that has emerged in the market.”

For pennies per gigabyte, this can store historical content, old versions, RAW video, or zip files that are not needed every day. Although users can still search these files by metadata and view previews, they are kept separate from active assets, will not appear in standard search results and are only accessible to users with permission. This ensures that data files will not clutter regular searches or confuse users. Redundantly stored in multiple data facilities, archived assets can still be retrieved in a few short hours if necessary.

“By combining Media Collective and cold storage, we’ve made it possible for organizations to build a long-term legacy of digital assets without sacrificing accessibility or incurring high costs,” said Deanna Ballew, Widen’s manager of development and infrastructure. “We’re proud to be the first web-based DAM provider that offers this capability, and we’re excited to pass the convenience and savings on to our customers.“