1. Host your DAM on your own server (on-premise)
Hosting your DAM On-premise
On-premise used to be the most popular method for organisations to host Digital Asset Management software but it is quickly being overtaken by hosting in the cloud. The main driver for an organisation electing for on-premise is to have total control over their system and assets. It is often perceived that on-premise offers more secure hosting for organisations with assets of a sensitive nature - indeed some industries might be subject to legislation where hosting assets on-premise is the only option. Other advantages of hosting your DAM on premise may include the ease of integration with other systems hosted on-premise and the ability for users to access your assets via a local connection, not just the internet.
2. Host your DAM in the cloud
For most of our clients we recommend hosting their DAM in the cloud using our servers. As mentioned above there are specific instances where hosting on-premise is advisable but in most instances we find the cloud offers the following advantages.- Low price - you only pay for what you use, there are no upfront storage costs and as we provide hosting for hundreds of our clients we can negotiate and pass on lower hosting prices to you.
- Reliable - assets are redundantly stored on multiple devices across multiple facilities. Any storage failure issues are automatically corrected.
- Scalable - the storage never runs out so you will never need to migrate your DAM as your storage needs grow.
- Greener - storing a large number of assets on a dedicated server is wasteful, even though disks might be near capacity, memory and CPU are often under utilised.
- Low maintenance - it is a lot easier for us to access your DAM system if we are hosting it. This means it will be quicker to set up your system, and easier for us to support and upgrade. Support required from your IT team should be minimal.
Hosting your DAM in the cloud with Asset Bank
Security is often raised as a barrier for organisations to hosting their DAM in their cloud. But most serious storage providers offer a high level of security which should satisfy most enterprise IT departments (for some examples read page 5 of our hosting service description)
When deciding whether to host your DAM in the cloud there are also a number of additional factors you should consider. Do you want to host via your vendor or direct? Do you need your own dedicated server as opposed to a shared server? We typically recommend a dedicated server if you require a very high level of support, an Service Level Agreement (SLA) guaranteeing availability, or have regular custom technical requirements.
3. Hybrid of Cloud and On-premise hosting
It is important to recognise that some organisations find it appropriate to use a mix of on-premise and cloud hosting. This can allow you to to benefit from the best of both worlds.Summary
So hopefully this blog has explained the options available for hosting a Digital Asset Management system. Though we have the flexibility to help you with any of these options, in most cases we would recommend you host your DAM with us in the cloud on shared servers. We do acknowledge though, that there are particular instances where other hosting options might be more appropriate.
If you would like some bespoke advice on how to host your DAM please get in touch. You may also want to read more about our hosting services.
