Formulating a digital asset management strategy

Is your organisation getting maximum value from the images, music, video and software distributions that it owns and uses? If not, it's time to think about putting that situation right.

There is a common misconception that digital asset management (DAM) is only of concern to certain types of company: publishers, broadcasters, record companies, film studios and other 'media creators'.

That may have been true at one time, but these days, many non-media companies are also benefiting from better management of their digital assets. In fact, we'd go as far as to argue that any company that uses graphics or media needs at least to be thinking about DAM.

As analysts from IT market research company Gartner point out: "Enterprise DAM is for everyone who uses graphics or media at all, and every web page uses graphics. Such organisations are not necessarily engaged in the creation or sale of graphics or media as a product; they include nearly all those with a web presence or any investment in brand or corporate identity assets in any medium."

In fact, the Gartner analysts argue, a lack of focus on managing digital assets can quickly become costly for organisations that have substantial hidden investments in web graphics and design...