WoodWing Assets - What is DAM
What is Digital Asset Management (DAM)
WoodWing Assets (previously called Elvis DAM) is WoodWing’s flagship enterprise Digital Asset Management solution. It’s an open, secure, and infinitely scalable library for your all digital assets.
What is Digital Asset Management (DAM)
Digital Asset Management software is one system that makes storing, managing, organizing, creating, finding and publishing your digital assets seamless. Think of it as an intuitive library for all your digital files with more storage space than what your standard machine allows, and with more nuances than it being “just a better file storage and synchronization service”.
Have you ever heard someone say, “I need something more than a Google Drive or Dropbox”? DAM software solutions, also called Digital Asset Management systems, usually aim to help its users cut down on production time, save costs and overall maximize their business’ ROI.
DAM software features
DAM software features can include anything from easy searchability through billions of assets, Adobe Creative Cloud integrations, image-recognition AI and super secure file sharing options, on top of it already safely storing large lumps of digital assets. Because of its agility (depending on the DAM vendor), DAM software systems are sometimes also referred to as an “intuitive library” or “a workflow optimization system.”
What are digital assets?
A definition of digital assets is that they are digital files owned by an individual or company that is stored digitally to be reused at a possible later stage. These digital files are called assets because it has a higher value than just a normal digital file and includes things like stock library images, photos, design files, brand logos, PowerPoint and Keynote presentations, spreadsheets, digital notes, documents and more.
Benefits of Digital Asset Management
There are several benefits one can get from using a Digital Asset Management solution and it ranges from saving time looking for images, having one asset library for all your images and files and improving overall ROI. But depending on which DAM solution you choose (on-premise, private cloud, cloud), the benefits vary. General features include:
- Store
- Create
- Manage
- Publish
- Trust
*Read more on the benefits for publishers.
How to choose the right Digital Asset Management Software
Because of its increased popularity, Digital Asset Management software is receiving more attention and becoming increasingly popular in businesses across the globe. While some have been using DAM software for years, others are only discovering DAM software now. Either way, if you’re thinking of investing or reinvesting in DAM software, there are mainly three things to consider.
- Determine your business needs
- Does it solve your business needs
- Is it worth the investment?
On-premise
You can run Elvis DAM on your own server(s), enabling full control and fast access to large files. With the Elvis APIs you have the ultimate flexibility for integrations and custom functionality.
Private cloud
Elvis DAM can also be deployed in AWS as a private cloud solution (PaaS) by a partner. You have all the benefits of the on-premise version, and you can outsource your IT architecture.
Cloud
Swivle is WoodWing’s DAM cloud solution. It gives you unlimited storage, intuitive file management, easy collaboration and more. Find out about our SaaS solution.
Who uses Digital Asset Management Software?
Anyone who works with digital assets on a daily basis. Whether your business lies in the corporate, medical, educational, advertising or manufacturing sectors (to name a few), teams who work in marketing right through to the finance department use Digital Asset Management systems.
When should I invest in a Digital Asset Management solution?
When you realize you are looking for a solution that is more nuanced than “just a better file storage and synchronization service”, it’s time to invest in a DAM. Whether you have one year worth of digital assets or twenty, DAM storage capacity is huge — and in some cases infinite.
What makes “good” Digital Asset Management software?
A “good DAM solution” means it’s a solution that answers your business needs. Generally speaking, the characteristics of a “good DAM solution” includes it being able to integrate/connect with other programs, using a REST API and Webhooks API.
What file types do DAM systems support?
DAMs support all types of digital assets and includes things like stock library images, photos, design files, brand logos, PowerPoint and Keynote presentations, spreadsheets, digital notes, documents, videos and more.
Can DAMs handle Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign files?
Yes, DAMs can (or at least should) be able to store digital design files like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.
What do you mean by "DAM helps with meta tagging"?
When your assets are added into Elvis DAM, so is its information (also known as metadata). While our software automatically extracts technical information (filename, date created, file size, file format, etc.), it also allows its users to manually add keywords and tags to create an enterprise taxonomy for rich content assets. And when using Elvis with our Artificial Intelligence (AI) integrations, images are automatically tagged with powerful image-based recommendations.
What are the main reasons for using a Digital Asset Management solution?
There a lot of reasons why people decide to invest in a DAM solution. It includes everything from optimizing creative workflow processes to having a solution that is super secure (and not hacker friendly). Generally, when people are looking for a DAM, their main initial reasons for investing include:
- Storing assets
- Archiving assets
- Making assets more accessible with search functionality.
How long has Elvis DAM been in the industry?
Since 2008 when Dutchsoftware started to develop Elvis DAM. It has been part of the WoodWing software suite since its acquisition in 2012.
How is Elvis DAM normally used: as a true Digital Asset Management System (high res files) or as a CMS/web content management system (low res, web ready assets)?
Both, actually. Elvis DAM is used as a true DAM system and focuses on facilitating content creation processes, especially when used in combination with Enterprise. Production quality files (whatever resolution that may be) are stored and managed (including version management) and variations of that can be shared, or exported to external system like web CMS's – thanks to our open API. When Elvis is integrated with other software services, it can directly publish to any CMS, MDM, PIM, Ecommerce website and more.
Is your Digital Asset Management solution used for work-in-progress and active assets, or for an archive only?
We have an array of clients each using our DAM solution differently. Elvis DAM is used both during the content creation process (sometimes with Enterprise) and as an archive. For most of our clients it mainly comes down to them selecting us for the following reasons:
- We’re an enterprise-grade DAM solution
- We support creative workflow
- We enable easy sharing and distributing of digital assets
- We’re a secure solution — tested by ethical hackers and passed.
Is Elvis DAM solution an Enterprise solution or is it limited by functional areas within a company (i.e. marketing, communications, HR, etc.)?
It is a true Enterprise DAM solution and is built to scale with your organization. It caters to everyone from small brand marketing teams to larger media, enterprise companies with over one billion assets where Elvis DAM is often the center point of content. With regards to limitations, our system can connect with many other business processes through our open API.
What are the key advantages of using Elvis DAM?
There are two ways you can look at this; from a technical, and practical point of view.
Technical:
- We’re scalable for any number of users and any amount of digital assets.
- We have a modern architecture.
- We use the latest state-of-the-art technology.
Practical:
- We’re an enterprise-grade DAM solution aimed at solving the asset needs of mid-size to larger companies.
- We do this by being scalable, providing users with a secure place to store their assets and by having an open API.
- We excel in supporting the creative workflow production for media companies.
- We do this in our seamless integration with Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop and InDesign), integrating Elvis DAM with some other software solutions like Enterprise, and by always adding onto our own features.
- We enable digital asset distribution through central brand portal sharing that ensures the effectiveness and control of your marketing and branding.
What are the key challenges of using a DAM solution?
The main challenge is getting a shift in behaviour from new users in how to store assets. This is usually solved by introducing new processes to internal teams like providing them with the right materials or training to make sure they best utilize the DAM solution.
How much customization is required for Elvis DAM?
Elvis DAM has a rich feature set with a great user interface which means that — out of the box — it can solve many customer problems. The larger and more complex the organization is, the more customization might be requested / implemented. Read more on our open APIs and custom integrations for the bigger picture.
What are the key asset types managed by our DAM solutions?
We support all file types and digital assets like stock library images, photos, design files, brand logos, presentations, spreadsheets, digital notes, documents and more. Typically, people like a DAM solution due to its visual approach to quickly displaying files as thumbnails - as opposed to showing just a list of filenames. So, many users tend to put a lot of image, video and design files in their DAM system. The Elasticsearch technology in Elvis DAM helps teams find assets in a snap, regardless the number of assets they have.
Is the folder structure of Elvis DAM based on working projects, campaigns and asset types or is it based on brands/categories?
We believe in a folder algorithm structure for Elvis DAM users. Meaning, we allow users to set up a folder structure themselves, or assist in getting one setup for them.
This can be achieved by:
- Storing files in a structured way within Elvis DAM
- Importing existing file servers or archives with folder structures that users might have pre-defined
- Using a combination of folders, collections and metadata to replace the folder structure that users without a DAM system would have.
Alternatively, users can build a new folder structure from scratch. Users can easily organize their assets with folders, metadata and collections. Our folder algorithm structure that we suggest users apply, adds structure to your existing assets or imports. The metadata helps improve your DAM library’s search functionality, and collections keep temporary projects (like work in progress) neatly together.
How can assets be uploaded to Elvis DAM?
Elvis DAM has an easy drag-and-drop feature which allows for quick uploading of digital assets into the DAM. Users can also upload files or entire folders by means of our upload button in the interface. Lastly, for migration of larger numbers of files from existing systems into your new DAM, a bulk import feature is there to help.
How is metadata applied to assets when importing them into Elvis DAM?
When adding assets into Elvis DAM, its information (metadata) is also added. While our software automatically extracts technical information (filename, date created, file size, file format, etc.), it also allows its users to choose keywords from a taxonomy or add metadata of their own. And when using Elvis DAM with our Artificial Intelligence (AI) integrations like Google Vision, Amazon Rekognition or Clarifai, images are automatically tagged with powerful image-based recommendations.
How are IP rights confirmed / highlighted when assets are being imported into Elvis DAM?
Intellectual Property (IP) rights are typically formalized by default or via our custom metadata fields. It's easy to display copyright information together with the image thumbnails.
What kind of support does Elvis DAM software have?
Elvis DAM is supported by a strong team of people who knows our product very well.
This includes:
- Our global network of authorized solution partners who do initial analysis, implementation, training, consultancy and first line support, including SLAs
- A team of WoodWing consultants
- Global WoodWing support staff for 2nd and 3rd line support questions
- Developers and testers (FTE of 50 within WoodWing).
How does Elvis DAM help manage intellectual property rights?
Permissions can be configured to determine who can view, download or edit digital assets. These can be applied on a general folder level, and more specifically on metadata fields like status, copyright, date or a geographical restriction. Built-in watermarking also helps to identify the usage permissions. For more on control permissions, visit our Features page.
Does Elvis DAM support social media channels?
It depends on what social media channels users want to publish to – or ingest images from, and what integrations they are using in combination with Elvis DAM.
Elvis DAM offers both a REST and an Event-based API, making it easy to create connections to social media channels, as well as your PIM, CRM, or CMS solution.
How does Elvis DAM ensure that IP rights are protected on social media platforms?
Intellectual property, embargo dates or licensing are important for any digital asset manager. Elvis DAM gives you extensive control over who can see, edit or use your assets with the use of Permissions, but once assets are used outside of Elvis DAM, our DAM solution does not track digital asset use.
How does Elvis DAM enable users to publish content faster, whilst ensuring IP Rights at such a fast pace?
There are mainly three ways in which Elvis DAM support this:
- Brand portal: Our brand portal allows for the distribution of final marketing materials quickly to the right people, and eliminates repetitive requests for a certain banner, product shot or demo movie. With the Elvis Brand portal your local marketing teams, stores or subsidiaries get easy access to the latest materials — quick.
- On-the-fly renditions: While the final versions of your marketing materials may be organized, sometimes people need a different resolution, size or file format. Within Elvis DAM they can create the desired version of the banner or product shot. You can create presets for most-wanted versions such as a version for web, or a print-ready version. Next to that, users can also set their own download specifications.
- Publish anywhere: Whether it’s a collection of product shots under embargo, a new brochure or a photo shoot that’s ready to go, the Elvis API can push your final assets to destinations like a Web CMS, E-Commerce or a PIM system when you want it to. The Elvis DAM API’s ensure that when assets are in the right approval status, they are automatically pushed to the right system.
- Copyright data is stored in metadata fields and when combined with access rights, it provides real time protection to make sure that only the right person can download the right content.
Can Elvis DAM track the reuse of assets, and if so, how?
Channel usage is tracked automatically (like for print) or through customizations (for social media).
How does Elvis DAM enable organizations to implement automation and reduce costs?
When using Elvis DAM's workflow feature, asset processing can be highly automated to save a lot of time in ingesting and outputting content. Some of our success cases can be viewed here. Yaffa media, for example, have significantly streamlined workflows which has led to a cost reduction of more than 50 percent.
Does Elvis DAM integrate with other systems (ERP, CRM, E-Commerce, social platforms, PIM etc.)?
Elvis DAM allows you to integrate with other software solutions to help you get the most out of your digital asset library — and make working with it, a whole lot easier. We offer both a REST and Event-based API, making it easy to plug into your PIM, CRM, or CMS solution. This means that your digital assets can ‘travel’ with product information to your various marketing touchpoints, be published on your website and be accessible to your salespeople — anytime, from anywhere. Knowing that it’s always safe and securely stored in your Digital Asset Management solution. And because all your assets are centralized, you don't have to worry about outdated versions floating around out there.
How are digital assets stored when Elvis DAM is integrated with other software solutions?
Typically assets are stored in Elvis DAM by means of how its users stored the assets originally. When used by an integration, the asset doesn’t leave its original folder, nor is it saved in another folder or tagged differently. The original form of the asset is only altered when the user has done so by storing it differently or adding in extra metadata.
For asset production processes (like with Enterprise) copies or shadow versions can end up in the production zone, depending on the setup.
Various concepts like collections or related files can be used to link assets together.
What analytics capabilities does Elvis DAM have?
Digital asset activities like 'view count' and 'download count' are tracked and accessible in the User Interface. Other analytics, like the usage of Elvis DAM, can be retrieved from the index. Sample reports are available in our Help Center. There is no out-of-the-box integration with web analytics tools.
Is Elvis DAM focussed on cost reduction when it comes to the re-using of assets?
Elvis DAM enables the reuse of assets, cutting down costs due to preventing you from producing duplicate content. Elvis DAM also helps to save time on searches for existing assets, eases the photo selection process, ensures brand consistency and supports personalized content.
Last but not least, Elvis DAM helps to prevent purchasing the same stock material over and over again by different members of your team.
How is Elvis DAM deployed globally (local servers, federated search or one core DAM in one location)?
There are many possible variations, but it all depends on the client needs. You can read more on our general architecture here.
How can Elvis DAM be localized for various regions?
Our product is used globally and can be deployed in many different regions. It adapts to local needs by changing the language in the user interface and search engine.
How many languages does Elvis DAM support?
We support multilingual options including:
- Chinese (traditional)
- Chinese (simplified)
- Dutch
- English (US)
- Finnish
- French
- German
- Italian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Norwegian
- Russian
- Spanish
- Swedish
How do you store translated assets (renditions, new assets, etc.)?
Translations are offered by integrating third-party systems. Translated assets are typically linked. For more information, visit our Integrations page.
How does metadata support SEO when uploading digital assets to Elvis DAM?
Tagging your images correctly and giving them a descriptive filename can help you improve your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) on the Web. When your images are enriched with information – for example tags – in your DAM, the image filename and Alt text could be created from these tags when publishing the image to the Web. When tags are missing, our Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration could come to the rescue to create them for you automatically, based on the image contents.
How secure is Elvis DAM really?
We take protecting your assets seriously. That’s why we’ve had ethical hackers test the security of Elvis DAM to provide you with the ultimate asset-safe measurements. Performed by Pine Digital Security, server and web application scans were completed where elements like privacy and confidentiality, information disclosure and authentication and authorization were tested — and passed.
What is a SaaS DAM?
SaaS is an abbreviation for Software as a Service. It’s a DAM solution that’s all in the (public) cloud and does not run directly from your machine (like laptop) or server. You don’t have to install or update the software either, meaning it runs on via the Internet and is mostly subscription based. WoodWing offers a SaaS version of its Elvis DAM solution, called Swivle.
Still have some questions on DAM or Elvis DAM in particular?
Our team members are on hand to provide a product recommendation, arrange a demo or answer any specific questions you may have.