I’m Ryan Voss.  I’ve been working in the Widen marketing department since January 2007.  My core responsibilities lie in media relations, PR ventures and highlighting the benefits of the SaaS architecture throughout outgoing messaging.

Relating the importance of software architecture to both creative and marketing individuals isn’t a task for the undetermined.  There is an overwhelming feeling of “get it done” that flows through these departments and individuals, which doesn’t really open the door for communications regarding exactly how the particular tasks are accomplished.

The purpose of this blog is to highlight complications, strategies and tools that can help in communications of your marketing department, specifically to the media and the web.  There are tons of options out there for how all of this can be accomplished and this blog will help to explain actual work flows that happen behind the “get it done” mentality.

The incompatibility with the 3G network has been a black mark on the iPhone ever since it was introduced nearly a year ago.  Users expect the fastest data network available for use on their high end gadgets, with phones no longer being an exception.  Computer processers that exceed most users’ needs, more megapixels than the average shooter would ever know what to do with and even shoes with wireless connections to monitor exercise.  Bigger, better and faster are all expectations that are regularly associated with consumer goods, but what about enterprise applications?

It seems like individuals are more content to sit back and not explore other options even if they know their workflow or  software is outdated and not allowing them to function efficiently.  There are obvious pitfalls to seeking new technology such as budget approvals, lethargic system users or even outdated hardware not being able to accommodate for new, large applications that are going to eat up memory and processing capabilities.  What if in the future that wasn’t a worry?  What if new solutions was available and essentially laughed in the face of these problems?  Well the future is now.

Hosted applications required an internet connection.  That’s it.  No hardware upgrades or increased bandwidth, nothing.  Just internet.  And as far as user adoption goes, anyone competent in consumer search engines or sites such as Google or Amazon have already been trained as users.  How convenient!  And the feared budget discussion…not even an issue.  Every single client has been shown an ROI inside of one year with Widen. 

Is it really Bigger?  Better?  Faster?!?!  Yes, yes and yes.  Our Media Collective application provides you with an online portal for as many users as you wish with absolutely NO size limitations to what you can place in the collective.  And faster is easy with conversions on the fly and immediate delivery of assets to users.  We will help you through the set up and any questions or concerns you may have along the way, but there is one thing we can’t do…tell you what to do with all of the spare time you’re going to have.

Earth Day reminds us that there are many areas of our lives where we could cut back, conserve and do a little bit more for the environment.  While to many this means carpooling, making sure lights aren't left on in empty rooms and exploring the use of more environmentally friendly every-day products, there is also a conservation that could be going on in both marketing and creative departments.

Marketing and creative images and collateral materials used for brochure creation and brand management a lot of times are managed through cluttered hard drives and spread across several locations.  Perhaps conserving your time used in searching for these images and also the memory needlessly used in redundant saving could be a possible business application of Earth Day principles.

While digital asset management (DAM) isn’t the most familiar topic to everyone, there are several inherent benefits of having one centralized, searchable database of all vital branded materials.  Brand management can become a simple process with approvals and access only being granted to the correct materials and logos, as well as digital media distribution becoming a simple task with media routing and conversion on the fly.  This stealthy process allows you to direct required media to the correct individuals in a timely fashion, while also having some comfort in the fact that you know it will be arriving in the correct format.

While there will be a lot of talk surrounding today’s events regarding reducing our carbon footprint and renewable energy resources, but maybe it’s time to improve on the efficiency of your efforts.  Sometimes it is as simple as remembering the “Three R’s” that we all learned as kids.  Reduce wasted memory and time spend on scattered digital media. Reuse approved branded materials with no worry of corrupting the brand image. Recycle old logos and branded materials to the archives once they have become obsolete or no longer effective. 

There have been several varying and contradictory reports published regarding the adoption rates of Software as a Service (SaaS) in the SMB market.  While a department, or enterprise as a whole, won’t make a decision based strictly on overall adoption rates, it helps in know whether or not a particular technology is valid when considering options for marketing and creative support.

According to Kate Evans-Correia, News Director at SearchSMB.com, recent growth of adoption rates in the SMB market can be attributed to increased security measures by SaaS providers, as well as a payment and management structure that mirrors SMBs much closer than legacy applications.  (Article)

In Evans-Correia’s research regarding SaaS adoption, Jeff Kaplan, managing director of THINKstrategies Inc., had some comments regarding this growth.  “Indeed, the ability to pay for capabilities as needed is the main factor encouraging SMBs to use the remote software delivery model.  Adding new users without difficulty and easing the workload of the IT staff are factors nearly as important for medium-sized businesses.”

With the adoption rate growing and an expected market growth of $19.3 billion by 2011, the time has never been better to support marketing and creative departments with a digital asset management (DAM) solution.  While early adoption raises red flags for some, enterprise content management and brand integrity are always going to be vital to an organization, no matter what technology is powering those initiatives.  The quicker the adoption of SaaS will lead to further integration with other SaaS applications within the organization, leading to a ever-growing ROI…and that’s something everyone can get behind.

When did modern conveniences and technology become so inconvenient?  Driving takes too long, so you fly right?  Well, how are you supposed to get anywhere when thousands of flights are being cancelled every day?  You need to be connected to your business associates at any given time; yet dropped cell phone calls, unreliable wireless internet connections and non-coverage areas for cell phone carriers all plague your essential communications.       

We’ve started to accept all of the inconveniences as being part of the cumbersome processes involved in business communications.  What if there was a solution that would allow you to not need to catch that flight and not require that phone call?

Software as a service (SaaS), along with Widen’s digital asset management (DAM), is propelling new opportunities in business workflow architecture.  Projects can now be routed and approved through a digital workflow, rather than tedious meetings.  Photography can be routed, approved and catalogued in a streamlined online portal.  Searching for your marketing and creative assets isn’t any harder than making a few clicks and choosing which file format best meets your current needs.  

Overall, business communications are in a current state of organized chaos.  Too many mobile devices, all working on different platforms and all having different capabilities.  There are too many questions driving the frustrations of marketing and creative personnel, but there is no reason to overlook an intuitive solution to some of the most tedious tasks you’re faced with regularly.  Widen’s DAM will help you save time, money and most importantly, your sanity.

With the NCAA tournament in full swing, I thought it would only be appropriate to have the most common available methods of marketing asset management face off as well.  Although there are always upset victories, as this year has proven beyond the shadow of a doubt, I feel that Widen’s run through the finals is pretty much a sure thing.  Let me explain…

In the first round of the Content Management Final Four Widen was paired against Installed Software Solutions.  This would be comparable to the team with a rich history that just hasn’t really done much to update their recruiting or style of play.  Installed Software used to reign supreme, but their time has come and gone.  With Widen operating on the convenient hosted platform and also absorbing all of the IT load in regards to managing your marketing assets, the first game wasn’t much of a match up.  Widen seals the victory with pricing that is much more palatable to marketing and creative departments that doesn’t require regular software and hardware upgrades.

In the finals Widen has come up against the Shared Drive / Internal Network.  This is the relatively new team on the block that’s kind of scrappy and always seems to just barely get the job done.  While the teams may look similar to some, any experienced content manager fan will realize the difference is in the organization.  Widen’s search engine and conversion capabilities keep you on your toes, as any file format can be ingested, converted and delivered.  The Shared Drive / Internal Network seems to keep up for a little bit, but sloppy play ensues as soon as files are misplaced and re-work becomes a standard task.  Victory is ours!

While Widen has earned the 2008 Content Management Final Four Championship, they certainly won’t rest on their accomplishments, as they will continue to update and upgrade their services and application three times per year.  Be sure to tune in again next year as Widen defends their title against contenders and pretenders alike in the 2009 Content Management Final Four.

With gas floating over $3 per gallon, people seem to be questioning now, more than ever, whether or not they should be making changes to try to conserve.  The rising fuel prices have also had a chain effect on everything from milk to lumber.  With that sort of reaction, you have to wonder if your marketing software might be gouging your pocket book in the same way.

Installed solutions are typically more expensive than newer, software as a service solutions.  This comes from a higher cost for the initial implementation, all the way down to higher maintenance costs for both IT and software and hardware upgrades.  While some marketers may be able to justify this cost initially, the effect that it has on overall budgets can be decimating.  Whether its trade shows that get scrapped, or R and D budgets that are hindered, it’s an expenditure that is unnecessary.

In many instances software as a service, and more specifically digital asset management, can provide the same brand management tools that are being sold by large installed software companies.  By selecting software as a service, you not only save on a quicker implementation and no immediate hardware upgrades, but you will also see a relatively quick ROI due to all of the maintenance that your IT department will no longer be held accountable for.

The overall user experience for digital asset management is overwhelmingly high.  Brand recognition routinely increases as well as the creation of all promotional materials for both sales and marketing departments.  Digital asset management as a solution to your marketing needs is something you can’t overlook anymore.  Think of it this way: Would you continue to pay $3 per gallon if there was a fuel that was available for $2 per gallon that would make your vehicle perform better?  If you still felt that the $3 per gallon was the better option, we wish you the best in your installed software endeavors…

It has been rumored all week that Apple will be releasing their highly anticipated software development kit (SDK) for the iPhone on March 6^th.  This is a massive move in opening the previously locked iPhone platform.  It’s well known that a high percentage of iPhones are hacked and running third party applications, but this would allow for the development of applications that could be loaded to the unit without voiding any warranties or having to “unlock” the phone from its exclusive carrier contract with AT&T.

While this is a rather standard practice for mobile carriers and mobile devices, digital asset management has allowed for open integration for quite some time.  By using SOAP and Widen’s API configuration, we have been able to integrate with other internal workflow applications, CRM applications and even failing foreign digital asset management systems that aren’t able to be abandoned by some clients.

The overall openness of Widen’s applications allow for a higher level of marketing execution, creative support and sales enablement.  This capacity has led to a partnership exclusively with Salesforce.com and has enabled several clients to work with their marketing assets in a familiar environment while also allowing for brand approved materials to be distributed in a timely fashion.

The iPhone SDK may not be exciting to non-users, but it should.  Revolutionary gadgets have constantly been the engine promoting change in technology related industries.  What this means is that your standard, clamshell phone could soon be enabled to read your Outlook calendar, send emails and even work with things like spreadsheets and PDFs. 

Digital asset management is no exception to this inspiration.  Workflow management and photo approval processes are all procedures that could benefit from being accessed from a mobile platform.  With a constant development and testing cycle, Widen will be able to keep up with a rapidly changing industry and serve clients at a higher level with a cutting-edge services and applications that will allow them to venture to territories previously unexplored and possibly even unimagined.

This weekend marked one of the least viewed Academy Awards in history according to Nielson media research.  Down millions of viewers in many key demographics, those at the Academy have been left asking themselves why there was so little interest.  Many reasons have surfaced as possibilities, such as the writers strike preventing proper advertising and also the overall dark nature of many of the movies turning off viewers.  I have a different opinion.

The awards themselves run slightly over four hours.  And that is just what’s televised!  I believe that the lack of viewers can be nailed down to just a few simple facts.  The awards are boring, don’t affect our daily lives and don’t really invoke any emotions in anyone whatsoever.  Just like with tasks at work similar to this, what do you do?  You quit doing things that way or find a better, more efficient way of completing the task at hand.

Think about your daily tasks at work, and compare them to this particular four-hour affair.  When you need to fulfill marketing or corporate branding needs, the fastest method possible is always the preferred method, right?  Digital asset management allows for instant ordering, conversion and delivery of any digital files.  Whether it’s for internal or external usage, the files will be made available immediately.  No more using the wrong logo by accident, or an outdated version of a file and no more struggling with video storage.

Widen’s digital asset management applications are your anti-Academy awards.  We waste no time in fulfilling your daily requests and update the entire system three times a year, so becoming obsolete is never an issue.  Once you’ve experienced Widen’s suite of media management applications, you’ll never want to change the marketing channel again.

According to Yahoo News, a vault in Norway is near completion that was designed to house as many species of the world’s most important seeds as possible.  It’s being referred to as a “doomsday vault” or even “Noah’s Ark of Food” in the event of global catastrophe.  The belief is that in the event of mass destruction, the vault can be opened to revitalize the crops of the world.

Digital asset management can be similar to a “doomsday vault” for all of your company’s assets.  Beyond simplifying how your media is catalogued, converted and delivered, digital asset management in a sense can operate simply as your failsafe.  With departments and companies now working on vast, growing networks, some sort of media repository is needed to ensure that original and important files aren’t altered or deleted.

Digital asset management doesn’t just come in to play in the event of a total infrastructure collapse; it can also be helpful in restoring versions of files that have been changed incrementally over time.  With asset versioning, all previous versions of media files are stored in the event that an incorrect change is made or an older version of the asset is needed.  This allows for easy resurrection of files that might have been previously thrown on a disc and lost in the bottom drawer, or even worse, deleted.

The overall need society has for food is similar to your reliance on the rapid finding, re-purposing or creating of marketing materials, and delivery of digital media.  It feeds your current clients and prospective clients.  Without a system like digital asset management, you have to wonder if you are going to leave them with a bad taste in their mouth?

With the lack of screen writing over the past months, it seems that reality TV is taking over almost all programming.  There’s Big Brother, America’s Next Top Model, American Idol, Survivor and many, many more.  Why is it that these shows are able to fill the void?  When you boil it down, there’s simply less scripting required and nearly free actors.  The shows are later edited to highlight a specific part or process of the human condition that is seen by viewers as “the plot”.

How can this possibly be related to software as a service you ask?  There’s actually some interesting parallels between the behind-the-scenes functionality of standard programming and software as a service.  These similarities can also be seen when comparing reality TV and installed software.

Mind you, I’m not talking about functionality here, but more what goes on behind the scenes through the eyes of the providers.  Your typical installed software solution for asset management in similar to reality TV in the way that there is less required for deployment.  Once the software is installed on site the provider typically gets to sit back and watch it’s product.  It has left the building and it is now the job of their client to maintain what they created.  This is similar to reality TV as they release their segment and see how people react to the situations and the characters.  Their work is continually done with much less behind the scenes.

Software as a service isn’t quite as lucky.  There is the constant hosting and transmission of information all around the globe and continuous updating and development that goes into keeping a system on the cutting edge of technology.  Standard television programming can be similar with research constantly being done to keep the topics socially relevant as well as working with many actors and intricate sets.  All of this compounds into what arrives at the consumer as a much more polished product. 

There are general differences in the ways that both comparable situations are forced to operate as well.  Reality TV requires constant changing of characters and plot twists to keep people interested, while installed software solutions also require large sweeping upgrades too keep with modern development trends and functionality.  With so much more going on behind the scenes, your favorite sit-com is able to stay on the air for decades without changing the core characters and keeping similar stories going all along the way.  Software as a service is comparable, with minor changes being made here and there, but the overall product keeps pace with your workflows while never needing a complete overhaul.

The end result seems to be a system that you’re able to be more familiar with.  It grows and adjusts with you, and never leaves you wondering why a certain parts may have been left out or even why new, crazy things are included.  It’s logical.  It’s intuitive.  It’s exactly how you like it.

With the presidential primary elections rolling into Wisconsin, I realize that it’s going to be a few months of making decisions.  What issues are most important to me, where do the candidates stand on these issues and do I think that they’ll be an overall capable leader are all things that you have to mull over when deciding who to give your vote.  In a way, it is actually somewhat comparable to selecting your asset management system if you’re in a marketing or creative department.

What issues are the most important to me?  Is it the time that’s consumed by fulfilling requests?  Getting the files in the correct format?  IT delays with the system?  All of these questions and many more help in determining what sort of asset management system is best for your needs.  It’s not to say that software is a service is always the appropriate solution, but in many cases it can save your department quite a bit in time to implementation and overall cost, without losing any of the features that you typically would associate with software that’s installed on site.

Where does the candidate stand on these issues, or as I look at it, where does the provider stand on addressing these issues?  Of all the concerns that surround asset management, there needs to be some sort of safety net in place so that you know you’re being taken care of.  Helpful customer service that can answer your questions both quickly and accurately and regular updates so that you know you’re staying with the technology trends within the industry both fall within this category of providing a little more comfort to your asset management system.  System security is also integral when considering software as a service, but as any user can tell you; our user authentication process can be quite intimidating and is by no means a free pass into your branded materials.

Is this system capable of being my leader, the core of my marketing workflows?  In short, yes.  The multiple functions of our digital asset management (DAM) system allows you to leverage your current assets in a way that you previously haven’t experienced while also opening the door to new solutions such as photography routing and approval systems, catalog management systems and media building applications.  With all of this at your finger tips from one, multi-faceted application, your marketing department will operate more efficiently then ever before, and just as importantly, your sales channels will be enabled to function at a whole new level.

Overall, our DAM system is capable of serving you, wants to serve you and has a service record that stands out among candidates within the industry.  It’s time for a new and better asset management system – our digital asset management system.  If you aren’t sure if it’s right for you, I implore you to ask yourself; why you aren’t ready for a better tomorrow?  A better next quarter?  Even, a better fiscal year?  The time has come to ask not what you can do for your asset management software, but what can your DAM provider do for you….

Good Night!!!

The delays of your favorite TV programming are similar to delays that many of our clients experienced before using our digital asset management (DAM) application.  File conversions and routing are always issues for marketing and photography departments.  Our newest application, Backdrop™, is specifically designed for photo routing and approval, helping photographers even more.

With all of the media requests that marketing individuals are getting on a daily basis, some sort of process needs to be in place for fulfilling these requests, whether it be for images, audio or video.  These requests not only need to be fulfilled in the most timely fashion possible, but also in the correct format.  Interaction with media is especially sensitive as feeding your press outlets bad information or the incorrect media could lead to your company, product or service not being covered appropriately.

While five weeks seems like an eternity to wait for new shows, I’m grateful that it only effects my free time and now my work.  If these delays are something that I encountered at work I would constantly be struggling just to keep my head above water, not to mention trying to keep my sanity.

Hopefully, with the time off during the strike, the writers will have a renewed sense of productivity and creativity, similar to what DAM provides to marketing departments due to time being able to be spent on more core activities rather than inefficient processes like file conversion.

It confused me as to how this could even be a problem.  I knew it was a potential issue, but all I was asking was for was the camera to upload footage to what has become the most popular platform for consumer video editing.  I started to think even more and it made me realize that this may not just be a consumer issue, but also a problem that video editors and marketing departments face every day when trying to work with their video materials.

How difficult can it really be to convert the video quickly to another format so that one of your possible prospects can view it?  With thousands of possible video codecs and formats, it can be very difficult, and possibly expensive.  The different conversion programs can take significant amounts of time to actually convert the video (many convert in real time) and some are also quite expensive.

I was now thinking that my best option was probably just to take my camera to work.  It suddenly occurred to me why our Video Asset Management application has been making such a splash with video-centric clients as well as other marketing departments that just needed to work with their marketing videos.  Everyone wants to use video, whether it’s for video white papers, customer testimonials or video product tours.  It’s become the mark of industry conscious marketers, and those that don’t have the capability, want it.

Our application allows you to import video in nearly any format and then with the help of Rhozet Carbon coder, we can convert that video on the fly to wherever it needs to go.  Whether it’s to your personal desktop or to a client, the video will always arrive in the appropriate format without having to worry about delays from your media department or conversion programs.

In the end I was able to use our system to upload the footage and deliver it directly to my desktop at home in the appropriate format.  I was able to save all of the footage that I had started to think was taken in vain.  The conversions happened in a flash and I couldn’t be happier with the finished product, now all I have to do is make sure my boss doesn’t get curious as to why I keep bringing my video camera at work…

Every night when I get home the news blares for over an hour before I get frustrated about hearing the same leads and stories over and over again on all of the different channels.  It’s not that I don’t care about what’s going on in the world; I just can’t take the repetition, even if there is more information with this particular report.  Marketing works the same way, and making sure that your messaging and workflows aren’t repetitious is just as important as the message you’re trying to communicate.

Software as a Service (SaaS) has revolutionized marketing communications for years now, helping ease the burden of complicated workflows involving images, audio and video.  By storing all of your marketing assets in one location and regulating entry to the collection, time is eliminated that you would typically spend searching for images and then making sure they’re in the right format.  While the time saving is nice for you, media outlets and bloggers greatly appreciate this freedom to locate their own materials.

While these individuals may be working with you now through bulky emails and excessive disc burning, SaaS allows them immediate access to images, audio and video that can all be used in a more timely fashion to help them meet deadlines.  These individuals outside of your company that want to discuss your products or services are vital to the health of your marketing department. 

In this new Web 2.0 world timeliness is fundamental, along with a simple user experience that will leave these outside individuals always wanting more.  One of our clients, Nikki Beach Publishing, has started using our DAM system for just such a purpose.  Nikki Beach is using the central repository of images and marketing materials to feed the creation of launch kits for hotel openings, collateral material creation and overall brand management of this rapidly growing company.

Widen’s digital asset management has allowed the media to get brand approved pictures of new venues, while also allowing creative and marketing internal access for a more searchable and overall usable system where the catalog virtually every piece of marketing collateral.  And all of this without waiting on one cd to burn, or getting burned out on repetitive messaging or tasks.