Naresh Sarwan over at DAMNEWS has shared our last blog post, about auditing your DAM system, with the DAMNEWS audience. Naresh had some interesting things to add about DAM deployments and implementations, especially with installed solutions and software updates.

It does seem that DAM systems are among some of the most complex applications to deploy, in part due to the large number of ‘moving parts’ in the form of ancillary applications to handle proxy generation, transcoding, databases, LDAP integration etc.  When this complexity runs into your typical corporate IT policy (which is to treat internal servers like ‘fortresses’ to be defended at all costs) things really start to get difficult for DAM system suppliers.

Read all of Naresh's post here.

The DAMNEWS post also mentions issues with ineffective or otherwise unwanted updates to software-as-a-service DAM platforms. The issue, as explained in the post, is that DAM providers sometimes don't offer an off switch for these updates.

Here at Widen, we don't generally have this sort of problem. We're innovators and always looking for ways to help our users make their workflows better, faster, stronger. But those updates are informed as much by our DAM software customers' needs as they are by our desire to streamline their processes.

That's one of the advantages — we think — of being the only DAM software provider with deep knowledge and extensive experience in creating digital assets on the premedia side. We're especially attuned to the needs of our users because we're our own most critical client. To rip off a famous retail slogan: We wouldn't sell you a DAM system we wouldn't use ourselves.

What's your experience been with DAM software and other business tools? Have you seen installed vendors get complacent about updates (or abandon you altogether)? Do you think SaaS comes with the opposite risk (i.e., of getting stuff you don't want)?

Take our system for a spin. We think you'll find that it was built for ease-of-use and effectiveness. Ultimately, you get out a DAM system what you put into it. We've made it simple to put all your best into managing your assets.