DAM--Getting Organized
"The computer forms vendor has an enormous quantity of images and needs some way of actually finding them. They employ a bunch of freelancers scattered all over the place who create sections of the catalog for them," Herzing states. "Each of the freelancers can access images from our WebNative server, which translates to great appreciation on our client's part for our in-house asset archiving capabilities."
Eric Rewitzer, product specialist at Xinet, contends there are two main aspects to consider when evaluating a digital asset management solution: location/tracking of the assets and retrieval/access of the assets. "Solutions that have extensive tracking, but poor distribution capabilities, will not be as effective for increasing workflow productivity," he warns.
"Most DAM products put location/tracking first and distribution second. While these feature-laden products may provide faster searching, actually getting the images to the people who need them will cost time and human resources," Rewitzer contends. "Products that emphasize distribution of assets over cumbersome tracking features will be more effective in increasing overall productivity for graphic arts service providers and, ultimately, their customers."
In addition, Rewitzer continues, solutions that incorporate OPI optimization allow designers to use low-res FPOs for placement, further speeding production cycle times.
"All products designed at Xinet aim to shorten cycle times in the prepress production process, allowing users to increase productivity and get more work out the door," he reports.
"WebNative was designed to eliminate labor-intensive, administrative upkeep required with databases and image catalogs," Rewitzer enthuses. "Because, after all, as one WebNative customer told me—plain and simple—the commercial printer is paid to get film out the door, not to manage a database."
The DAM Market: Where Is It Going?
Jason Taylor, Canto Software
"The DAM market is still a developing industry, with lots of small companies vying for business, shopping around their diverse offerings—making it very difficult for some customers to recognize the ideal solution for their particular prepress or commercial printing operation. Throughout this year, the entry of larger players in the DAM market will signify a major maturing. Watch for a release of a Quark solution, and moves from Heidelberg!"
