We checked on Dalet while at the NAB Show as Dalet Enterprise Edition is one of the MAM products we evaluate in our research. A quick recap: Dalet Enterprise Edition is the core MAM platform, while the company's related offerings -- News Suite, Sports Factory, Radio Suite and Media life (for program preparation and archives) -- are tailored applications built on the MAM.

At NAB, Dalet announced its release plan for Galaxy, which will be the updated version of its core MAM platform, and outlined the features to expect when the package eventually ships. Before you get excited, though, note the timeline: select customers are expected to get a dekko of Galaxy in a couple of quarters and it will be a year down the road before full availability of the product.

Nevertheless, it raises the issue of BPM in the media segment.  In many other industries, BPM tools have already gone through the hype and hoopla routine, and by now enterprises have a fair idea of BPM capabilities and limitations. But in the media and broadcast industry, the BPM star has been on the ascendant only fairly recently, and vendors want to marry MAM and BPM. It won’t end up being a silver bullet but the logic is sound and there is merit to the approach.

No surprise then that one of the key features expected in Dalet’s Galaxy is a BPM engine that allows for greater automation of both IT tasks and user activities. Customers will also be able to configure many workflows themselves, supposedly without having to write code. New UI skins, better to-do lists for users, enhanced rich media editor, integration with additional craft editors (Avid NLE, Adobe Premiere), and support for Google gadgets are also part of the promised package.

On the multi-platform delivery front (which is a high priority item for broadcasters) - Dalet announced that its current MAM product (Enterprise Edition) is integrated with the Video Content Management System (VCMS) from the Australian company called Switch media. VCMS can in turn be integrated with other enterprise systems (DRM, Web CMS) and Content Delivery Networks to distribute content to multiple platforms like web and mobile. In general, a MAM system is also an integration hub -- so think through which integration points make better sense in your scenario.

In addition to sprucing up the product line, the company claims that it is streamlining its support processes, systems, and organization. MAM customers consider support a lifeline for their operations and SOS calls are not uncommon, so you'll want to monitor this very carefully.