BOSTON / LONDON, May 8, 2012 — Enterprises striving to align their business and technology efforts for improved Digital Asset Management (DAM) can now assess their existing readiness and guide their DAM roadmaps going forward using the DAM Maturity Model ("DAM3"). The model was jointly developed by leading independent analyst firm, The Real Story Group and the newly formed professional organization, the DAM Foundation, and released under Creative Commons today. The DAM Maturity Model will be formally introduced at the Henry Stewart DAM Event in New York May 10, 2012.

Effective implementation of a DAM project includes addressing not just technology-related aspects, but also tackling those that relate to human, information and system dimensions. In fact, as with other large Enterprise Content Management (ECM) projects, a DAM implementation requires careful planning and development of a holistic strategy to address all such categories of challenge.

“The DAM Maturity Model provides a structured framework for setting priorities to address these challenges,” notes Real Story Group Principal, Theresa Regli. "In our haste to solve the complex problems of managing digital assets, we often seek first to buy technology rather than taking a step back and looking at the larger challenges of organizational discipline and focus that's required to be successful. As a group we felt it necessary to develop a model that can act as a compass to guide enterprises toward the optimal states of technology, workflow, and informational maturity. Success in digital asset management requires a wealth of complementary ingredients, and we've made an effort to show how these elements need to work together and mature over time."

The model suggests graded levels of capabilities, ranging from rudimentary information collection and basic control, through increasingly sophisticated levels of management and integration, finally resulting in a mature state of continuous experimentation and improvement. Patricia Connelly, CEO, Henry Stewart Events commented, “We are delighted that the DAM Maturity Model will be rolled out at our NYC event where over 400 DAM professionals will gather to discuss the latest issues and developments in the DAM arena.”

“The DAM Maturity Model — released today for the global community working in the field of digital asset management — represents a milestone step in affirming the reach and importance of digital asset management,” notes David Lipsey, Principal, Media & Entertainment, Optimity Advisors and President, DAM Foundation. “Together, we have created the foundation for developing a more common dialogue about digital asset management. With this, though, we present only a beginning in this dialogue. The usefulness of this maturity model — which owes an important debt of gratitude to the work done by The Real Story Group in the Enterprise Content Management Maturity Model and others — will grow as the DAM community contributes its insights and suggestions. Mark your present moment using the model and take it out next year at this time to measure your progress. And send in your comments as you and your peers share in its use so we can provide leadership and growth to one another as a community.”

Key features of the model include:

• DAM3 proposes sixteen dimensions of maturity across three categories and five maturity levels
• DAM3 provides detailed descriptions of the five maturity levels

The Digital Asset Management Maturity Model can be downloaded at http://dammaturitymodel.org/ under a Creative Commons license.

About the DAM Foundation
The field of digital asset management has grown to encompass many disciplines and touches many more. The individuals who go to work every day and engage in this field can be found worldwide. The Foundation is an acknowledgement of this growth and a reflection of the awareness that it is time to channel and commonly benefit from this growth. The DAM Foundation will provide a professional society that acknowledges, matures and develops the growth of DAM, combined with the best qualified advice and guidance for best practices and standards within the digital asset management space.

About Henry Stewart
The Henry Stewart Group provides continuing professional development and graduate education across a wide range of fields. Subject areas extend from managing digital assets to advances in biomedical and life sciences, real estate, pensions, marketing, pharmaceutical regulation and statistics. Henry Stewart Events’ role within the group is to provide state-of-the-art briefings on a range of important business areas presented by leading authorities. The comprehensive, detailed, highly relevant content focuses on the trends, the challenges and - above all — the solutions. As the leading provider of briefings on digital asset management, Henry Stewart covers all the important issues from the fundamentals of how to get started with a DAM solution to the latest developments in DAM technology and processes.