Digital Asset Management vendors have leveraged cloud platforms to improve scalability in recent years, but still frequently fail to meet customer requirements for interoperability within broader digital marketing environments,  according to research released by analyst firm Real Story Group. 

Real Story Group’s Digital & Media Asset Management Report version 6.2 now evaluates 40 major DAM vendors from around the world.

On the positive side, scalability in DAM implementations is improving. “Hybrid cloud is the new normal, “ notes RSG Principal, Theresa Regli. “With large hosting providers like Amazon serving as the backbone to what may be an immature vendor tool with a slick user interface, the gap between traditional enterprise vendors and the mid-market is closing.“

However, RSG finds customers still struggling with interoperability. “Interoperability has become a key issue in the mid-market, and an almost decisive factor in large enterprise DAM scenarios,” notes Regli. “A marketing asset lifecycle can encompass multiple systems, with growing volumes of information and creative assets getting exchanged among those environments.” 

A particular area of immaturity is weak or non-existent APIs. “In many cases, vendors are making it up as they go along, collecting interop requirements as they try to sell you a half-million dollar license,” Regli adds. “The same is true of so-called ‘connectors’ that allege to connect DAM to workflow or Product Information Management tools. Customers are frustrated by the amount of work still required to achieve interoperability.”