Today we release our Digital & Media Asset Management Report 2009. In this new edition, we've greatly expanded our coverage of Minnesota, USA-based MediaBeacon, a pioneer in XMP, and a small but savvy company that's frequently competing with the larger corporate muscle of Open Text's Artesia and Interwoven's MediaBin.

There are quite a few new trends in DAM for 2009, which we'll explore in this blog over the next few weeks, and which we cover in-depth in the report. As we point out in today's press release, the most significant one we've seen is what we're calling "the disappearance of the middle class." Small team/workgroup-style DAM tools typically sell for US$2,000-5,000, while the enterprise-class DAM & MAM tools are rarely acquirable for less than US$150,000-$200,000. This situation is serious a problem for buyers who need more from their DAM system than a simple digital archive, but don't have six-figure budgets.

In these tough economic times, enterprises are looking to buy only the features they really need, at a predictable price point. Because the costs involved in a full-feature, licensed solution may be prohibitive, some buyers are turning to fixed-price hosted DAM, or stretching their workgroup-level solution -- perhaps from the likes of Adobe, Apple, or Microsoft -- beyond its capabilities.