Today we release an update to our Digital & Media Asset Management Report. In addition to insights on DAM Trends for 2012, we now have an in-depth 12-page evaluation of Avid's Interplay MAM, and a first look at MerlinOne's Merlin DAM.

Avid is primarily known as a provider of audio and video production technology (Media Composer, Pro Tools, etc.). In early 2010 Avid acquired a German company called Blue Order for its media asset management software, called Media Archive. As 2011 drew to a close, Avid announced the release of Interplay MAM 4.0, the first major release since the acquisition. We've lifted up the hood and taken a detailed look inside. 

MerlinOne, meanwhile, sits at a completely different place in the market. A tiny company with roots in the newspaper and print publishing market, MerlinOne remains one of the few DAM vendors wedded to a thick client, while the rest of the industry moves on has moved on to web-based interfaces. We found the system capabilities somewhat limited compared to other DAM vendors we cover -- albeit targeted to the company's core customer base -- and we outline why in detail in our report.

You can download a free sample of the vendor evaluation report here.