January 7, 2025 •Antra Silova
The DAM vendor landscape has changed significantly since 2021, with some big names exiting Australian marketplace or being acquired by larger players.
The digital asset management (DAM) market has seen remarkable changes since we first explored this topic in 2021 blog, we have since updated our article on How to Choose a Digital Asset Management Solution in Australia. As a follow up, this updated blog article reflects the significant advancements in technology, such as AI-driven automation, enhanced compliance tools, and seamless integrations, which have transformed how organisations manage their digital assets. In addition, our latest eBook provides a digital asset management guide in 2025.
The vendor landscape has shifted dramatically, with several big names exiting the Australian marketplace or being acquired by larger players. DAM vendors like Thirdlight, once a well-known choice for mid-sized organisations, have been subsumed into larger ecosystems, limiting their direct presence in Australia. Similarly, legacy solutions like Extensis Portfolio and Fotoware have struggled to remain relevant in a cloud-first market, with their on-premise models increasingly viewed as outdated. Other vendors have narrowed their focus to specific regions, making their solutions less accessible or practical for Australian organisations.
In this updated guide, we not only highlight the vendors thriving in 2024 but also reflect on the evolving challenges and opportunities within the DAM market for Australian businesses.
Full Disclosure: As a certified reseller for Canto, we’re proud advocates of their solutions. That said, every organisation’s needs are unique, and the best DAM for you will depend on your specific requirements.
TOP 10 VENDORS TO CONSIDER IN AUSTRALIA
AEM (Adobe Experience Manager)
Canto
Canto remains a leading DAM solution globally and in Australia, catering to small to medium-sized organisations, particularly in education, government and brand sectors. Since 2021, Canto has doubled down on its Australian market presence including a dedicated business development professional, establishing dedicated local support, and expanding AWS hosting capabilities in Sydney with backups in Melbourne, ensuring full data sovereignty.
Key Updates:
- AI-powered Search and Automation: Advanced AI-driven search functionality that simplifies asset discovery without relying on metadata tagging.
- Integrations: Enhanced integrations with platforms like WordPress, Akeneo, Office 365, and Canva, making it easier to embed DAM into existing workflows.
- Advanced Brand Portals: Customisable portals for sharing assets with internal and external stakeholders. Configurable branding, permissions, and usage tracking to maintain brand consistency.
- Local Australian presence: Dedicated local business development and support professionals in Sydney, providing tailored service for Australian organisations.
- Market Focus: Continued focus on brand consistency, education, and government organisations.
- Technology: Hosted on AWS, with regular functionality updates rolled out multiple times a year.
Key Weakness:
Limited advanced video and audio handling compared to some competitors, which may not suit organisations with heavy media needs.
Things to know:
- Built on AWS technology with free functionality updates several times a year.
- Intuitive easy to use interface.
- Solid branded portal capabilities for internal and external curation of assets.
- Mac OS and Windows integrations, DRM, archiving/ expiry support, asset use reporting, Cloudfront CDN.
- Rudimentary audio and video support.
HIVO
HIVO, a fully Australian-owned DAM, continues to cater to creative teams. Its niche focus on consent workflows has helped it carve out a market, but limited integrations and scalability hinder its broader adoption. Since 2021, HIVO has prioritised enhancing its workflow tools to support creative project management.
Key Updates:
- Consent Management: Improved workflows tailored for managing image and video consent documentation.
- Collaboration Features: Enhanced tools for design teams, including real-time feedback and approval processes.
- Market Focus: Small creative agencies and teams prioritising compliance and asset delivery.
- Technology: Built on open-source technology, with limited AI and no API or DRM support.
Key Weakness:
Lacks scalability and critical DAM features like advanced reporting, integrations, and DRM, making it unsuitable for larger or more complex organisations.
Things to know:
- Built on open-source technology.
- Good editing and design capability for images and videos, as well as creating assets from within.
- No DRM, no reporting and analytics, no API, no IPTC metadata support.
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IntelligenceBank
IntelligenceBank has evolved its offering to include broader marketing operations capabilities. It is a strong choice for organisations looking for a unified platform for asset management, compliance, and brand governance. However, its slower feature rollouts compared to competitors remain a drawback.
Key Updates:
- Facial Recognition and AI Tagging: Improved AI capabilities for automatic keyword tagging and facial recognition of images.
- Add-Ons Expansion: Additional modules for brand compliance and project management are now more tightly integrated.
- Market Focus: Mid-sized organisations and marketing teams requiring compliance-heavy workflows.
- Technology: Proprietary technology with hosting details remaining opaque, raising questions about scalability and sovereignty.
Key Weakness:
Slower rollout of new features compared to competitors, which may frustrate organisations looking for cutting-edge tools.
Things to know:
- Built on proprietary technology in house, hosting provider not known.
- Automatic keyword tagging feature and Facial Recognition for images.
- Advanced creative collaboration tools for internal and external teams.
- Reporting and analytics is basic.
- Lack of available resources results in introduction of new features much later than competitors.
Collaboro
Collaboro continues to specialise in rich media and video-first DAM solutions, but its outsourced tagging model remains divisive. In 2024, Collaboro stands out as a full-service DAM provider offering both digital and physical asset management services.
Key Updates:
- AI + Human Tagging: Improved AI tagging accuracy combined with human input for complex metadata.
- Concierge Service: Expansion of physical file management, including secure transportation and offsite storage.
- Market Focus: Media-heavy organisations, particularly in marketing and creative industries.
- Technology: Built on MS Azure, with ongoing updates to enhance scalability and security.
Key Weakness:
Reliance on outsourced tagging may create difficulties in finding assets if tagging logic doesn’t align with organisational workflows.
Things to know:
- Built on MS Azure.
- Advanced AI tagging technology combined with human tagging service.
- Concierge service – physical pick up of files and delivery to off-site storage.
- Tagging and keywording entrusted to 3rd party might not work for everyone and could lead to searching difficulty if not familiar with the keywords used or the logic behind file organisation.
Bynder
Bynder remains a heavyweight in the enterprise DAM market, with a continued focus on creative content production and distribution. While its extensive feature set is a strength, its high costs and offshore processing remain concerns for Australian businesses requiring data sovereignty.
Key Updates:
- AI-Powered Workflows: Advanced automation tools for repetitive tasks like asset tagging and content versioning.
- Integrations: Expanded integrations with Adobe Creative Suite, Salesforce, and other enterprise systems.
- Market Focus: Large enterprises and creative teams needing robust collaboration and brand governance.
- Technology: Hosted on AWS with Sydney-based storage but offshore processing and backups.
Key Weakness:
Offshore data processing and backups may not meet Australian data sovereignty requirements, posing compliance risks for some organisations.
Things to know:
- Built on AWS.
- Extensive intuitive workflow capabilities.
- Publishing on demand, smart template tool to create branded materials.
- Integrations into most other systems.
- Additional modules could make price prohibitive for some organisations.
- Set up and implementation can take longer than other SaaS DAMs.
Lookatme (by Media Equation)
Lookatme has maintained its position as a low-cost, basic DAM solution. However, its limited functionality and lack of transparency about technology and security features continue to limit its appeal. Few significant updates have been made since 2021.
Key Updates:
- User Interface Improvements: Minor updates to enhance usability and search functionality.
- Market Focus: Small organisations with minimal DAM requirements.
- Technology: Proprietary technology with limited public information about architecture or compliance.
Key Weakness:
Limited transparency and innovation, making it a less viable choice for organisations with evolving DAM needs.
Things to know:
- Proprietary technology, not transparent.
- Easy to use interface.
- Fast keyword search.
- Developing software and new functionality inhouse can lead to costly software updates for customers.
- Limited budget prohibits innovation.
MediaValet
MediaValet continues to target large enterprises with high-volume creative production needs. Its robust support for massive media files and integration with Microsoft Office remains its standout features. However, its high cost may limit adoption for smaller businesses in Australia.
Key Updates:
- Creative Spaces Enhancements: Streamlined workflows for managing large files directly from desktop to cloud.
- AI Metadata Tools: Improved automatic tagging and classification for rich media.
- Market Focus: Large-scale enterprises and creative teams working with high volumes of rich media.
- Technology: Built on MS Azure, ensuring scalability and global accessibility.
Key Weakness:
High costs make it inaccessible for smaller organisations or those with limited budgets.
Things to know:
- Built on MS Azure.
- Supports large media files (up to 5TB).
- Direct MS Office integration allows to work on documents within the DAM.
- Creative Spaces desktop-to-server-to-cloud feature to speed up production of rich media and creative assets.
- Cost prohibitive for some organisations.
Brandfolder (Smartsheet)
Brandfolder excels in brand asset management, offering an intuitive interface and AI-powered tools. Acquired by Smartsheet, it provides seamless integration for project and team management, though some organisations may find its focus on branding too narrow.
Key Features:
- AI-powered tagging and search.
- Dynamic templates for creating branded materials.
- Deep integration with Smartsheet for project and workflow management.
- Advanced analytics for asset usage and team collaboration.
Key Weakness:
Narrow focus on brand asset management may not suit organisations requiring broader DAM capabilities.
Acquia (formerly Widen Collective)
Acquia DAM, a robust platform formerly known as Widen Collective, targets enterprise-level organisations with diverse digital asset needs. With advanced content governance features and seamless integration into broader Acquia tools, it’s a great choice for complex environments.
Key Features:
- Centralised platform for DAM, content workflows, and analytics.
- Integration with Acquia’s broader digital experience platform.
- Advanced governance tools for compliance and brand consistency.
- AI-powered tagging and metadata automation.
Key Weakness:
The complexity of the platform may lead to a steeper learning curve for new users, requiring significant onboarding and training.
Adobe Experience Manager (AEM)
AEM is a comprehensive content management solution with robust DAM capabilities. Designed for enterprise-level organisations, it integrates seamlessly with Adobe’s ecosystem, offering unparalleled support for creative workflows and content delivery.
Key Features:
- Tight integration with Adobe Creative Suite for streamlined creative workflows.
- AI-driven features such as auto-tagging, content insights, and personalisation.
- Advanced content governance and compliance tools.
- Scalable architecture designed for global enterprises.
Key Weakness:
High cost and complex implementation process make it less suitable for small to medium-sized organisations.
Click to see how AEM compares to Canto.
Summary
The DAM market in Australia is diverse, with vendors catering to a wide range of organisational needs. While Canto and Bynder lead with strong feature sets and enterprise capabilities, niche players like HIVO and Collaboro offer specialised solutions for creative teams. Brandfolder and Acquia bring fresh options for branding and enterprise content workflows, respectively, ensuring that every organisation can find a DAM solution tailored to its needs.
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