3 reasons you are holding on to your on-premise digital asset management (DAM) solution

Cloud computing has been around for decades now, and for most sectors it’s been regarded for the many benefits Software-as-a-Service solutions have over the on-premise solutions, including cloud over the on-premise digital asset management (DAM) software.

After many years providing consultations, installing and supporting digital asset management solutions for our customers and prospects, we agree with the supporters of cloud-based DAM software as we believe it provides better value for money than the on-premise digital asset management software. However, we also realise there is still a lot of convincing to do. And the attitude towards the cloud DAM is not always positive.

While this article would relate to most organisations, there are those with very specific needs that need to be recognised as well. Our consultants are experts in both – on-premise and cloud solutions and can help you further understand your needs and what modern DAMS can do for your organisation.

Here are 3 reasons we hear often on why organisations want to hold on to their on-premise DAM solutions.

“On-premise digital asset management solutions are more secure”

“It is cheaper to keep our on-premise solution”

“If it’s working, why change?”

1.   On-premise digital asset management (DAM) solutions are more secure.

The most common concern we hear from IT decision makers when choosing between on-premise digital asset management software and a SaaS DAM is that keeping their digital assets in cloud is less secure than on-premise.

In reality, many people don’t fully understand how cloud storage works, which in turn makes them believe that human person safe-guarding their assets in the room next door is more secure than storing their precious data up in the “air”. Quite the contrary in fact, human error is put up against automation, and while neither is error-proof, both could affect the security of your data equally. 

So, the short answer is no – SaaS digital asset management solution is no less secure than an on-premise one. And – while entrusting your valuable data to a third party might be hard to accept – they’re experts at what they do. At the end of the day, the profitability and reputation of a cloud service provider depend on ensuring that customers’ data is and remains secure and available in the cloud.

Most SaaS providers take client’s data protection very seriously, keeping ahead of changes in local data protection, security, and privacy legislation. A multi-layer approach to security and ISO27001 compliance are must-haves that top SaaS providers can demonstrate.

One more thing to consider here – what data will be stored in your DAMS? Yes, there are organisations that are by law prohibited to store sensitive data (such as medical or financial transactions) on a public server. But think about it – are you planning to store such sensitive data in your DAMS? Most digital asset management solutions store assets intended for public and/or organisational consumption in one way or another.

2.   It is cheaper to keep on-premise digital asset management software.

Do you know how much the on-premise solution is costing your organisation? The short answer here is – look below the surface. As in the image below.

©PeopleHR

We believe that cloud-based DAM solutions are more cost-effective and provide better value for money than on-premise digital asset management software.

By holding on to your on-premise DAM your organisation is incuring a lot of hidden costs that are not apparent at the start and are not included in the software license purchase cost.

On the other hand, the costs of a cloud-based DAM are very transparent – everything is on your invoice.

Another benefit of a SaaS digital asset management solution – scalability. Pay for what you need. Scale up or down when needed. And, since cloud providers are responsible for disaster recovery, security, maintenance and upgrades, and compliance with security updates and legislation – your past IT spending on on-premise software can free up resources for other things.

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3.   If it’s working, why change?

Since there was a significant investment made towards the older on-premise DAM solutions, it can be hard to look at alternatives. On-premise digital asset management solutions were a great choice back then, however, while they are still suitable for some organisations, it doesn’t mean you have to stick to something that no longer provides full business benefits.

In response to why you should consider change: technology is here to provide tools to benefit your organisation, increase efficiency and competitiveness. Is older technology holding you back, is it still benefitting your business? Are your competitors moving to cloud solutions and diverting their savings and efficiency to their business?

It is important to note here that leadership, stakeholder, end-user involvement is paramount to success and adoption of a new project. As is choosing the right software for your organisation’s needs.

In summary

20 years ago, an on-premise digital asset management solution was the way to go, but, as evidenced by recent changes in business direction by one of the DAM pioneers – Canto, who have chosen to shift their focus solely to their SaaS digital asset management solution, the future is in the cloud.

Organisations and governments around the world are shifting their focus to cloud technologies. And the reasons are plenty.

Cost-efficiency

SaaS solution allows you to shift the responsibility for upkeep, maintenance, back-ups, security, upgrades and other costs of running an on-premise solution to the cloud solution vendor, freeing up resources that you could reinvest in other areas of your business.

Most cloud DAMs come with intuitive interfaces and require little or no training for users. And let’s not forget – a very little downtime compared to an on-premise solution. In two years, between 2015 and 2017, AWS experienced a total of only 7,5 hours downtime. Could your IT department guarantee that?

Speed of implementation

It can take a long time to procure and implement a new on-premise software solution, with the team not being able to realise the benefits of it for a while. Most SaaS DAMs can be up and running in weeks.

Automatic upgrades and easy maintenance

With cloud technology constantly evolving new updates and upgrades are applied automatically, no need for involvement of your IT team.

Highly scalable

Performance monitoring and management is an important part of SaaS service, you have full control of your needs. Scale your cloud resources up or down depending on your situation.

Allows work from home

The Covid-19 era has changed how we do business. Cloud technology allows you to access your solution from anywhere, you don’t need to be tied to an office network.

Cloud technology is here to stay

It is no wonder that there is shift in technology, it’s here to stay and shape the way companies will do business going forward. Contact us to learn more about migrating your on-premise DAM to a cloud solution: 1300 886 238.