Many architecture choices are available when you are designing your Media Management strategy – which one is the best for your workflow?
Thomas is a recently-hired Content Manager for a major Marketing agency in London. In recent years, the agency has been producing a great amount of video content due to their clients demands for social media and video online platforms. Thomas’s job is to bring his agency into the 21st century with a better way to manage the large number of video material from their clients.
Having managed a large amount of video files before, Thomas knows that the current Digital Asset Management (DAM) system currently used by his new employer will not do the job. As a result, he goes online to find the best-reviewed Media Asset Management (MAM) solution on the market, knowing from experience that MAM solutions handle video ingestion, collaboration, and workflow management significantly better than DAM systems.
After conducting some research, Thomas discovers that the deployment model he chooses is almost as crucial as the company he invests in. With this information, Thomas sets out to figure out which model is best for him: On-premises, cloud, or hybrid deployments are all viable options.
What is on premise deployment model?
An on-premises MAM system necessitates the ownership and operation of a data centre with servers. This demands the purchase of physical hardware as well as the establishment of an IT department capable of maintaining it.
Thomas first assumed that an on-premises solution would be ideal for his requirements. After all, video consumes significantly more bandwidth than other types of media such as text and photos. Thomas would need to be in close proximity to a server unless there is a breakthrough in Internet connectivity.
On his research, Thomas found that on-premise solutions are excellent for businesses that:
• Need system customization, such as security or integrations;
• Have data that is subject to compliance limitations
• Have a well-established and competent IT department
• Already possess hosting infrastructure
Unfortunately, there was a problem: Thomas's company lacked the IT resources required to maintain a MAM solution up and running. While Thomas's boss was ready to spend money on server hardware that would last for years, he could not justify the cost of hiring an IT crew solely to manage a MAM system.
What is on cloud deployment model?
Thomas chose to look at cloud-based systems after being discouraged by the high investment required to get an on-premises MAM solution up and running.
At first, what he saw was encouraging: most cloud solutions are priced on a monthly basis rather than a large upfront fee. There is no need for servers or an IT department.
However, Thomas rapidly recognised that transferring terabytes of data to and from the cloud on a regular basis was unfeasible. This setup might have worked for text and graphics, but it is not good enough for video.
On his research, Thomas found that cloud-based solutions are best-suited for businesses that:
• Prioritize ease of setup over customizability
• Use remote teams or demand distributed access
• Are growing or expect to scale in the near future
• Want managed assistance to supplement or outsource IT
The Hybrid option
Thomas's cloud research rapidly introduced him to a new deployment model: the hybrid cloud. Simply put, in a hybrid cloud strategy, some data is stored on-premises and some is stored on the cloud.
When comparing MAM systems, deciding which is the best option for you might be tough. It may appear that the distinction between deployment methods is confusing, especially if you are not the one in charge of system deployment or infrastructure configuration.
Thomas's problems were solved by the hybrid cloud: all his video files could be kept on an on-premises network server, which solved the bandwidth issue. He would not require an in-house IT personnel, though, because the MAM software is controlled by the solution provider in the cloud.
Thomas’s decision was straightforward after examining his company's capabilities and his team's demands. However, for many businesses, the decision is more difficult.
More in-depth articles on MAM solutions for on-premises, cloud, and hybrid data management models will be published soon. And if you need assistance determining which deployment strategy is ideal for your company, book a FREE demo with us today to go through the process.