As content creation continues to grow exponentially, many companies are struggling to keep up with the number of digital files that they’re creating and managing on a day-to-day basis. Even those who have digital file management solutions in place are now finding that they’ve outgrown them way faster than anticipated and are now revisiting their digital asset needs. When looking for new options and considering how to upgrade their file management systems, organizations get caught wondering what the difference is between popular cloud-based systems, like Box, and digital asset management solutions (DAM), like MediaValet.
To understand the difference between Box and DAM, let’s take a look at each in more depth:
Digital Asset Management (DAM)
TechTarget explains digital asset management solutions by defining them as “system[s] for organizing, storing, and retrieving rich media and managing digital rights and permissions”. As a file management system focused on digital media, a DAM is a great solutions for teams looking to organize, collaborate on and distribute their visual content (photos, videos, graphics, etc.) all from within one central library. Typically focused on brand and marketing-related assets, a DAM is conventionally owned by the marketing team, but can also be used and accessed by many other teams within your organization in order to maximize productivity.
A DAM offers excellent features that allow users to manage any type of digital file and perform a variety of beneficial functions, including re-sizing and re-formatting their media, tracking usage history, and sharing large files easily. Additionally, a DAM provides organizations with increased media security, such as user permissions, compliance regulations and watermarking.
Key Features of a DAM
- File Discoverability: A DAM makes storing, managing, and finding brand and marketing material (photos, videos, etc.) easy with artificial intelligence, keywords and advanced search capabilities.
- Access Security: Access permissions for internal and external users give organizations tighter rein on digital media. A DAM offers version control, history tracking and watermarks, as well as enhanced security and compliance.
- Easy Sharing: A DAM includes features that enable easy sharing of large media files, such as high-resolution images, large format videos, etc., over email, web galleries or Branded Portals.
The Bottom Line
While a DAM allows for text-based file management, it's best for companies that need a better way to produce, store and distribute large amounts of rich media content (photos, videos, audio, etc.). If you’re a smaller team, looking for a lighter solution that stores documents alone, you may not need all the features a DAM provides.
Box
According to ITONICS, “Box is a cloud-hosted file storage service that supports file sharing and collaboration through a robust set of synced editing, commenting, and task assignment functions, along with delegated file and folder security.” Box focuses on building out the collaborative features of their platform, and many departments could benefit from using this solution, as they’re able to work on documents simultaneously from anywhere.
As a cloud-based file storage system, Box offers several great features, such as collaboration capabilities (for multiple stakeholders) and flexible security controls. It was designed for teams to use from anywhere and has over 1500 app integrations. Box also offers automated workflows, metadata tags and portals.
Key Features of Box
- Simultaneous Collaboration: Users, including external partners, can work on files simultaneously and from anywhere, using messaging and task assignment features.
- Improved Workflow: Integrations, automations, and approval features aid teams in accelerate their workflow and productivity.
- Access Security: Box offers cloud-native security and compliance capabilities. The system has granular access controls, watermarking and classification of files.
The Bottom Line
Although Box is a handy cloud-based file storage solution with collaboration and security features, it is not the best solution for dealing with vast amounts of media assets. Companies with more document-focused work may find that Box is enough as a storage and collaborative work solution. Companies with larger amounts of media assets, however, likely require complete solutions and long-term strategies for their ever-growing digital asset management needs.
Why Organizations Choose to Upgrade from Box to DAM
While many organizations begin with using Box (or something similar), they often find that as they grow, they need a more robust solution to manage their content – especially their rich media. While organizations gain vast benefits from upgrading to a DAM, here are a few noteworthy features:
- Previewing: With a DAM, users can preview design files, PDFs, video, 3D files, large format images, etc. where Box has more limited file preview capabilities, and can only preview files that are 500MB or smaller.
- Asset Rendering and Resizing: A DAM enables users to customize the format and size of each asset when they download or share them. Users no longer need help from the design team, they simply need permission to use the rendering feature.
- Searching: A DAM offers additional advanced search features, including AI auto tagging, that allow you to find what you’re looking for without the hassle of sifting through a large number of assets.
- Sharing: Not only can users share all popular formats and sizes of files, but a DAM allows them to instantly send files of up to 200 GBs to anyone, anywhere in the world, no matter what browser or operating system they’re using. Firewalls aren’t an issue as only links are used, eliminating the need for attachments.
- Support and Training: A DAM (specifically, MediaValet) offers unlimited onboarding and training, meaning that if you’re ever having challenges or need a refresher, MediaValet will immediately help you, free of charge.
Is it Time for an Upgrade?
After reviewing the main features that both Box and a DAM have to offer, it’s clear why many organizations are choosing to upgrade to a digital asset management system. MediaValet is a digital asset management solution that's trusted by hundreds of leading brands around the globe to help them make the most of their high-value digital assets.
See how MediaValet compares to other DAM vendors in this G2 report.
MediaValet is a leader in cloud-based digital asset management that helps organizations manage, organize and share their digital assets, improving productivity and increasing ROI. See MediaValet in action today.
