Who's Buying This Stuff?

Cataloging a collection of family photos requires time, patience and organization. And inevitably, sifting through memories of past vacations, weddings and family reunions will cause some to pause and reminisce, prolonging the task.

Time, organization and patience are also required when a company begins to assemble a digital asset management system, not to mention the cost involved in such an endeavor. Perhaps that is why only 5 percent of commercial printers plan to invest in digital asset management software over the next 12 months, while only 4 percent consider selling digital asset management services as a top sales opportunity, according to data compiled by TrendWatch Graphic Arts (TWGA).

If recent sales of Digital Asset Management: In the Field, a special report published by TWGA, are any indication, DAM systems may be more highly thought of than we know. The report has become TWGA's best seller, prompting the publication of a follow up report titled Digital Asset Management: Who's Buying This Stuff? In the follow up, TWGA targets graphic communication professionals detailing the experiences of DAM users in 11 vertical markets, and compiling 76 case studies and Web site testimonials by users inside and outside the graphic arts industry. Some of the case studies included in the report feature the Daily News, Simon & Schuster, DreamWorks SKG and ABC Television.

"The goal [of the report] was to compile a representative collection of the available case studies and user stories from supplier archives and public sources that readers could analyze in a single volume," says Vince Naselli, director of TWGA. "The report covers a vast universe of markets, customers and product types that bring this technology to life in a real-world context."

DAM systems are computer software and hardware systems that archive, track and manage page elements, including text graphic and photo images, which can be recalled and used in new projects. The time-saving feature of a DAM system is that production departments won't need to create new images for future jobs.