DAM Guide – The different types of hosting for DAM software

Not all multimedia files imported into digital asset management software can be stored on ordinary hard drives like those found in desktop computers. Indeed, because of the large volume of assets to be stored, using servers is essential. These servers may be owned directly by the company or public-sector entity using the DAM system. In that case, the servers are located on the organization’s premises. This means that storage is handled internally by the organization. In practice, however, this type of in-house storage alone does not exist.

It’s also possible to outsource data hosting to the company providing the digital asset management system. In that case, the servers used for storing the data are geographically distant and may or may not belong to the company providing the DAM solution. This is called cloud hosting, and it’s a type of data hosting that requires data transmission over the internet.

Some companies and public-sector entities choose to combine these two modes of storage. This is called hybrid storage.

With cloud hosting, the users of the digital asset management software access their files (and the software’s features) through an internet connection. Exchanges—including adding, viewing, and extracting files—take place over the internet.

All of the data transferred to the cloud servers are available on demand at all times. They are shared while being regularly and automatically synchronized.

Cloud storage allows you to entirely outsource data hosting. This can be a major financial benefit for companies and public-sector entities. With cloud hosting, they don’t need to invest in costly hardware; they don’t have to install, maintain, or secure it. And the financial aspects are not the only benefit of outsourcing data hosting. With this mode of storage, the organization doesn’t have to worry about maintaining and securing servers, saving them a lot of time and constantly giving them the benefit of the best security systems and best hardware.

What’s more, cloud hosting offers a high degree of flexibility that you don’t get with private, in-house servers. Thus, storage needs increase, service providers have no difficulty instantly providing more space.

Another advantage of cloud hosting is that it enables access to the multimedia files in the DAM system anywhere and from any device. This facilitates collaboration between the various people involved in a project, even if they’re not working at the same site.

With cloud hosting of Ephoto Dam, companies and public-sector entities get basic storage space starting at 50 GB and going up to several TB. In addition to securing data, Ephoto Dam ensures that the DAM solution is properly implemented by handling installation, configuration, and integration into the organization’s IT system. The Ephoto Dam software is offered in software-as-a-service (SaaS) mode, which means that customers don’t have to install the software. They access the software and their data directly online. SaaS mode is only possible thanks to cloud hosting. Indeed, without cloud hosting, users wouldn’t be able to access the application over the internet. For its cloud hosting, Ephoto Dam has three cloud infrastructure systems worldwide (in France, Canada, and China). This makes it possible to host data independently in three different countries, offering security in case of a problem at a particular data center, but also facilitating multinational work. Having these three infrastructure systems guarantees fast access to data worldwide

Hybrid storage is another mode of storage used by DAM software. As the term suggests, it combines two types of data storage: in-house storage and cloud storage. This means that public-sector entities and companies that opt for hybrid storage have in-house servers on which they store multimedia files. In addition, they store the same files, or others, on external servers that they access over the internet. Having these two modes of storage complementing each other allows the organization to use one or the other depending on the task. For example, it makes sense to use cloud hosting for less sensitive tasks and to use internal hosting for task requiring an absolute guarantee of security. With hybrid storage, you benefit from the advantages of both modes of hosting, particularly in terms of security and flexibility.

Hybrid storage can also sometimes simply consist of storing data on an internal server and using the software in SaaS mode via the cloud.