The basic concept of Digital Asset Management (DAM) is very simple. Today we all work with digital files and some of these files have an intrinsic value. If a file has value it should be managed and remain accessible.

Basically anyone who has a simple requirement for archiving and retrieving digital data needs digital asset management. This becomes even more important as these files are shared and utilised by other members within an organization. When assets are used or worked on in a collaborative working environment, the need for control and communication is vital. As digital files become an integral part of all our lives, Digital Asset Management is a skill that we will all have to learn. Ad agencies, book, newspaper and magazine publishers, web publishers, public relations and marketing communications departments, libraries, museums, government, policing agencies, medical imaging, engineering, construction and charities, the list goes on.

At a basic level, a DAM system should create a record for each file that it stores. Each record should contain information about the asset, including the metadata, a preview of the file and a reference to the location of the asset.

A photograph can be many things to many people: a memory, a reminder, a story. But for some, a photograph means even more. Professionals in the graphics and publishing industries, see photographs as revenue, their livelihoods... their intellectual assets.

For businesses like these, keeping track of digital assets—like photographs, illustrations, page layouts and sounds—is as important as inventory management to a sportswear company. If inventory cannot be organized, products cannot be found. If products cannot be found, products cannot be sold.

For businesses that offer more conventional product lines, there are several software solutions for tracking inventory, sales, commercial assets and licensing. But for those in the more creative disciplines, there is really only Cumulus.