PhotoShelter
Profile Index
Vendor Details
Contact Name
Andrew FingermanCompany Profile
Founded in 2005, PhotoShelter is an industry-leading digital asset management solution that helps you organize, manage, distribute, instantly share, and collaborate with your team on digital content. With 5+ billion assets securely managed and nearly 100 million annual downloads, PhotoShelter is the fastest, easiest, and most intuitive way to manage and automate your end-to-end content workflow to drive your brand engagement, get better ROI from content and improve efficiency across your team. That’s why thousands of organizations and enterprises globally like Delta Airlines, FreshDirect, IMG Golf, Wendy’s, and more trust PhotoShelter with their success. Now, with the 2023 acquisition of Socialie, PhotoShelter is able to help brands activate the social channels of all their stakeholders via automated content distribution and better understand how social content is performing across partner channels, to exponentially expand their reach and drive more engagement.
Contact Email
mkt@photoshelter.comCompany Website
https://brands.photoshelter.com/Company Turnover Category
The turnover of the vendor can give an indication of their size. US Dollars is used as common currency to allow comparisons. Note that turnover is not necessarily any indicator of financial stability but as part of any procurement due diligence you are obliged to carry out by your organisation, any vendors who have not agreed to show their turnover here might be required to do so if subsequently appointed.
- $10m - $50m
Percentage of Revenue From DAM Software
A vendor might have a large turnover and many employees, but their DAM software division is a very small element of what they offer. If a large proportion of their revenue comes from DAM solutions (licenses, support, hosting, consulting etc) then this may mean they are more specialised, but also there are risks to their overall financial stability if there is a downturn in the DAM software market.
95Number of Full-Time Employees
Along with turnover, the number of full-time employees gives an indication of the size of the vendor. Note that although a firm might have many employees, not all of them might be dedicated to developing DAM solutions, so this cannot be relied on in isolation.
100Office Locations
- New York, NY
- Cambridge, UK
- Guadalajara, MX
Product Name
PhotoShelter for BrandsCompany LinkedIn URL
https://www.linkedin.com/company/photoshelterCompany Facebook URL
https://www.facebook.com/psforbrands/Clients & Customers
- Major League Baseball
- New York Jets
- Conoco Phillips
- Harvard University
- Purdue University
- Wendy's
- NASCAR
- Delta
- Subaru
- iHeart Media
- Sports Illustrated
- Jackson Health System
- Atrium Health
- Hartford Healthcare
- Visit Mississippi
- Visit Greenland
- Tripadvisor
- National Aquarium
Licensing
Licensing Model
This refers to the type of licence the DAM system software is supplied under. Proprietary means that the developer restricts access to the source code (the instructions used to generate the software). Open source means that the developer provides full access to the code so you can modify it yourself. Split model is hybrid and means they may offer both options with some restrictions removed (or added) depending on the model chosen. If split is selected, it is advisable to verify the differences with the vendor.
- Proprietary
Use of Open Source Components
Many DAM systems use freely available open source components to deliver key functionality. The products themselves may not be open source, however. This question will help to identify to what extent they are open source.
- Some open source components used, but core product is not open source
Hosting
Software Delivery Methods
- Cloud/SaaS
Technology
Client
Client refers to the type of hardware or software device that can be used to access or control the DAM system.
- Web client
- iOS mobile app
- Android mobile app
Search Technologies
This refers to third party search components that the vendor uses to provide the text search features (and sometimes other related search functions).
- Custom (developed in-house)
Service Oriented Architecture
Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) means the vendor's product uses a modular architecture where each core DAM function is delivered as a service which can be separated out independently from other functions. It is important for large-scale Digital Asset Management implementations or more complex integration requirements.
- Yes
Service Oriented Architecture Definition
Some vendors have widely differing opinions of what Service Oriented Architecture means. Their response to this question allows you to understand if their definition concurs with your own. If you are not contemplating a large scale DAM implementation or one with many complex integration requirements, SOA may not be relevant to your needs.
PhotoShelter takes a hybrid approach that combines the performance and development speed of a monolith, the reliability and observability of SOA, and the scalability and flexibility of microservices. In short, we use the right tool for the job.
Microservices
Microservices are similar in nature to Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) with the key difference being that they can be deployed entirely independently of the platform that uses them. Microservices are usually prevalent in Digital Asset Supply Chain projects.
- Yes
Microservices Definition
As with Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) some vendors have different opinions of what microservices are. Their response to this question allows you to understand if their definition concurs with your own. If you are not contemplating a Digital Asset Supply Chain project, large scale DAM implementation or one with many complex integration requirements, microservices may not be relevant to your needs.
PhotoShelter takes a hybrid approach that combines the performance and development speed of a monolith, the reliability and observability of SOA, and the scalability and flexibility of microservices. In short, we use the right tool for the job.
Search
Search Features
This describes the search strategies that can be used to find assets. If you do not understand any of them, leave the options de-selected. Most DAM systems should support at least keyword search at a minimum.
- Keyword
- Folders
- Filters
- Faceted Search
Search Notes
PhotoShelter offers AI Visual Search, which makes it easy to find assets based on their visual components – no metadata required.
Index/Search Text Content Of Documents
Some DAM systems can search the text content of document assets and that might be important for your DAM solution.
- No
Visual Search
Visual Search allows your DAM to search and identify digital assets based solely on their visual qualities, as opposed to relying on metadata and keywords. This is often achieved using a combination of natural language processing, artificial intelligence, and image recognition.
- Yes
Visual Search Notes
PhotoShelter’s AI Visual Search allows users to find assets by describing the visual elements in the image - no metadata required.
Metadata
Embedded metadata support (reading)
Embedded metadata refers to information stored within asset files which can be searched from the DAM system. There are different standards for this type of metadata. Some image cataloguing software like Adobe Lightroom will write this data to asset files and a device like a camera may capture details also such as GPRS coordinates where an photo was shot. XMP metadata is often used with other types of files such as InDesign or PDF. If you are unsure whether this applied to you, do not check any options.
- IPTC
- IPTC Core
- XMP
- EXIF
Embedded metadata support (writing)
See the reading question above for more details on what embedded metadata is. This question refers to whether embedded metadata can be written back to files if edited within the DAM system.
- IPTC
- IPTC Core
- XMP
- EXIF
- Other
Embedded metadata support notes
PhotoShelter also supports C2PA (Content Authenticity) metadata.
Controlled Vocabularies
Controlled Vocabularies are predefined lists of search terms. They can be realised in many different ways but the common factor is the user picks from a restricted selection rather than enters a keyword. Most DAM systems will usually support both controlled vocabularies and keywords.
- Yes
Controlled Vocabulary Notes
PhotoShelter supports controlled vocabularies in the form of Custom Metadata which are controlled lists.
User Defined Metadata Fields
The ability to configure metadata your own metadata fields is important for DAM systems so you can assign a dedicated field for certain items of information rather than using a generic classification method or one of the vendor's own standard fields.
- Yes
Cataloguing Interface Options
When cataloguing assets with custom fields, some metadata will be controlled selections, others will be free text. There are further choices like date fields, file attachments etc.
- Text field
- Drop down menu
- Date
Cataloguing Interface Notes
Verify how the vendor has implemented a given cataloguing interface control. It is preferable if they can demonstrate with examples of how they have implemented interface options for cataloguing and metadata entry.
Values for controlled lists are selected via drop down menus with search-as-you-type functionality.
Business Intelligence & Reporting
Asset Usage Records
To enable reports to be generated, DAM solutions must retain records of asset usage, including searching, download and editing of records. The reporting should include the user who carried out the activity and the date/time it occurred.
- Yes
Audit Trail
A detailed audit trail that logs every user action in a central record is useful to gain insight into user behaviour. Comprehensive audit trails allow DAM system users to produce reports that address their unique needs.
- Yes
Built-In Reports
A range of built-in reports that you can quickly generate is useful to answer common questions such as the "what is our most popular asset?".
- Most popular assets by download
- Most active users by downloads
- Average number of search results returned over a given period
- Asset search to download ratio
- Download activity over a given period
- Popular search terms
Asset Processing
Dedicated/Scalable Proxy or Derivative Asset Generation
Nearly all DAM systems will generate thumbnails and previews of media, including more dynamic types like video or audio. Some products use a separate server to do this which usually makes them more suitable for large scale asset ingestion and processing.
- Yes
Dedicated/Scalable Proxy or Derivative Asset Generation Notes
PhotoShelter automatically generates multiple scalable proxies for images and videos.
Multi-Page Document Asset Previews
If you deal with document oriented assets, having a solution which can generate multi-page previews (and also zoom in on them) can save the hassle of downloading a file only to discover it is not the one you need. For assets with very similar content, this can be a useful feature.
- Yes
Asset Manipulation
Image Manipulation
Many DAM systems allow users to manipulate images by resizing, cropping etc. Choose any features which are important to your users.
- Image re-sizing
- Image cropping
- Format conversion
- Rotate image
- Batch manipulate groups of assets
Video Manipulation
Some DAM systems may allow video assets to be converted or modified. If that is a potential requirement for you, specify those features which are likely to be needed. EDL = Edit Decision List and refers to providing in/out points when editing video footage.
- Format conversion
- Batch operations on multiple video assets
Data Import/Export
Importing Metadata
Importing metadata is an important feature if you have either legacy assets or metadata is generated using some other tools (for example a spreadsheet). Not all systems offer this, but usually if the feature is not available, the vendor will be able to carry out batch importing for you via professional services (note: this will usually incur a cost, unlike a built-in capability).
- No, via professional services
Exporting Metadata
As well as importing metadata, sometimes it is important to be able to export sections of it to conduct further analysis in third party applications. Not all products support this, but usually it will be possible to request the vendor provides an export via professional services (although a fee may be charged).
- Yes
Metadata Export Notes
Metadata export is supported for images.
Integration
API
API means Application Programming Interface and allows third party software to control a DAM system. If you intend to integrate your DAM with another existing solution then you need to choose the API protocol that is compatible with that.
- REST
API Notes
Public documentation is available here: https://engineering.photoshelter.com/psapi-v4-doc/
API-First Architecture
API-First means that anything the user can do via the graphical interface is possible via the API. If a DAM has an API-First architecture it is far more likely to be easier to integrate with other solutions than one that does not.
- Yes
API-First Notes
If the vendor claims an API-First architecture then they should be able to provide a definition of it. In addition, documentation which describes their support for it will typically be available. Implementing API-First is a complex undertaking so vendor development teams will definitely know whether they have this attribute or do not.
PhotoShelter’s API-first architecture provides internal apps, integrations, and partners with consistent, high-quality interfaces to our product.
Hooks
Hooks are related to APIs but are initiated by the application rather than by an external application making the request. Hooks allow other actions to be initiated based on events, for example if a user downloads an asset, an action can be commenced to notify another application that this has taken place (along with the ID number of the asset, date/time etc).
- No
Hooks Targets Supported
In most DAM applications that support them, hooks are initiated as web requests, so the system will call a given external URL and provide some parameters. Some solutions also support initiating scripts or applications which can run on the server where the system is hosted.
- N/A (hooks not supported)
Hooks Definition
If the vendor claims support for hooks, check how they define them and see if their interpretation concurs with your own. A reasonably detailed explanation along with citations/links should be given here.
NA
Storage Integration
Many DAM solutions will now allow assets to be stored on the server of Cloud storage providers. This allows asset files to be distributed and/or integrated with other solutions. Some third party services use generic protocols like FTP, others are proprietary.
- Box
- Dropbox
- FTP
- Google Drive
- SFTP/SSH
AI Component Integration
A number of DAMs integrate with multiple third party AI image recognition components. This question allows you to see which ones they use.
- Amazon Rekognition
AI Notes
This question seek to find out how vendors have implemented their support for AI image recognition components. A number of vendors may have also developed custom-built AI solutions entirely in-house and this question gives them an opportunity to present those.
In addition to Amazon Rekognition, PhotoShelter has an in-house AI team who create proprietary models when additional specificity is required, as well as for AI Visual Search.
Content Delivery Networks (CDN) Integration
Content Delivery Networks allow digital assets to be distributed across a wide geographic area to improve performance and reduce the pressure on the DAM system for in-demand assets.
- None
Content Delivery Networks (CDN) Integration Notes
PhotoShelter runs its own, proprietary globally distributed Edge Computing Network (ECN) which is built into our product offering.
Content Management Systems (CMS) Integration
Many DAM solutions now provide specific integration modules that allow users to select assets from their Content Management System of choice without leaving the CMS application in order to do so.
- Contentful
- Drupal
- WordPress
CMS Integration Notes
PhotoShelter also integrates with Sidearm Sports.
Creative Tools Integration
Some DAMs will integrate directly with specific creative tools so designers and creatives do not need to leave them in order to use assets from the DAM.
- Adobe Creative Cloud
Creative Tools Integration Notes
PhotoShelter also integrates with Canva and Marq.
E-commerce Integration
A number of DAMs integrate with e-commerce systems so that product catalogues can be updated automatically from the DAM. There might also be features like tracking of asset usage and conversion ratios for product images etc.
- None
Enterprise Content Management (ECM) Integration
- Box
Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS)
- None
Marketing Operations & Project Management Integration
- Asana
- Wrike
Master Data Management (MDM) Integration
- None
Mobile Apps Integration
- Android
- iOS
Office & Productivity Integration
- Slack
Office & Productivity Integration Notes
PhotoShelter also integrates with Microsoft Teams
Product Information Management (PIM) Integration
- None
Rights Management Integration
- None
Sales & Marketing Integration
- None
Social Media Integration
- Hootsuite
Social Media Integration Notes
PhotoShelter also integrates with Socialie, INFLCR, Opendorse, Slate and Greenfly.
Stock Media Providers Integration
- None
Templating & Print On-Demand Integration
- PrintUI
Templating & Print On-Demand Integration Notes
PhotoShelter integrates with Printique by Adorama, White House Custom Color, and Loxley Colour for print services.
Video Integration
- None
Web Analytics Integration
- Google Analytics
Scripting & Plug-Ins
Scripting Capabilities
Some advanced DAM solutions have a scripting capability that allows users or third parties to add functionality which the vendor did not originally envisage. Usually programming skills will be required to use this, but some tools have visual interfaces also.
- No
Plug-In Support
In addition to scripting (or sometimes instead of), some DAM solutions will have a plug-in architecture that allows third party developers to extend the core platform.
- No
Authentication
Authentication Support
If you need to integrate with an existing corporate authentication service then this option will be important for you.
- Active Directory
- Azure Active Directory
- LDAP
- Okta
- SAML
Authentication Notes
Oracle
Shibboleth
Shibboleth
Multi-Lingual Options
Multilingual Application Interface Support
The interface means the controls to use the DAM system. This is different from the metadata support which is usually entered by end users when cataloguing assets.
- English
Multilingual Metadata Support
See previous question. Most DAM systems with multi-lingual support will provide it for metadata.
- No
Version Control
File versioning
File versioning refers to the digital media associated with an asset record. This is usually the minimum requirement for a DAM system to claim support for versioning assets. See also responses to the related question about metadata versioning below.
- Yes
Metadata versioning
Metadata versioning is separate from the files associated with assets. Many DAM solutions will track updated digital assets but only retain a single current version of the metadata. Since metadata is likely to be edited many more times than assets get replaced, this can be an important point to check.
- No
Independent Metadata And File Versioning
This questions assesses whether the solution allows versions of either the file or metadata to be reverted independently or if both are linked to a single shared version instance.
- Yes
Product Screenshots
Product Datasheets
- PhotoShelter for Brands Brochure
The DAM that Does More: The Creative Control Center That Powers Your Brand
Download (PDF, ~1.42 MB) - Data Security (US)
How PhotoShelter Keeps Your Data Safe
Download (PDF, ~151.16 Kb) - Data Security (EU)
How PhotoShelter Keeps Your Data Safe
Download (PDF, ~151.49 Kb)
Profile Last Updated: 25/03/2024