Taking a big data/NoSQL approach to digital asset management

Providing easy, open access to assets and asset information across an organisation is a universal goal for digital asset management systems. When a digital asset management team is charged with delivering access to assets to various teams — all with different requirements — within an organisation where assets and information about the assets are in many different systems, many organisations turn to one of several traditional technology approaches. These all have drawbacks, however, and can be inflexible, complex and time-consuming. For such a complex assignment, a ‘big data’ approach can be taken, as the data being addressed have volume, variety and velocity (constant change). A new generation of database technology, NoSQL, allows a digital asset management team to take advantage of the big data approach and to create in a matter of weeks the actual database and data structures that will be used to power the application. Users of the application, including editorial, product development, management and asset curation teams, are able to see information across the organisation in a single interface and can make decisions based on asset information.