Today TV Everywhere announced a tie up with Object Matrix to provide local and hybrid versions of the Mstorer media asset management paltform. So, as more and more media is stored digitally, should you do this locally or in the cloud ? Here are some of the options:
The Cloud – there are many definitions of 'the cloud', but it should generally mean a third party hosted system that is fully geo-redundant; that is have copies of the files in more than one place and be readily accessible:
The Private Cloud – this works like the remote cloud described above, but uses dedicated remote servers, or can even use an organisation's internet hosting network.
The Local Cloud – this involves running the system on a local LAN or WAN. This approach has the added benefits of being able to use single sign on and leveraging existing security infrastructure. However, redundancy and geo-redundancy are often compromised:
The Hybrid Cloud – you can, of course, combinethe above into what we term the ‘hybrid cloud’. For example, you may wish to keep larger files within your own network, but make finished productions and assets available within the cloud.
Generally, the Hybrid Cloud approach makes sense to me at present. Large files are kept locally and only uploaded when they need to be shared,. Once a production is completed all of the assets and elements can be loaded into the cloud where they can be versioned, approved, accessed and distributed.