Technical Features
2,000,000+
Users Worldwide
600,000+
Customizable Settings
Infinite
Scalability
1Gb/s connection to the Internet Backbone
OL servers have a 1Gb/s connection to the Internet Backbone, allowing for fast and consistent upload speed
No upload limit on Cortex file sizes (i.e. 50GB, 100GB or larger)
The available server storage space is the only limiting factor
No limit on storage capacity
There is no limitation on how much storage Cortex can connect to. If storage is added server-side, Cortex will utilize it
Metadata fields can be enforced upon ingest
Automatically extract and display technical metadata and file characterization/technical attributes such as encoding formats (audio/video), bitrate, color space, etc.
Automatically extract and display IPTC, EXIF and XMP metadata embedded in image files
Full control on metadata mapping to IPTC
Batch ingest metadata from external sources
Import metadata separately from assets (e.g. if you have a spreadsheet with all metadata), and let the DAM automatically reconcile with the assets
Batch ingest metadata
Configure multiple ingest workflows - e.g. checks for required metadata, user approval, etc. Automatically route digital assets through the required workflows at the time of ingest
Detect duplicate files (using checksum and/or visual recognition)
Generate checksums for files upon ingest (md5 and SHA-1 algorithms). Validate checksums upon ingest if submitted with assets
Track status of ingest (e.g. percentage complete and status bar)
Email user a full report of ingest results
Adobe Creative Suite - including ai, indd, psd, eps, prproj
Microsoft Office - including doc/x, xls/x, ppt/x, etc.
Images – Support for all common image formats, including gif, bmp, jpg, tiff, png, raw, dng, svg, etc.
Videos – Support all common video formats, including swf, flv, avi, wmv, mp4, mov.
Graphics – Support all common graphic formats, Sketch, etc.
Audio files – Support all common audio formats, including wav, aif, mp3, mp4, aac, wma, etc.
Documents / Born digital or digitized – including pdf, rft, etc.
HD files / Project files – Support HD files and project files such as Adobe Premiere, Final Cut, etc.
Other file formats – Support other file formats such as .zip files
Automatically enforce user permissions
Provide audit logs, including User ID, of all access to the application
Provide management access to specific folders/collections to partner organizations/contributors/country offices
Authenticate with SSO, Active Directory, LDAP, assigning to the user the role/profile declared by the Identity Provider
Users are automatically disabled/deleted in the DAM when their LDAP account is disabled/deleted
Administrators can remove or block users instantly
Users are notified when they are denied access with the reason for denial
Create unlimited groups/roles with specific, granular permissions for each group
Example permissions: View permission (with a given link), Find (using search), Upload, Download (specify resolution), Edit, Delete, etc.
Assign users to one or multiple groups so they control the permissions for each group
Configure access permissions
Based on users/groups and assets/containers (e.g. users can have additional or revoked permissions on selected assets/containers). Lock access by asset, container, user, or user group
Refine permissions for individual users
Access permissions can have a start and end date. So you can quickly grant a user temporary access for a specified period (access is automatically revoked once the time has expired)
Configure distributed administration model. For example: local administrators manage their office’s contents
Edit user profiles, including staff, clients, photographers or videographers with current contact details
No limit to the number of Administrative Users
No limit to the total number of users in the system
Display rights clearance contact information for copyright restricted assets
Display descriptions of usage permissions in an asset record
Configure the use of permissions based on start and end dates of approval or restrictions
Restrict the availability of assets that do not have the required metadata fields
Restrict assets in multiple ways:
Authorize access (e.g. view and/or download etc.) to assets for a selected time
Assign permissions on assets individually or in bulk
Email advance expiration notice to Administrators and to users who have downloaded these assets in the past. Report on asset expiration
Request acceptance of Terms of Use prior to download
Automatically restrict availability on assets when rights are expired
Manage multiple digital rights management workflows
Control hosting and storage costs transparently - leverage the benefits of the cloud while managing costs
Perform regular error checks on files and report on error checks and outcomes
Agnostic to hosting storage providers
Multiple safety controls for deletion or removal of assets from the system
Super Admin can restore “deleted” assets
Hierarchical storage management – routes files to appropriate storage location (e.g. automatically move assets to Cold Storage when their archive date is reached or when terms of use expire)
Archived assets in Cortex remain searchable and thumbnails remain in digital asset storage for display.
Users can request archived assets
Unlimited number of customizable metadata fields for digital assets and containers (text fields, dates, checkboxes, controlled values, etc.)
Multiple metadata sets can be defined for different asset/container types
Administrators can enter predefined field values
Import taxonomies/thesauruses from external sources
Customizable controlled vocabulary
Multilingual controlled vocabularies
Share thesauruses with all users, restrict others to specific users or roles/groups
Real-time updates to taxonomy/controlled vocabulary through the UI
Automatically update asset metadata following updates to a vocabulary term
Generate proxies on ingest (for viewing/playback and download)
Configure custom proxies and save templates for future use
Segment audiovisual assets (using in and out points)
Create virtual segments (through pointers to the original file)
Crop images in the context of a specific display (e.g. CMS hero image, Facebook banner, display ad sizes, etc.) without affecting the original asset
Change the representative image/image placeholder for videos:
1. Select a frame from the video
2. Select an existing image asset in the DAM
3. Upload a new representative image
Create video storyboards
Bulk automated file transformation/transcoding (e.g. resize, file conversion, etc.)
Auto Captioning / Speech to Text
Preset transcode formats are suggested to users on download
Custom transcode specifications for images
Custom transcode specifications for videos
Download multiple sizes/formats of digital assets in a batch
Authorized users can prioritize system processes in a queue, e.g. high priority request for transcode/download can be manually moved before a large import job or export process
Display download queue and status of download process (status bar/percentage complete) in user dashboard
Download and transcode multiple assets at once. Download starts immediately
Embed IPTC metadata into files upon download
Metadata fields such as credit, permission, title are associated with assets when distributed to 3rd parties
Download metadata via text files. Bulk download metadata for a selection of images
Powerful interface for batch editing metadata (individual or multiple fields) and keywords on selected assets
Efficient cataloging/tagging with existing vocabulary terms (e.g. autocomplete)
Generate time-based annotations through the ingest of time-stamped text files (e.g. closed caption files, transcripts)
Manual time-based annotations through user-defined in/out points
No limit on the custom metadata fields and custom asset types you can create
Attach business rules to metadata, e.g. controlled entry of dates, values in authority list, etc.
Save time and ensure consistency through inheritance of selected metadata from hierarchical relationships (e.g. parent folder to child)
Provide key metadata in multiple languages (Cortex supports UTF-8 and can store and display Asian languages)
3rd party agencies can upload final video content and enter required metadata
Tag content with your choice of metadata such as creation date, author/owner, credit, keywords, rights, etc.
Track and display an asset’s use and download history
Track and display an asset’s revision history
Track who the assets were sent to, when (date/time) and why (purpose/usage)
Record past approvals of digital assets, including date/time and who approved
Log all system processes at the asset level (ingest, versioning, checksum validation, etc.)
Extensive suite of reports based on vast choice of criteria and exportable in XML, CSV and HTML formats.
Produce customizable reports on popular search terms/queries; upload; download; usage; assets by photographer/cameraman/contributor, etc.
Record workflow processes, outcomes, associated users, and internal correspondence
Personalized and exportable dashboards for key performance metrics
Automated and manual creation of relationships between assets, e.g. parent/child, versions, derivative assets
Group assets into multiple types of containers (folders, virtual folders – for curated or repurposed content, lightboxes, etc.)
Create empty containers
Create sub-containers within containers (unlimited number of levels in the hierarchy)
Create as many containers as you want, each with unique ID and metadata. Assets can belong to an unlimited number of containers
Relate contracts, correspondence, transcripts, notes, and other relevant documentation to assets
Associate and display hierarchical (parent/child, sibling, and derivative) and non-hierarchical relationships between assets. See all containers an asset belongs to.
Create audio/video playlists
Display assets and events on a timeline/calendar
Maintain all versions of digital assets and track all version history including time/date of version and the user who uploaded
Revert to and restore previous versions
Compare versions side-by-side
Download Previous Versions
Each piece of information in the DAM software has a unique ID code (asset, container, user record, keyword, photographer record, etc.) to guarantee the integrity of the system
Users can comment on digital assets, annotate digital assets and be notified on new comments on digital assets they are assigned to
Collaborate on shared projects or containers or lightboxes with specific users
Users can comment/review/approve digital assets and projects simultaneously (no check-in/check-out requirements)
Establish “ownership” of digital assets
Dedicated interface for users to review assets for accuracy before approval (i.e. credits, date, time, place)
Publish content in real-time
3rd party agencies can upload rough video cuts for multiple users to review
See log of communications relating to assets and projects
Users can send comments or questions to the asset owner
Display project production and approval status to users
Allow 3rd party users to approve or reject assets for use
Search based on approval status
Cortex workflow tools can route assets for reviewing, adding/amending metadata, commenting and approving from multiple users
Workflow tools are powerful and very flexible
Cortex can alert users when they are assigned with tasks on assets. Email reminders are automatically sent out when tasks are not completed within a specified timeframe (e.g. within 24 hours)
System administrators can also configure the number of reminders to send, and define a date at which the uncompleted task will timeout and fallback from one user or group of users (the primary user) to another user or group of users (the backup user), and they can be assigned in a round-robin
Workflow tasks can be automatically assigned to assets when they are uploaded into the DAM. The assignment can be dependent on a condition e.g. a piece of metadata missing (title, description, copyright, photographer, etc.), a bad color profile, an image below the minimum size specifications, etc.
Workflow tasks can also be manually added to assets, and completion of a task can be made mandatory before asset distribution (e.g. asset cannot be shared if Title or Rights or any other metadata field is missing)
Quick search with autocomplete based on existing vocabulary terms
Search on all IPTC Core fields of the metadata
Advanced Search
Search for audiovisual segments based on specific time tags and annotations
Users can save their preferred searches
Index and return search results based on preferred and non-preferred vocabulary terms (synonyms, stems)
Customizable DAM homepage
Public-facing, intuitive, web interface for 3rd party/public users to search for, and retrieve approved assets
Branded interface with your preferred design, corporate colors, logo, etc.
Cortex’s user interface can be translated into as many languages as needed and is controlled by your administrators
Users can choose their preferred language and search in multiple languages
You can have multiple sites with different URLs (e.g. based on country/language, based on type of content, etc.) – all your sites’ content is driven by a single, central, DAM system
Include pages, forms, and widgets (e.g. About, Contact, Help, Feedback form, Live Chat, Subscribe to Newsletter, etc.)
Cortex has customizable user self-registration forms
Search and refine search results by asset type, (e.g. Images, Videos, Folders, etc.)
Faceted search and browsing/navigation of assets. Facets/filters are configured by the administrator.
See the number of results returned in a search and the number of results associated with each facet in the current search.
Select/deselect multiple facets to narrow search results dynamically ( with no need to conduct a new search)
Multiple display modes for search results: small, medium, or large thumbnails, with or without metadata, list view, text-only search results – for low bandwidth countries, etc.
Change the sorting of results by relevance, date (create or edit date), alphabetical, etc.
Change the number of results displayed per page in the interface (e.g. 30, 60 or 120 assets per page)
Enlarge image thumbnail on mouseover
Give related results based on fuzzy search of similar terms
Give related results based on conceptually similar assets (based on algorithm across metadata)
Give related results based on similar color tones
Navigate assets by keywords
Navigate assets by photographer
Navigate assets through folders and virtual folders they belong to (“see more”)
Browse assets by Categories / by year, etc.
Play audiovisual assets in a popup frame, directly from the browsing and search results interface
Storyboarding preview for video (time codes with corresponding thumbnail images)
Audio scrubbing/video fast-forwarding
Asset preview specific to asset type – includes larger preview, metadata relevant to asset type, etc.
Advanced viewing tools: zoom, rotate, comparison, tooltips
View paginated assets within the application (e.g. multi-pages PDF)
Automated watermarked assets preview for non-authorized users
View assets in the context of a project or campaign
Show asset usage/statistics
“Bookmark” assets by adding them to lightboxes. Create as many lightboxes as you want.
Users can select favorites or rate assets
Email or share lightbox with other users
Share comments on a lightbox
Users can request download authorization from the system
Users can request access to restricted assets
Alert specified users immediately of any request, and provide monthly reports on request based on user name, date of request, assets requested, and declared usage
Users can specify image parameters (e.g., print size, border, matte/glossy) when requesting a print job
Users can provide separate “bill to” and “ship to” (delivery information) addresses for physical prints requested
Requests can be sent to multiple users simultaneously (e.g. Administrators, Legal, etc.) for review and approval
Exclusive usage – files can be “checked out” when authorized for a specific usage, and no longer available for download until the usage project has ended
User can drag and drop assets into an email
Users can personalize their profile and preferences (display options, download format, favorites)
User can print multiple assets with metadata as a Contact Sheet (PDF, JPG or PNG format)
Users can have workspaces tailored to their particular needs
Export module: export all system tables including assets and metadata (with hierarchical relationships), contacts, etc.
Export all thesaurus/vocabularies, preserving hierarchy and term relationships
Consume APIs to query databases of other applications and acquire content automatically
Native APIs to push or pull assets and metadata to and from DAM and other systems in your environment
Enable external applications to write to the DAM database in order to create containers and write metadata
Resolve and display identifiers from integrated external systems
Integrate with Adobe products (e.g. Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, Bridge, Photoshop, InDesign, Adobe Premiere Pro)
Integrate with Google Analytics
Integrate with CRM: Salesforce CRM or SugarCRM
Integrate with Sharepoint 2013/SharePoint Online
Integrate with Accounting Systems: SAP
Share, Publish and Embed Assets Outside the DAM
Email single asset or container with multiple assets
Share assets or containers with external users through secure, fixed-term (expiring) links. Share as read-only or provide download options in selected download formats.
Specify preview or download permissions of assets sent to external users
Provide direct links to streaming video for preview by external users
Permalinks (persistent URLs to all assets)
Secure links can be revoked at any time
Publish assets and metadata to YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Brightcove, etc.
Preset formats for distribution to specific web platforms (e.g. specific file format, size, resolution, watermark)
Auto-generated embed code for images and videos with player
Create and share newsletters or bulletins to promote new assets or curated content
Remote, global access to the Digital Asset Management system. All users and offices worldwide can collaborate on the system.
One central DAM software – no need for duplicates or local versions
Internet / web-based browser solution
No downtime – In case of problem with the primary server, immediate and transparent switch to the live backup server (disaster recovery architecture)
Compatible with all mainstream browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, etc.
Mac and PC compatible
Compatible with mobile and tablets – Responsive interface / mobile-friendly searching, browsing, uploading, approving assets / mobile asset integration, i.e. streaming for mobile play