Cloud Storage in 2023: What Are the Capabilities You Must Look For?

Cloud storage has inevitably transformed how businesses maintain their digital assets. It provides you with an efficient tool at a reasonable cost that is not tied to a single device or network and can be utilized globally wherever you need it. However, when businesses collect "big” data, traditional cloud storage is no longer sufficient. This is where you might consider transitioning to a comprehensive digital asset management (DAM) solution. Hence, as you research which DAM to buy, we will discuss some things you should look for to elevate your document management to a whole new level. Before we get into the details, let's go through the fundamentals of cloud storage.

1. What is Cloud Storage?
2. How Does Cloud Storage Work?
3. What Should the Capabilities of Cloud Storage be in 2022?
4. Conclusion

What is Cloud Storage?

Using a highly virtualized, multi-tenant architecture, cloud storage is a remote platform that offers businesses scalable storage capacity that can be deployed dynamically as needed by the business. Historically, IT companies managing overburdened data centers would “throw boxes at the problem,” or regularly add physical storage devices, but as the amount of data continued to grow (in many cases exponentially), that strategy proved to be both costly and challenging to manage. Not only did you need to worry about the hardware acquisition cost, but the increasing utility needs along with the physical space required, which is of course, finite. Cloud storage on the other hand offers:

• Elasticity 
• Scalability 
• Multi-tenancy 
• Metered resources 

How Does Cloud Storage Work?

Cloud storage is acquired from a third-party cloud provider (the big ones include Microsoft Azure, AWS, and GCP). These providers own and manage the physical data centers and resources and offer them via the Internet on a pay-as-you-go or reservation basis. To make data available to you anywhere, these cloud storage providers handle capacity, security, and durability. Applications can directly use an Application Programming Interface (API) to access cloud storage or use conventional storage protocols. Numerous companies provide complimentary services that are intended to aid in the vast data collection, management, security, and analysis.

What Should the Capabilities of Cloud Storage be in 2022?

Any modern multi-cloud storage system & digital asset management can empower you to store, search, share, organize, and manage your digital content. However, these days that is not enough. If you choose a premium solution such as ioMoVo, it further empowers you with advanced cloud functionality via ioCloud, which gives users an allotment of native cloud storage, along with supplemental features such as:

1. Native Storage

ioCloud lets you store your digital assets in a safe, cloud-based location so that subscribers may access them whenever they want. With only a few clicks, you can shorten the time to market, eliminate difficult capacity planning, and decrease over-provisioning.

• Support for Multiple File Format Types: Supporting multiple file formats is important for any organization. Therefore, ioMoVo supports several file formats to suit most users’ needs. When you upload a file to ioCloud, it can instantly be previewed in the available file formats. When you download or share a file, the original file format can be altered. You may look for supported files by file type and distribute them using a sharing link or an embed code.
• Extendable Storage Support: If you don't already have a controlled library with disciplined protocols, assets are likely scattered around your organization. The need for organizing them increases as your business expands. But don’t worry, ioCloud has unlimited space for any amount of data.  This way your DAM can grow with your enterprise without compromising performance, whether you are designing new campaigns or retrieving lost assets.

2. Asset Governance

Asset misuse and brand mismatch are genuine risks when assets are stored in an uncontrolled way. All organizations should start by becoming organized. Then only allow proper individuals the right access. Access-controlled libraries lower the risk of content misuse by ensuring only standardized assets are used, thereby increasing asset return on investment. It usually comes with:

• Unlimited Categories: Without structure, your library may soon become a maze that is hard for users to navigate to the right assets. You can organize and standardize your library using unlimited categories in a way that makes sense for your business.  This way users can come and go with the resources they need and are authorized to access.

• Access From Anywhere: For ioCloud specifically, you can get rid of the limitations imposed by your desktop, local drives, and servers. No matter where you are, you can access all your resources. We've got you covered as long as you have an internet connection!  

3. Direct Media Capture (Camera2Cloud)

It is one of the most demanded features in 2022, so make sure your DAM has it. If you choose ioMoVo, you can use any logged-in device’s camera(s) to capture photos or video directly into ioMoVo. This makes creating content with your device fast, easy, & intuitive with the following functionalities:

• Capture Videos/Images
• Apply Settings for a Particular Format
• Preview Your Images & Videos
• Delete Files
• Get Relevant Notifications  

Also Read: What Is Metadata Management and Why Is It Important?

4. Screen Recording

It's a must. DAM cannot be complete without this feature, especially in this digital age. A comprehensive application like ioMoVo unlocks the power of a screen recorder and allows you to capture any area of your screen. Add audio narration or video from your microphone and you have a complete package. Record lectures, tutorials, demos, games and more! ioCloud empowers you with sub-features like:

• Record Your Screen 
• Pause/Cancel at Any Time
• Take and Save Screenshots
• Open and Convert Recorded Files in Different Formats
• Preview your Content
• Share Files
• Receive Notifications

5. Upload Files

Your DAM must be able to collect and store file uploads online and automate your workflow. ioMoVo lets you instantly upload files to ioCloud and other cloud accounts connected in the Integration Hub. Uploads in ioMoVo have the following functionalities:

• Instant Upload with Incredible Speed
• Drag & Drop Functionality
• Preview/Open Files
• Name/Rename Files
• Download  

6. Copy Files and Folders

Sometimes, such as in a Backup scenario, you will need to copy a file and folders from one location to another, leaving the file in the first location while placing a copy of it in the second. So, a DAM like ioMoVo makes this easy for you. Copy a file or folder using a variety of methods in ioMoVo.

• Copy Single File
• Copy Multiple Files
• Copy Single Folder
• Copy Multiple Folders
• Option to Override Existing Files
• Schedule Your Copy for a Later Time  

7. Move Files and Folders

Need to change the location of a file or folder? No matter where you are, you can send files from one place to another, as long as you know where you want to take the data from and where you want it to. ioMoVo makes this simple to perform, whether you want to:

• Move Single File
• Move Multiple Files  
• Move Single Folder
• Move Multiple Folders
• Schedule Your Move

8. Convert File Formats (Audio/Video)

Previously scanned files may have been stored in a different file format than the one you want in your current database. Fortunately, you can convert these files to your preferred file format using ioMoVo DAM without having to rescan.

• Convert Video: Have you ever downloaded a video only to realize that it is not supported on your device? No worries, with ioMoVo, converting the format is just a matter of seconds from or to any of the following formats.

• Convert from/to AVI
• ‍
• Convert from/to FLV
• Convert from/to MP4
• Convert from/to MOV
• Convert from/to MKV
• Convert from/to WMV
• Convert from/to FLV

• Convert Audio: Are the audio file formats in your storage incompatible? No need to worry, it only takes a few clicks to convert them to any of the following formats, without installing additional software. ioMoVo lets you convert audio in the following formats:

• Convert MP3 from/to WAV
• Convert WAV from/to MP3

• Convert Video to Audio: Fond of background music or some famous words when watching videos? Or perhaps you just need to convert a YouTube video to an MP3 file format that is more portable so that you can subtitle the narration in another language? Whatever the case, ioMoVo offers the capability to make the following audio files from any video file.

• Extract Audio (MP3)
• Extract Audio (WAV)

• Preview/Download  

9. Indexing/Analysis

Most cloud-based DAMs don’t have this functionality. But ioMoVo is an advanced DAM with a competitive price that perfectly adapts to any online data room scenario with automatic indexing. Extract key content from the actual video or audio file stored in your database and index it for effective search, then create simple references to complex file structures for due diligence. It is secure and powerful without having to be complex and expensive.

• Analyze Audio: Send any type of audio file for analysis and quickly locate interesting points in the audio, which may be useful in collecting simple statistics, or just to create a set of markers useful in cutting up the audio into separate files. Additionally, you receive date- and time stamps for every word or event, allowing you to quickly locate and retrieve target portions.  
• Analyze Video: To enable the extraction of accurate insights from videos, ioMoVo analyzes your video using AI technology. This allows users to drive innovative content exploration techniques including searching for spoken words, faces, characters, and emotions. Add integrated video insights to your apps to increase user engagement.

10. Global Search

When assets can't be located, funds are frequently squandered on duplicating and copying existing content, which makes it unclear which assets are current and approved. So, make sure your DAM has the global search functionality as ioMoVo does. It enables organizations with powerful search capabilities to perform:

• In-Document Search: ioMoVo’s AI-based smart searching tools go beyond the basic search on asset fields by locating words within your document to retrieve relevant in-document keywords.
• Pinned Searches: Frequently searching for a particular term? Save commonly used search phrases in your ioMoVo by pinning them for later use.
• Custom & Auto-Tagging Search: Use ioMoVo’s AI Engine to enable straightforward discovery using AI-powered Auto-Tagging that assigns logical tags to your files automatically upon import. To customize the asset search categories, edit and update the tags how and when you want.
• AI Image Recognition Search: Make image search faster by tagging assets with AI while they are imported.
• Automatic Content Discovery Search: Easily find assets while searching on metadata fields since metadata is extracted upon import.
• Controlled Custom Fields Search: Pre-populate the key categories for assets with Controlled Custom Fields and control what appears when you search for queries on the navigation page.
• Relevant/Suggested Search: As you put your search term into the search bar, Suggested Search automatically predicts popular queries.

11. Extract AI

Unleash the value of your assets by using rich metadata and tags supplied by artificial intelligence and machine learning. AI-powered automated metadata development will improve the searchability of assets and cataloging descriptions. Create clever searches based on objects, people, colors, emotions, and even demographics.

• Auto Description: Get fluent and natural descriptions of images and videos for accessibility, media retrieval, and clustering purposes.
• Auto Tags: It enables the automatic assignment of relevant tags or keywords to vast collections of images and videos.
• Auto Categories: Include an automatic picture and video categorization, which enables you to represent your content as effectively as possible and improve searchability.
• Free-hand File Editing: Make use of a Freehand tool for creative design, storyboarding, document creation, and editing with an unrivaled collection of creative designs. Easily adapt your designs for use on the web or in print.
• Preview/Play/Download: Without needing to download and launch another program, view high-quality previews straight in your browser. If the asset creation meets your standards, select to download it for later use.

12. Publish and Distribute

Has a recent email bounced because of the size of the file you attached? The pain of asset distribution is genuine. Your team spends hours every week attempting to share resources with others. ioMoVo removes distribution bottlenecks by enabling assets to be effortlessly shared in a flash, boosting team productivity, reducing frustration, and optimizing asset usage.

• Share Links One-to-one: There won't be another bounce. Teams that often share resources require simple choices for sharing. Share in a way that suits you by using direct links, email sharing, light boxes, and online galleries.
• Publish to Branded Portals: It's not a good idea to jump across platforms. It not only wastes time but also leaves trash in its wake. So, without taking additional procedures, push your assets straight to the platforms that use them. It has never been simpler to distribute to Social Media platforms, YouTube, Sharepoint, and many more.
• Push Assets with Embedding: Create links and embed codes for your online projects to speed up your publication process. Make sure that any published assets are constantly up-to-date and that any changes are immediately reflected.

Also Read: The Best Ways to Share Large Files for Free: 6 Tips & Tricks in 2022

13. Productivity & Management Features

Your collaboration software should be easy to use and intuitive. You shouldn't have to worry about what will happen if or when your team develops, even if you or your remote team members aren't particularly tech-savvy. Therefore, ioMoVo comes with a bunch of productivity features that find the ideal balance between all the essential elements you and your team want. It’s neither too basic nor too complicated.

• Bulk Tagging
• Bulk Move  
• Versioning
• Duplicate Detection
• Bulk Asset Editing
• Metadata Conversions
• Thumbnailing

14. Sorting & Filtering

Sorting and filtering are techniques that help you arrange your data. When you sort data, you put it in some specified order. Filtering data on the other hand allows you to conceal unimportant info and focus solely on the things you care about. Therefore, choose the DAM like ioMoVo that lets you:

• Sort Files/Folders: Files and folders display sorted or grouped by different attributes, such as name or type, in the various views, such as Icons (Extra big, Large, Medium, or Small), Lists, Details, Tiles, and Content. You may decide whether to show the files and folders in ascending (A-Z) or descending (Z-A) order after choosing the characteristics you want to use.
• Filtering: By using filters, you may see dashboard data from several viewpoints. With well-designed filters, a single dashboard may perform the duties of several dashboards. The view is maintained when a dashboard filter is applied.

Choose ioMoVo and Empower Your Team

As we can see, cloud services have become so common these days that they are now offered by almost all the major IT companies. Everyone, whether an individual or organization, needs cloud service to store data since the power of data and its continued generation and consumption is inevitable. ioCloud, a component of ioMoVo is the perfect cloud storage and cloud service solution for your needs. It not only gives you access to cutting-edge cloud storage features but also makes it easier for you to scale over time. So stop waiting and sign up for ioMoVo now.