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Censhare AG
https://www.censhare.com/

Profile Index

    The DAM Playbook

    This vendor appears in the in the DAM Playbook.

    DAM 10 Core Accreditation

    This vendor is 10 Core accredited.

    Vendor Details

    Contact Name
    Mathias Wurth
    Company Profile
    The censhare Digital Experience Platform pools all marketing and communications contentwithin one information-centric system and a consistent user interface. The bestof breed applications for Collaboration, DAM, PIM, Omnichannel CMS and MRM allowto create relevant digital experiences from real-time information.

    Information-centricbusiness processes supply employees, partners, customers and prospects, withoutmedia or process gaps with the content they need, wherever and whenever required. They improve brand value as well as customer loyalty.

    censhare offers flexible deployment options from SaaS and On Premise to Hybrid. More than 150 companies, like Dyson, GoPro,Hearst, Kohl's, Serviceplan, Migros, Rewe, Swiss Re and Vitra are usingcenshare on a daily basis. censhare is headquartered in Munich, Germany and hassubsidiaries in Switzerland, France, India, UK and USA.

    Contact Email
    info@censhare.com
    Company Website
    https://www.censhare.com/
    Years Trading
    12
    Company Turnover
    This is the actual turnover of the vendor in US Dollars.
    20000000
    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.
    50
    Number 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.
    180
    Office Locations
    • Munich, Germany
    • Freiburg, Germany
    • Zurich, Switzerland
    • London, UK
    • Denver, US
    • Paris, France
    • Gurgaon, India
    Product Name
    censhare Digital Experience Platform
    Latest Version Number
    5
    Date Of Last Release
    03/08/2016
    Documentation URL
    https://ecosphere.censhare.com
    User group URL
    https://ecosphere.censhare.com
    Company LinkedIn URL
    http://www.linkedin.com/company/censhare-ag
    Company Facebook URL
    https://www.facebook.com/censhare
    Clients & Customers
    • BMW
    • Christie's
    • Deutsche Bank
    • GoPro
    • Hearst UK
    • Kohl's
    • McDonald's
    • Migros
    • PWC
    Partner Network
    If the vendor operates through a sales channel they may use intermediaries who have regional focus or additional specialisms in a given vertical market.
    • Yes
    Partner Network Notes
    Drawing on their specialized knowledge and long standing, in depth experience, censhare partners ensure the successful implementation of the Digital Experience Platform.

    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
    Licence Notes
    censhare offers flexible licensing and deployment options from SaaS and On Premise to Hybrid.

    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
    • Installed (On-Premise)
    • Cloud/SaaS
    • Hybrid

    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
    • Desktop client
    Client Notes
    True rich Internet application which only uses the latest web technologies like HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript / AngularJS. It supports modern web browsers and can be used without the installation of additional software or plug-ins.

    Server Operating Systems supported
    This only applies for installed or hybrid DAM systems and refers to what types of OS they can be run on. This question is less relevant for DAM systems where a third party will be hosting it for you.
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Mac OSX
    • Solaris
    • HP-UX
    Server Operating System Notes
    Application server and client code written in Java and available for Windows, Mac OS-X and Linux/Unix/Solaris (server only).

    Web Server
    The type of web server software that the DAM system can operate with. Not all DAM systems use a web server and for pure SaaS products the question is irrelevant. If you either want SaaS or non-web DAM systems, do not choose an option.
    • Other
    Web Server Notes
    censhare satellite with embedded Jetty Web Server.

    Software Development Technologies Used
    This means the programming language or development technology used to implement the DAM system. This question is more important for open source software or if you have IT policy restrictions that require you to use (or not use) some technologies. It may not be relevant if you require a hosted DAM and never intend to host the system in-house.
    • Java/J2EE
    Server Technology Notes
    Application server code written in Java.

    Database Technology
    The Database that the DAM system uses. All DAM systems require some kind of storage for asset metadata and they are usually based on an existing technology - but that may not always be a conventional database. If the DAM will be hosted by someone else (e.g. SaaS/Cloud) this question may not be relevant.
    • Proprietary
    • Oracle
    Database Notes
    Latest generation of in-memory graph database, which achieves class leading performance with comparatively low infrastructure requirements when combined with a special indexing technology. Supports OLTP, OLAP and information retrieval.

    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)
    Search Technologies Notes
    All search functionality is perfomed within the censhare database.

    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
    Unique SOA Services
    If the vendor uses a Service Oriented Architecture, they should be able to identify a number of unique services that are isolated from each other. Note there is overlap between with question and the one about scalable asset processing. Some vendors do not have an SOA but do offer large scale asset processing capabilities.
    • Metadata
    • Storage
    • Asset Media Processing
    Service Oriented Architecture Notes
    Under service-oriented architecture (SOA) we understand the architectural pattern of providing modular, loosely coupled units of functionality and not specifically Web-Services.

    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
    • Linked Asset Search
    Search Notes
    Content is found in real time within censhare. Search through full texts, filter results, collect favorites and launch complex inquiries.

    - Multiple views with filters: List, gallery, columns, relations
    - Detailed and expert search
    - Save searches

    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.
    • Yes
    Document Text Indexing Notes
    Real time full text search for all content and metadata.

    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
    • Other
    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
    • PLUS
    • Dublin Core
    • Other
    Embedded metadata support notes
    An extensive default metadata model of more than 200 parameters describes every aspect of an asset, its relations, elements and files.

    Default metadata model contains (among many others): global unique asset identification numbers (UUID), file information (mimetype, filesize, image-parameters, relative storage locations ...), status information; manually assigned and calculated deadlines, keyword thesauri, freetext fields, authorship information, language codes, comments, domains, production.

    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
    Integrated centralized glossar application with synchronization feature for external glossars and glossar suggestion feature for users.

    Integrated Translation Memory System with automatic storage of all translated segments of the past and automatic translation of recurring segments.

    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
    • Text area (narrative)
    • Radio
    • Checkbox
    • Date
    • File attachment
    • Numbers
    • Other
    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.
    censhare’s widget based interface centrally manages access to content and features for all users via roles, rights and tasks.

    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
    Asset Usage Notes
    Asset history is tracked completely with versioning.

    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.
    • No
    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 uploads
    • 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
    • Login activity over a given period
    • Popular search terms
    Reporting Notes
    Reports can be generated by users via report widgets.

    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
    censhare Rendering Client: Java-based censhare frontend for Adobe InDesign Server.
    censhare Service Client: Java-based censhare frontend for 3rd-party-software like imagemagick, ghostscript, Helios or Xinet for distributed image rendering.

    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
    Multi-Page Document Asset Preview Notes
    Integrated flip preview of PDF documents and InDesign layouts.

    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
    • Flip images
    • Rotate image
    • Change colorspace
    • Effects & filters
    • Batch manipulate groups of assets
    Image Manipulation Notes
    Built-in user application for common image manipulation tasks like scaling, cropping, flipping.
    Server based image editor for automatic image manipulation (cropping, scaling, rotation, flipping, colorspace transformation, resolution changes) based on customizable schedules, events and rules.
    Server based image file creation (placeholder images) with customizable textual database content.
    External applications can be defined to open or view image files.
    OPI support.

    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
    • EDLs and editing features
    • Timeline metadata
    • Batch operations on multiple video assets
    Video Manipulation Notes
    Automatic extraction of duration, audio format, video format, frames per second and bitrate at videos.
    External applications can be defined to open or view video files.

    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).
    • Yes
    Metadata Import Formats
    This question only applies if the vendor has features to import metadata. There are common formats like CSV, XML and Excel which DAM solutions may support. If this is a requirement you are likely to make frequent use of, it is essential to verify whether the product supports the formats you typically work with.
    • CSV (or any delimited file)
    • XML
    • Excel (XLS or XLSX)
    Metadata Import Notes
    censhare can be connected with external systems via interfaces or transfer and consolidate master data from XML, Excel and CSV files.

    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 Formats
    This question only applies if the vendor has features to export metadata. There are common formats like CSV, XML and Excel which DAM solutions may support. If this is a requirement you are likely to make frequent use of, it is essential to verify whether the product supports the formats you typically work with.
    • CSV (or other delimited file)
    • XML
    • Excel (XLS or XLSX)
    Metadata Export Notes
    censhare can be connected with external systems via interfaces or export master data from XML, Excel and CSV files.

    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
    • Other
    API Notes
    censhare features various interfaces and APIs for communicating with external systems and extending the scope of its functions.

    - REST API
    - JavaScript API
    - Java API
    - XML and JSON imports and exports with data mapping and data transformation

    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.
    • Amazon S3
    Storage Integration Notes
    censhare can be operated fully in AWS or in hybrid models.

    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.
    • Yes
    Scripting Capability Notes
    XPath/XSLT engine.

    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.
    • Yes
    Plug-In Capability Notes
    Partners and users can develop their own interface widgets.

    Authentication

    Authentication Support
    If you need to integrate with an existing corporate authentication service then this option will be important for you.
    • Active Directory
    • LDAP
    Authentication Notes
    Support for Kerberos-based authentification services like LDAP and AD, including support for single-sign-on.
    Social network support (user accounts, profiles, followers and more) for censhare Online Channel portals.

    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
    • Other
    • French
    • Italian
    • German
    Multilingual Metadata Support
    See previous question. Most DAM systems with multi-lingual support will provide it for metadata.
    • Yes
    Multilingual Support Notes
    Centralized management of language schemes.
    Multilingual censhare clients with localization features, full Unicode support and live language switching.
    Multilingual support for all metadata (regular data and “features”).
    Localization dictionaries for user interface customization.
    Default system delivered in english and german language.
    Possibility to override default terminology in all languages.

    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.
    • Yes
    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
    Version Control Notes
    Fully automated versioning for all files and metadata

    Product Screenshots

    • censhare Digital Experience Platform

    Product Videos

    Case study 7Seas. The Ultimate Publishing Engine

    7Seas global content management GmbH has been operating in the German market since 2003 and now employs 80 staff working at locations in Munich and Hamburg. 7Seas uses censhare to create the international sales literature of the BMW Group quickly, efficiently and economically for all media in over 50 language versions.

    Case study Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund

    n order to ensure state of the art communication with its customers, Migros decided to upgrade its publication system in the year 2011. With its all-in-one information and communication system, censhare proved to be the perfect partner, and the only provider offering a standardized system solution featuring a modular structure. This was a very important criterion for Migros, as this enabled package to be compiled that was customized to specific needs, while offering flexible future expansion options in all directions.

    Case study "Lust auf Genuss" - the new culinary lifestyle magazine

    Passion, lifestyle and an air of lightness - this is how editor-in-chief Anke Krohmer describes the brand core of the food magazine Lust auf Genuss published on a monthly basis by Burda Verlag. For several months now, the company has been using censhare software to produce the magazine, having realized that the innovative information and communication system supports and enhances one key factor in particular: the capability to produce at various different sites.

    Case study Motor Presse Stuttgart

    "In the course of the years the multitude of magazines, the multitude of different departments resulted in a relatively high diversity of editorial systems and other solutions in place. Some five or six years ago we said 'this has got to stop' and it would be great if we could find a uniform solution for all of our magazines. In addition, we had applications in the digital area to address. Therefore we took a very close look at the technical solutions available on the market." After some very thorough assessments the decision was finally made in favor of censhare, a solution that meets the full range of demands and requirements in an almost ideal manner.

    Case study Swiss Mobiliar

    In 2009, Mobiliar defined its key publication system requirements under the leadership of Rolf Buess, Head of Marketing Support: “We wanted to manage all media assets, such as images, logos and advertisements etc., centrally on a new system platform and to make them available to a wide range of user groups, such as employees, service providers, Mobiliar agencies and partner companies, etc.” The creation of a central cockpit was required via which all 180 Mobiliar agencies in Switzerland could produce print publications, advertisements and job ads easily, efficiently and via drag and drop on a standardized, web-based system and send them for printing via Web2Print.

    Case study Hevert Arzneimittel

    Hevert-Arzneimittel uses censhare for all areas of external communication. The decision in favor of censhare was preceded by an extensive selection process. Based on a sophisticated catalog of requirements, a set of specifications was drawn up and the processes analyzed. Commenting on the selection procedure, Mathias Hevert related "We compared the solutions of the potential providers with our set of specifications, and examined the degree to which our needs were met. In the final instance, the actual value derives from the manner in which the potential partner had addressed the set of specifications."

    censhare Digital Experience Platform

    he system for efficient corporate communication, marketing, international sales literature and collaboration. Using censhare you are able to integrate all processes, employees and service providers in a central workflow.

    Profile Last Updated: 03/03/2022
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      All profile information has been provided by the vendors themselves and they are responsible for both its accuracy and validity.