Easy to Use DAM Platform - Great for Creative and IT Teams Alike
August 25, 2021

Easy to Use DAM Platform - Great for Creative and IT Teams Alike

Brady Adams | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Canto

Canto is currently being implemented across several of our creative teams as well as my web content team. We have plans in place to train our creatives (photographers, graphic designers) on how to upload digital assets with a standard operating procedure to make files easy to access. There are a handful of teams in Academics who are being trained on how to upload new versions of existing files used on our websites. Our IT department has utilized Canto's API to be able to pull in our Canto Library within our websites' CMS platform. Eventually, this will replace the need for us to upload and house files within our CMS which will ultimately reduce server load.
  • The original link of a file remains the same even after uploading new versions. This allows us to link to or embed files (whether graphics, images, PDFs, etc.) on the website one time and it can be updated in real-time without having to log into the CMS. This allows us greater control over who needs access to use our CMS and creates easy touchpoints for the internal teams that I serve.
  • The tagging features in Canto are especially helpful as a secondary way to find/filter search results within the system. We have both a layered folder structure to house files, otherwise you can search by tags as well. A single file can belong to multiple tags which is really helpful.
  • Canto also has many controls when it comes to privacy and user permissions. We can lock any particular folder or album and hide it so that only certain user accounts have permissions to view them. This again allows for greater control and gives our IT product team flexibility from an administrative perspective.
  • I have noticed that overall the major downfall in implementing this system is a lack of infrastructure/rules to create a standard operating procedure for all users. This is the downside of having such a flexible platform: it is easy for the organization of files to get messy and to be mismanaged. Our IT team has been slowly rolling out the use of Canto across the organization until there is clear direction when it comes to organization and administrative privileges. A more robust onboarding experience for the tool might be beneficial, or additional support resources for implementing across an organization.
  • Recently there has been a little bit of a letdown when it comes to uploading new file versions. I am not sure the extent of the issue, but Canto has been experiencing issues (which they are currently in the process of resolving) where new file versions do not appear automatically. Sometimes it can take up to 24 hours for a new version to be "published". Hopefully this will be resolved and is just a temporary bug.
  • Positive: reduce server load time by offloading assets loaded to our websites' CMS
  • Positive: a very quick way to train non-technical personnel on how to upload and share the latest versions of files across the organization for omnichannel use (great for our marketing department)
  • Positive: utilizing a DAM platform with cloud storage has allowed less friction within internal marketing/creative teams when it comes to sharing new files
While I am not in direct contact with the support team from Canto, I do work with the team internally that does. It seems that if there is an issue that arises in our use of Canto, they are able to contact support directly and get straight answers.

Do you think Canto delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Canto's feature set?

Yes

Did Canto live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of Canto go as expected?

I wasn't involved with the implementation phase

Would you buy Canto again?

Yes

Canto is about as easy to use as it gets. I have personally trained a handful of employees who are unfamiliar with DAM/marketing SaaS technology on how to use the platform for their needs. These trainings only take about half an hour (given they are using a very limited set of Canto's features), and afterward, they are pretty well-equipped to use the platform.
Canto is a great option for creative teams who want to move their files (graphics, raw images, edited images, PDFs, documents, etc.) off of an organization's server. It can be an incredible warehouse of cloud storage for old versions of files as well as creating a one-stop-shop for all master versions of files. Canto is also helpful for IT teams who want to reduce server load on their websites. It is a great third-party option if you have the capabilities to either utilize an API connection or to train website content admins on uploading files here. You can also utilize some of their other tools for creatives to create interactive style guides for an organization's branding. It is a robust digital asset management platform, where the only exception might be housing/sharing video content.