Where is that media file?

Where is that one asset you need right now, to give to that person waiting way over on the other side of the world, so they can do their job on time? That is the question. It’s the question looming large in the minds of media people in companies large and small.

You may have noticed: we’re living in a world of distributed production, complex interweaving workflows, scattered storage, more and more content destinations, and, as always, tight deadlines. The last thing you want your people doing is spending hours clicking through file directories in search of a media file they used a year ago. Or even a month ago. Maybe the file is on local storage. Maybe it’s in the cloud. Or maybe it’s with the team 3,000 miles away.

There needs to be a better way. And there is. It’s called Media Engine — part of the Signiant Platform.

Forward-thinking media companies are starting to use new cloud-based workflows that can make their work easier and save them money. But time and money can only be saved if taking advantage of this new technology is seamless and painless. 

In this world, two abilities become paramount: smart media management, and super-fast file transfer. Intelligent media management is about knowing what you have, finding what you need, previewing it to make sure, and moving it to where it needs to go...without delay. You may have heard of Signiant, and think of us as the “move large files fast people.” And you’d be right.  After all, we’ve helped over 50,000 media companies and more than a million users to move petabytes of media data every day.

These connected companies started asking us for new ways our platform could solve more of their media management challenges, and search was at the top of the list. With the release of Media Engine, the Signiant Platform (including Media Shuttle, Jet and Flight Deck) just got a lot better. Media Engine is a simple yet powerful media management tool that works hand in hand with fast file transfer technology. Now you get easy search and preview together with ultra-fast data transport. With Media Engine, you just type in a single search bar, find what you’re looking for, preview it and then move it.

What Media Engine isn’t: another MAM

Media Asset Manager (MAM) tools have powerfully matured. But they have limitations. MAMs typically require you to follow their metadata schema. Expensive, time consuming and maybe unnecessary. Most users don’t need feature-rich, overbuilt systems — nor all that extra effort.

Media Engine isn’t a MAM, and doesn’t try to be. Its power lies in its simplicity. No need to re-encode your content, or change your storage. It can easily access your storage, index your assets, and create preview files — because the Signiant software is already there, connected to your storage.

Easy Access

It’s very easy to start your Media Engine. If you’re already on the Signiant Platform, it’s ‘point and shoot.’ Initial seats of Media Engine are included with every Signiant SaaS subscription, so it costs nothing to try. Media Engine is very easy to use. If you already have Signiant technology, the software is already deployed at each endpoint in your storage environment, creating in effect a virtual edge network. All you need to do is ‘turn it on’.

If you’re not on the Signiant Platform yet, joining is easy. Signiant tools and services are cloud-native SaaS applications that are easy to deploy and use. And being SaaS means it scales to meet the needs of any size business.

How does Media Engine work?

Once activated, Media Engine indexes all your media on any Signiant-connected storage, anywhere, on-prem or in the cloud. Once indexed, simply search and preview media. It’s ‘Google Search’ simple. Just type in a keyword, phrase, file type, or anything else. Media Engine quickly performs a search across all your storage. Files matching your criteria pop up instantly in a simple interface. Different files, different versions. It couldn’t be easier.

Preview any clip. No more guessing, or downloading unwanted media. Now that you’ve found your asset, take action. Immediately. Signiant file transfer capabilities are directly integrated. Download to your desktop, or send to any location anywhere — at the speed of Signiant.

Soon you’ll be able to specify in and out points to extract only the part of the clip you need. Ship the relevant thirty seconds, not the entire ninety-minutes. Media Engine appears in the Signiant Platform console, into one interface. Switching between operations couldn’t be simpler.

If you’re not on the Signiant Platform, now may be the time. Smart management. Fast movement. It’s a powerful combination. It will change the way you look at your media.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Scott Carroll, an industry veteran with a marketing and communications focus, joined Signiant to tell the stories and ongoing benefits of this company. Scott has held similar roles for other technology companies including AMD, NewTek, and Vizrt.

ABOUT SIGNIANT

Signiant’s advanced transport technology has long been trusted by the media industry for mission-critical file transfer applications across the global supply chain. The Signiant Platform provides fast, reliable, secure movement of large datasets via any IP network, with comprehensive control and visibility at any scale.