Canto Cumulus

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Canto Cumulus
Basic data

developer Canto GmbH
Publishing year 1992
Current  version 10.2.3
( February 17, 2017 )
operating system Windows , macOS , Linux
category Digital asset management - Software
License proprietary
German speaking Yes
www.canto.com

Canto Cumulus is a digital asset management - software of the German-American company Canto. The system, which is primarily used in agencies, companies and authorities, is used to archive, organize and distribute media files within a network infrastructure. There is a particular focus on integration into various third-party systems such as editorial systems , SAP or product information management systems.

development

history

Cumulus was created in 1992 as a supplement to the flatbed scanner software "Cirrus", which has since been discontinued, to organize the scanned documents and images on the Apple Macintosh . The software was one of the first commercial programs to be delivered on CD-ROM . The most important functions of Cumulus 1.0 included the search function, automatically generated preview images and support for the AppleTalk - Peer-to-Peer network.

Various functions have been added to Cumulus over the years. Cumulus 2.5 brought support for a total of five languages. In 1995, Canto discontinued its Cirrus scanner software to focus on Cumulus development. Cumulus 3 brought a server version for the first time in 1996 and the possibility of distributing files over the Internet via the "Web Publisher".

Because Apple offered Cumulus 3 with its “Workgroup Server” as a bundle , Cumulus became one of the leading digital asset management systems on the Macintosh . In 1998, however, Canto broke its focus on Apple: Cumulus 4 appeared as a server for Mac, Windows , Solaris , Linux and IRIX ; with a client for Windows and Mac systems. Support for Solaris was later withdrawn.

As a further development, Canto introduced Cumulus 5, its own API , in 2000 to connect Cumulus as an organization system for media files with other programs. Those with version 5.5. The "Internet Client Pro" component introduced enabled access to the content via the web.

With Cumulus 6, the range of functions for professional use has been expanded to include LDAP support and a new login API. In addition, the single-user version was given up in 2005 and licensed to the company MediaDex based in Dubai . Since 2009, the single-user version has been called "Cumulus" again and version 8 (MediaDex 1 and 2 would therefore be versions 7 and 7.5) was sold by Canto reseller CDS Gromke.

Canto gradually developed into a system for larger company networks. Cumulus 7 was the first to support catalogs with a total size of up to one terabyte. In addition, functions such as automatically inserted watermarks have been added to the PDF functionality.

In May 2009 Cumulus 8 appeared with a new core architecture in two versions, "Entry" for workgroups and "Complete" for companies. The new web client replaced the “Internet Client Pro” and in March 2010 Canto released the “Cumulus Sites” extension, which replaced the “Web Publisher Pro”.

Version 9 was released in September 2013 and included a revised web client, a cloud computing- based video management function, and expanded reports and statistics on the use of assets. Also new were the new upload links, which external users can use to enter data.

In July 2015, Cumulus X, the 10th version, was released, which is primarily characterized by better support for mobile devices. The version contained a revised app for iOS devices and a new portal for file distribution. In addition, the company's own API has been further developed, which, according to the manufacturer, now offers more options for integration with third-party systems.

The update to Cumulus 10.1 in January 2016 included the “Cumulus InDesign Client” for the first time, a plug-in for Adobe InDesign that offers direct access to catalogs via the InDesign work surface. Version 10.2, presented in September of the same year, introduced the “Media Delivery Cloud” extension, with which media content can be provided via a content delivery network based on Amazon Web Services .

Product overview

As a digital asset management software, Cumulus aims to cover the entire usage cycle of a file. This begins with cataloging the file by uploading it to the archive, during which Cumulus tries to take as much information as possible about the file from the metadata. In the case of image or photo files, these are typically Exif and IPTC data. Cumulus also offers options for importing information from other file formats such as PDF or the formats for Microsoft Office and can export the data in PowerPoint , Quicktime , QuarkXPress and RedDot formats . The metadata are mainly used for searching in the image archive. License management for copyrighted material is supported through the use of embargo data.

The managed files can be cataloged and their use can be specified. The keywording is based on a previously defined taxonomy , which is based on the internal rules of the organization or industry standards. It can be determined whether files can only be used for certain purposes or only by certain groups of people. The management system includes version management for production-related work with revised files. The files prepared for distribution can be distributed directly via links or emails using the publication function. External access is also possible via the “Cumulus Sites” web interface, which enables read access to released content from the catalog.

There are different variants, starting with the “Workgroup Archive Server” up to the “Enterprise Business Server” for large companies. The servers are available on the Windows, Linux, macOS ( Fat Binaries ) and Solaris operating systems, the clients on Windows and macOS. Both the server and the client can be expanded using a Java-based plug-in architecture. Since version 7.0 there is a web application that is based on Ajax and has its own user interface . An application for Apple devices based on iOS has been available since 2010 for accessing the Cumulus catalog from mobile devices .

Interfaces

The main focus of the Cumulus platform is the integration into other systems and services. According to the manufacturer, Cumulus supports the following services:

Others

Although the product name suggests a cloud computing structure from today's perspective , Cumulus was initially an on-premise solution. However, a cloud-based deployment for Cumulus has also existed since 2013.

In 1993, Cumulus was recognized by MacUser Magazine with the Eddy Award for Best Publishing and Graphics Program .

In 2011 Canto's founder and Chief Technical Officer , Thomas Schleu, received the Creatasphere “DAMMY of the year” award for his contribution to Cumulus and the digital asset management industry.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ www.canto.com .
  2. ↑ a b Image database - Canto Cumulus. In: fotocommunity.de . Retrieved June 24, 2017 .
  3. ^ Mike Pasini: Canto Cumulus - Covering Your Assets. In: imaging-resource.com. September 2001, accessed June 24, 2017 .
  4. ↑ Andrea Trinkwalder: Cumulus media database entirely on the web and network course. In: Heise online . July 6, 2006, accessed June 23, 2017 .
  5. ↑ PAGE , edition 8/2007, p. 88
  6. ^ André Kramer: Server media database . In: c't . No. 22/2013 , p. 34 ( heise.de ).
  7. ↑ a b Barry Levine: Canto Announces Cumulus 9: Updates UI, Content Sharing and Server Performance. In: CMS Wire. September 23, 2013, accessed June 24, 2017 .
  8. ^ Dom Nicastro: Canto: Take Your DAM Thing With You. In: CMS Wire. July 21, 2015, accessed June 24, 2017 .
  9. ↑ Application Notes . In: c't . No. 3/2016 , p. 31 ( heise.de ).
  10. ↑ Cumulus 10.2 Release Notes. Retrieved June 23, 2017 (English).
  11. ↑ a b DAM Vendors - Canto. In: DAM Vendors. Retrieved June 23, 2017 (English).
  12. ↑ Thomas Hartmann: Canto shows Cumulus Sites, iPhone and iPad clients. In: Macwelt.de. May 12, 2010. Retrieved June 23, 2017 .
  13. ^ Sascha Steinhoff: Magnolia and Canto: Linking CMS and DAM. In: c't digital photography online. October 24, 2014, accessed June 23, 2017 .