Which image archive option to use?

I've had a running conversation with a reader on one of my older blog posts about the dilemma we all face in trying to come up with the right option for creating and using a large image library. Since the issues raised touch at the very heart of what many of us are faced with, I thought I would share them.

January 4 Anonymous asked: In your opinion, would a product like Extensis Portfolio work as an extension of Adobe Bridge? 

My response: On the face of it yes, Bridge can pretty much function as an extension of any database cataloging program.

Are you planning on sharing your image library among multiple users? If so, I believe Extensis Portfolio has a number of limitations in that regard -- they want multiple users to upgrade to their vastly more expensive Portfolio Server system I suppose).

Still, using a browser program like Bridge with a DB program like Portfolio in tandem should not be ruled out.

For example, I use Adobe Lightroom 3 as a file verification tool for our school's digital image library. But since no one else has the program we can't share catalogs -- which would be ideal, of course.

Anyway, you can use a program like Portfolio along with Bridge but I would suggest you test out the metadata copying and synching between the two programs. thoroughly before making any serious commitment.

Ultimately, though, I might suggest you go with one or the other and reduce your workflow while keeping your costs reasonable and making your life simpler. 

Anonymous said: Well, I have a large volume of images (100,000+ with new ones daily/weekly) in a corporate setting where the images need to be accessible to over 20 people. We're working with macs, so I'm trying to find something simple that performs a better search than spotlight or the bridge program itself. I was considering Asset Bank as another option to work within our server, since we don't need to make the images accessible to clients or the public. These were the package options I'd seen. http://www.assetbank.co.uk/product/packages/

Third Light also looks like an option, but I'm a bit unsure where to go.
 
I replied: Like you we also have a large image library ( more than 153K photos) shared by 16 workstations (all but two Macs).

Regarding the options noted, comparing Bridge to either Assetbank or Third Light is a bit like comparing apples to dirigibles: Bridge is a simple straightforward browser program while other two are mega-expensive, server-based systems (like Portfolio Server) and frankly way out of our price range. Like you, we just need to share among the tight department so keeping our costs down is primary right now.

In fact, that's what drove us to initially test out the viability and reliability of Bridge in the first place: it's free, or rather it comes with Adobe's Creative Suite of programs used by all our designers and writers. And, while it's a space hog (for the cache), slow to search sometimes (OK, most of the time), we have found it does work nonetheless.

But I'd be curious to hear more about what you decide to do -- and I'm sure there are others who pop by here every so often who might be keen on hearing about how to resolve your nagging dilemma.  


To be continued. . .