Brimit

The customer

Based in Switzerland, Picturepark has a 20-year history of delivering content management solutions that include perks such as master data, product information, and digital asset management (DAM). Picturepark prides itself on continuously implementing cutting-edge technologies to live up to the standard of quality that the Swiss are famous for. Operating globally, the company also has offices in the USA, India, and Austria.

The need

Picturepark’s main offering is a DAM platform designed to automate content creation. The product enables corporate teams to store digital assets—pictures, documents, video/audio, etc.—in an organized manner, search through Picturepark’s vast collection of files, and share them with just a few clicks.

Recognizing the platform’s convenience, multiple companies onboard the tool to facilitate internal workflows for content creation teams. Many of them rely on products from the Microsoft 365 ecosystem in their daily routine. To enhance the versatility of their platform, Picturepark collaborated with Brimit to deliver a connector that integrates the DAM platform into SharePoint, ensuring a one-tab experience without the need to switch between the systems.

Then, Microsoft Teams emerged as the new standard for collaboration and communication within and across organizations—enjoying 115 million daily users as of October 2020. A research study by the Association for Intelligent Information Management states that 40% of Microsoft Teams users rely on the platform for collaborating on content creation, while 54% use it as their preferred tool for storing, accessing, and sharing files. Satisfied with the success of the connector for SharePoint, Picturepark again turned to Brimit to integrate their platform with Microsoft Teams.

The solution

Microsoft Teams’ functionality can be extended with the help of various tools:

• Messaging extensions enable users to amplify the capabilities of a chat. For instance, a user can utilize a third-party tool to search for and share files from within a messaging app.

• Tab extensions enable users to create a separate tab and add an existing Teams or external service/app to it.

• Bot extensions enable users to create a bot that will execute simple commands, automating and facilitating routine tasks.

• Apps for Teams meetings improve user experience during video calls, enabling them to, for example, create notes and action items, transcribe meeting minutes, etc.

To integrate Microsoft Teams with the DAM platform, Brimit developed a connector that’s a bit like a messaging extension. The connector streamlines collaboration across multiple parties, allowing users to share digital assets right from Microsoft Teams. Thanks to the new features, it is now possible to:

• search for digital assets available in Picturepark right from the Microsoft Teams chat
• insert content directly into a message, with previews and descriptions
• download files into SharePoint (when inserting into a chat) and grant access rights to relevant parties
• share files in a chat, either downloaded to Microsoft Teams or as a link to a Picturepark collection

When inserting a digital asset as a file, it is also possible to indicate a subject. The insert option supports multiple file formats—from low-quality preview to HD—depending on your needs. You can also indicate a subject if you’re sharing the file as a link, as well as submit a comment. All the uploaded files shared in the chat can be accessed later via the File tab.

The results

Partnering with Brimit, Picturepark integrated its flagship digital asset management system with Microsoft Teams, simplifying collaboration on content for 150 million daily users. Now, Microsoft Teams users have direct access to contextualized content provided by Picturepark’s search engine, employing adaptive metadata management, semantic relationships, and business rule automation.

The connector delivers a one-button experience, enabling employees to enjoy all the perks of a DAM platform right from a familiar tool, without having to switch between the systems. Finally, organizations using products from the Microsoft Office 365 ecosystem are also spared the hassle of integrating additional third-party DAM solutions.