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Participant
March 30, 2018
Answered

How long does Adobe Bridge lasts for Digital Assets Management?

  • March 30, 2018
  • 5 replies
  • 841 views

I am using adobe bridge as the photo archiving system in my photography institution where large number of photographs are produced. These photographs are to be archived for hundreds of years and i am afraid that the bridge archiving system wont last forever. So i need some of your suggestion, if the adobe bridge archiving system lasts for long period of time.

Thank You !

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Stephen Marsh

Bridge is simply a file browser, viewing files on a hard drive.

5 replies

Conrad_C
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 14, 2024

There really is no guarantee how long any application will last. 15 years ago it was popular to organize images using Apple Aperture and iView Media Pro, but today, only 15 years later, both of those applications are no longer developed or maintained, they are gone. You cannot rely on a single application.

 

If the photos are to be archived for hundreds of years, then the institution must design a system where the organizing data is stored in a way that it can be migrated to other software and hardware, in case support ends for existing software and hardware, which is extremely likely to happen in only a few decades or even years. Eventually it will happen, being able to migrate data is not optional. In other words…do not try to assume any current digital* solution will last even 50 years. Think of data formats and media hardware from only 25 years ago, like that stored on floppy disks, Zip drives, and SCSI-connected hard drives…if you buy a new computer today, there is no way to immediately connect any of those.

 

It’s OK for the institution to use Bridge today, but they should work out an “emergency escape” plan for the data in advance, for the probably inevitable day in the future when their current software cannot continue to be used. They should develop a full understanding of how Bridge uses industry standard IPTC metadata, so that the institution understands how to extract the data stored by Bridge, making it possible to migrate the organizing data to another tool in the future. Many other applications can exchange IPTC metadata today.

 

As an example, the Collections feature in Bridge is useful for organizing, but it only works in Bridge so it cannot be migrated to future applications. But keywords are IPTC standard, so those would be much more reliable and compatible for preserving organization that can be read by other applications, and likely to be usable that way for at least decades into the future.

 

If the institution needs more help with this, one person to talk to is Peter Krogh, author of The DAM (digital asset management) Book. He has helped large institutions organize and archive photos, including the Library of Congress.

 

*Prints on archival materials and stored properly can last hundreds of years, so I’m only talking about digital archives.

Legend
August 13, 2024

Hundreds of years? Today's computer systems will be long since dead and buried in hundreds of years. Paper prints using archival processing and stored in a climate-controlled vault would be the most likely to survive, IMHO. (Well actually, gravure separations on platinum cylinders, or something equally impractical, might be more enduring.)

gary_sc
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 13, 2024

You can store photographic slides for ages in climate controlled environments but still some dies just fade over time. 

 

Digital assets rely upon the software and hardware — neither will last forever. Updating and replacing multiple backups forever will last forever. (Or until their value is no longer valuable.)

Participating Frequently
August 13, 2024

You should check out NeoFinder. But you'd have to contact them to ask that question. But it's a great archiving app. And their customer support has been phenomenal for me.

melissapiccone
Community Expert
Community Expert
March 30, 2018

Bridge is not an archiving tool. It simply allows you to browse files on your computer. How are you using it as an archive tool?? You need an actual CMS (content management system).

Melissa Piccone | Adobe Trainer | Online Courses Author | Fine Artist
Stephen Marsh
Community Expert
Stephen MarshCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
March 30, 2018

Bridge is simply a file browser, viewing files on a hard drive.