Today’s top media teams are rethinking their approach to asset management. Rising media volumes and global collaboration demands are forcing them to adapt — but that shift doesn’t need to be a bad thing.
With the correct approach, cloud migration can cut costs, boost scalability, and streamline operations. By tackling key challenges such as integration, metadata management, and team efficiency, media teams can unlock significant value while avoiding costly pitfalls.
Primary financial benefits of hybrid cloud storage
Distributed media teams using on-premise storage may find that managing their workflows feels disjointed and inefficient. Hybrid workflows, which connect cloud and on-premise storage systems, can help forward-thinking teams neatly sidestep these issues while accessing real financial advantages.
The two most significant financial benefits to consider are cost efficiency and scalability.
On-premise storage requires substantial upfront investment in hardware, maintenance, and energy costs. Cloud storage can reduce these initial expenses by shifting them to a more manageable operational expenditure (or OpEx) model.
Cloud-based platforms often allow businesses to pay only for the resources they need — users, storage, and features — scaling up or down based on demand.
This consumption-based model can significantly reduce costs, especially for organizations dealing with variable user and storage needs.
Cloud migration vs. on-premise storage: Comparing initial investments
Moving large amounts of content can become labor-intensive and time-consuming without the right resources. Automation tools offer ways to streamline migration, reducing the need for manual intervention while saving time and money.
Hybrid workflows that connect on-premise and cloud storage systems streamline this process, providing both centralized access and improved scalability.
Although general tools like Cyberduck can handle data transfers, media-focused solutions often include advanced features such as centralized content storage, low-res proxies, and collaboration tools — key for media-driven businesses.
How hybrid cloud can save you money over the long term
By consolidating media management tasks into a single platform, businesses that once relied on multiple tools reduce operational expenses and improve overall productivity.
One central area of savings comes from the elimination of physical hard drives. Cloud storage allows global teams to access assets instantly, cutting costs on hard drives, shipping fees, and delays caused by physical transfers. Cloud platforms also enhance version control, ensuring teams are always working on the latest asset version, thus avoiding duplication or confusion.
For businesses with fluctuating storage needs, scalable pricing models in cloud solutions provide additional cost efficiency. Companies can scale storage and user licenses up or down based on project demands, avoiding the burden of fixed pricing and paying only for what they use.
Avoiding the hidden costs of cloud migration
Though the financial benefits of cloud migration are clear, don’t overlook these potential pitfalls:
- Cloud storage costs: Although the logistics of cloud storage are typically predictable, hidden expenses — such as egress fees (the cost of retrieving data from the cloud, like paying a fee to withdraw money from an out-of-network ATM) — can sometimes arise. These fees are especially significant for organizations that frequently access or move large amounts of data.
- Migration to another cloud provider: Switching providers can also incur egress fees. Without proper planning, these unexpected costs can escalate quickly.
- Deployment missteps: Even with user-friendly, cloud-based media asset management (MAM platforms), organizations may face challenges without the right expertise. Professional services might be needed for a smooth setup, adding to initial costs.
- Lack of adoption: Another potential risk is investing time and resources into deploying a solution, only to find that it doesn’t gain traction within the organization. Poor adoption can result in a sunk cost if the platform is underutilized. Although rare, this scenario warrants careful planning and internal buy-in.
Consolidating tools for long-term savings
One of the biggest advantages of cloud-based media management is the potential for long-term cost savings through tool consolidation.
Many organizations rely on multiple tools — like Dropbox or Frame.io — for managing media assets. Consolidating these tools into a single platform can:
- Eliminate redundant costs, including overlapping subscription fees
- Increase efficiency by reducing the need to switch between platforms
Another significant cost-saving factor is flexibility when migrating between cloud storage providers. For example:
- If one vendor becomes too expensive, businesses can easily switch to a more economical provider without disrupting workflows.
- This seamless migration process avoids the need for third-party services, saving both time and additional costs.
By centralizing tools and services on a single platform, businesses can reduce the complexity and expense of maintaining multiple systems. This not only results in direct savings (e.g., lower licensing fees) but also indirect savings, such as improved operational efficiency and team productivity.
Scaling up and staying secure in the hybrid cloud
Flexible, consumption-based pricing models — offered by platforms such as iconik — make scalability an essential factor in cost management. These models allow businesses to pay only for the resources they use, scaling up during peak periods (such as holiday seasons or intensive production timelines) and scaling back when demand decreases. This flexibility helps optimize costs without requiring long-term commitments, enabling businesses to dynamically adjust resources as needed.
Iconik also provides backup and disaster recovery functionality by automating the replication of on-premise content to the cloud. Although not classified as traditional backup software, our platform simplifies data replication across multiple locations, offering a streamlined and cost-effective backup solution — particularly when potential data losses occur.
This combination of scalability and security supports both on-premise and cloud-native infrastructures, ensuring assets remain accessible, secure, and ready for use, no matter the business demands.
Optimizing ongoing operational costs
After migration, platforms such as iconik help businesses reduce operational costs by providing global, centralized access to all media assets and automating routine tasks. This efficiency can lead to substantial labor savings and reduce the need for multiple software licenses.
Iconik also simplifies storage management by automating proxy creation and handling data across multiple locations, ensuring teams working anywhere can access assets quickly and seamlessly.
Achieve more with media management built for growth
Cloud storage costs are a key consideration for businesses transitioning to hybrid workflows. Migrating to the cloud with iconik delivers significant financial advantages, including:
- Lower upfront costs compared to traditional on-premise systems
- Tool consolidation, reducing redundancy, and boosting efficiency
- Scalable pricing models tailored to your organization’s evolving needs
By evaluating initial investments, optimizing operational costs, and mitigating potential risks, businesses can unlock the full potential of their media workflows. Iconik can help you and your team streamline operations, scale dynamically, and achieve long-term cost savings — all while enhancing access and collaboration across global teams.
Iconik is built to solve the challenges of hybrid workflows, metadata management, and global team collaboration. Explore how it can work for your team — schedule a demo today.