City of Sydney – A Smarter Way to Manage and Protect Digital Civic Content

The City of Sydney’s Digital Asset Management System (DAMS) has redefined how staff and creative partners engage with civic media. Built on the Bynder platform and launched in March 2024, the cloud-native solution centralises a multi million dollar media library and empowers teams to quickly find, share, and govern digital assets with confidence.

Previously, staff were forced to work around an outdated, unsupported system. Over 70% of users required multiple searches to locate assets; many gave up and stored media in personal drives. This resulted in duplicated images, lost files, and increasing risk around brand misuse and copyright breaches.

The new DAMS integrates artificial intelligence, machine learning and secure access to deliver an intuitive self-service experience. It serves as a central hub for high-value images, video, PDFs and other digital media used across campaigns and public-facing content. AI tagging, facial and object recognition, and time-based indexing allow content to be found with fewer queries—cutting average search attempts from eight to two.

Key features:
- Built-in rights and licensing workflows
- Real-time image transformation for efficient asset delivery
- Azure Active Directory single sign-on for secure, device-agnostic access
- Visual-first interface with hover previews and intuitive navigation

Benefits delivered:
- Eliminates asset duplication and unsafe storage practices
- Saves staff time and enables faster project delivery
- Provides strong governance and legal compliance
- Restores confidence in a central, reliable source of truth

By opting for a configurable SaaS solution over custom development, the City ensured fast deployment, reduced overhead, and future scalability. The DAMS is not just a content system—it is an enabler of smarter, safer, and faster digital storytelling across the City’s operations.