MAM Software and Services

The University of Michigan (“University”) seeks proposals from qualified Suppliers of Media Asset Management (MAM) Software and Services. The University of Michigan (“University”) is not liable in any manner or to any extent for any cost or expense incurred by the supplier in the preparation, submission, presentation or any other action connected with proposing or otherwise responding to this RFP. Such exemption from liability applies whether such costs are incurred directly by the supplier or indirectly through the supplier’s agents, employees, assigns or others, whether related or not to the supplier. In submitting a proposal, Supplier agrees that all materials associated with, attached to, or referenced by the submitted proposal will become the property of the University and may be incorporated into a subsequent contractual agreement between the successful supplier and the University in an order of precedence as follows: (1) Contract Terms and Conditions; (2) Statement of Work; and (3) RFP. The University expects to enter into an agreement with the successful supplier for a three (3) year period with an option to extend for two additional one (1) year periods as mutually agreed upon between the University and the supplier. Response to this RFP confirms an understanding that this is not a contract or offer of business by the University. The University’s standard terms and conditions will apply to the contract as a result of this RFP, and are included as an attachment. BACKGROUND ON THE UNIVERSITY The primary scope of this RFP includes the three University of Michigan campuses located in Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint, as well as Michigan Medicine. The mission of the university is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future. With nearly 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at 19 schools and colleges on the Ann Arbor campus, the university is highly ranked nationally and throughout the world. The College of Engineering, College of LSA (Literature, Science, and the Arts), and the Ross School of Business are a few of the top choices for students. Michigan Medicine includes the top-ranked U-M Medical School and the University of Michigan Health System, which includes the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital, University Hospital, the Frankel Cardiovascular Center, the Rogel Cancer Center, and Metro Health. Michigan Medicine’s adult hospitals were ranked number 11 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report in 2020-21 and C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital was the only children’s hospital in Michigan nationally ranked in all 10 pediatric specialties analyzed by U.S. News and World Report for 2020-21. The U-M Medical School is one of the nation's biomedical research powerhouses, with total research funding of more than $500 million. The University of Michigan-Dearborn (UM-Dearborn) is one of the three campuses of the University of Michigan. UM-Dearborn is a comprehensive university offering high-quality undergraduate, graduate, professional and continuing education to residents of southeastern Michigan and beyond, attracting more than 9000 students. Faculty and students have the opportunity to collaborate across all three campuses in research and scholarly activity. UM-Dearborn is located ten miles west of Detroit and thirty-five miles east of Ann Arbor. The campus is strategically located on 200 suburban acres of the original Henry Ford Estate in the Greater Detroit Metropolitan region. The campus has four main colleges: CASL (College of Arts, Science, and Letters), CECS (College of Engineering and Computer Science), CEHHS (College of Education, Health, and Human Services), and COB (College of Business). The University of Michigan-Flint is a comprehensive urban university of diverse learners and scholars committed to advancing our local and global communities. It was founded in 1956 on a commitment to bring quality Michigan education to Flint and the surrounding area. We value excellence in teaching, learning and scholarship; student centeredness; and engaged citizenship. Within its sixty-year history, the University has experienced significant growth in academic programs and services. The University of Michigan (U-M) is seeking to procure both product and implementation services to meet enterprise Media Asset Management (MAM) needs. The U-M Academic Media Management Production Systems (AMMPS) project aims to establish a scalable, sustainable enterprise solution for managing media throughout its entire lifecycle, from capture to long-term storage. The MAM will support media production across campus, serving as a central hub for the creation of audiovisual course materials. In doing so, the system will help streamline workflows, improve discoverability, and ensure the long-term maintenance of these valuable assets. The initial focus will be the academic community, but will also look to address the shared interests with other non-academic departments. U-M has conducted an extensive planning effort to prepare for this acquisition and has created an overarching Vision and Goals for academic media production, Attachment A. Additionally, U-M hired AVP to supplement our internal subject-matter expertise in order to refine user requirements, support RFP creation, and help create the best set of implementation recommendations, Attachment B. Background: The current U-M media production environment is inefficient, fragmented, and siloed due to a variety of underlying problems: Lack of enterprise media production discussion, processes, and governance results in missed opportunities to improve processes, reduce costs, and share assets. Lack of enterprise media production, storage, and solutions results in a proliferation of local solutions. Lack of sufficient network bandwidth to easily enable content sharing. About U-M’s Digital Assets: U-M’s media assets encompass the raw and edited footage produced in support of the university’s digital education programs. Across schools and colleges, production units collaborate with faculty and other stakeholders to develop, record, and edit a wide range of audiovisual and interactive course materials. These include full-length lecture recordings, short-form instructional pieces, virtual or simulated classroom environments, and other multimedia resources. Additional assets include audio tracks and graphic materials, such as slide decks, illustrations, and photos. Currently, most of these assets are stored on local NAS arrays or in IT-managed storage. Once completed, they are distributed to students and the public through the university’s learning management systems and other delivery platforms within the broader technology ecosystem. Instructional media production units need systematic media storage management and automated workflows to address rising costs. This RFP focuses on the acquisition and implementation of a Media Asset Management (MAM) solution to address U-M media production needs. Key Solution Priorities Robust access control and multi-tenancy: Comprehensive and multi-level management of permissions to ensure secure and appropriate access for campus-wide stakeholders. Flexibility and scalability: A system that is adaptable and future-proof, capable of evolving alongside U-M’s digital strategy, workflows, and user requirements. Seamless integration: Ability to integrate smoothly with existing enterprise systems, including video editing software, identity management, content delivery networks, and production tools. Media production support: Ability to support media crafting, editing, clipping, and organization of work-in-progress materials and project iterations. Storage and management: A coordinated, campus-wide approach to organizing and managing media throughout its lifecycle, enabling consistent practices, reducing fragmentation, and supporting secure and efficient access regardless of where assets are physically stored. Efficient search and discovery: Fast, intuitive retrieval of assets through keyword search, faceted browsing, metadata filtering, and other user-friendly discovery mechanisms. Automations and AI: A system that leverages automated workflows and AI-supported functionality, and addresses data privacy considerations related to AI tools and integrated services. Please see detailed solution requirements in Attachment D Media Asset Management RFP - Requirements. Summary of Implementation Services Desired U-M is looking for implementation services that: Effectively engage key U-M stakeholders in the successful deployment and operations of a Media Asset Management (MAM) solution Establish necessary governance and enterprise processes Ensure effective implementation of the selected Media Asset Management (MAM) solution Effectively create a multi-tenant environment that allows units to manage their own content and share content across units. Conduct a phased implementation of the solution to allow for fine-tuning and testing of U-M needs, starting with a Pilot. Implement a network and storage policy that best leverages the U-M network and storage environment and the unique needs of the selected MAM solution. Addresses solution AI capabilities and U-M AI benefits. Make specific operational recommendations and ensure the implementation of key operational processes, including ongoing user training, solution governance, system administration, and maintenance. Pilot Description U-M intends to conduct a limited-scope pilot to ensure the selected solution and configuration are effective, while also further clarifying the impacts of AI, storage, Identity and Access Management (IAM) interface, network needs, and the operational model. The pilot will also be crucial to establishing the validity and effectiveness of the selected solution with other future Media Asset Management (MAM) users. The pilot will conclude with a go/no go decision for the remainder of the solution implementation. Intended Pilot Scope The exact scope of the pilot will be determined in partnership with the selected vendor. Currently it is intended to include 3 organizations with approximately 25 users: Center for Academic Innovation(CAI). CAI is a central unit within the University of Michigan that reports to the Provost’s office. CAI collaborates with faculty from all 19 schools and colleges on the Ann Arbor campus to create credit- and non-credit experiences for enrolled students and global learners. To date, CAI has created over 300 online courses delivered through Michigan Online, Coursera, and edX to over 12M global learners. School of Public Health (SPH). SPH Media Services supports instructional content via production and distribution for all of SPH’s online educational initiatives, as well as limited marketing and promotional campaigns in collaboration with SPH MarComm. Ross School of Business (Ross). Ross digital provides media support to the overall mission of the university's commitment to advancing digital education and enhancing the overall online learning experience. Including a representative sample of production types, for each organization, such as: 1 long course with over 2000 assets at about 4.35TB 1 short course with about 400 assets and about 800GB 1 marketing/promotional project with about 1200 assets and about 400GB Including video content such as: Studio interviews Live instructional sessions Promotional video Combination of multi-person interviews, XR studio production, and b-roll Studio-based instruction Field productions including interviews and lectures, video podcasts Limited marketing campaign videos Enterprise Solution Size At this time, U-M is unsure of the eventual size of our Media Asset Management (MAM) solution with respect to total number of users, total number of assets, and total size of assets. This is an opt-in solution initially focused on the academic community, but available to the entire enterprise. We do expect future use from other groups such as Marketing and Communications. A successful pilot will be critical to getting interest and commitment from other user organizations. U-M anticipates approximately 200 users, billions of files/assets, and 10 PB of migrated content and new Media Asset Management (MAM) usage in the first two years. File and content types are detailed in the Attachment D Media Asset Management RFP - Requirements.