Lawo has announced the introduction of HOME Apps, a server-based processing platform comprised of scalable, dynamic broadcast and media production apps and microservices.
HOME Apps run on standard servers whether that be on-premise, in private data centers or in the public cloud, all controlled via the unified user interface of the HOME management platform. HOME’s three existing pillars – connectivity, security and management – are joined by a fourth building block – processing – designed to future-proof broadcast and media operations by infusing them with added flexibility and scalability in addition to facilitating hybrid setups involving both existing hardware and the new server-based app offering.
“Broadcasters and service providers no longer enjoy the luxury of purchasing ever more bespoke hardware to cover both cruise-speed and peak-time resource demand,” explains Phil Myers, Lawo’s Chief Technology Officer. “Lawo’s HOME Apps help them avoid long idle times of costly devices that were purchased in anticipation of brief spikes and may be obsolete or outdated by the time they are required again.”
Designed for Lawo-grade processing quality in a nifty, containerized software guise, HOME Apps can be spun up and down instantly via HOME, which conveniently preserves all settings for future use.
The first four HOME Apps – Multiviewer, UDX Conversion with HDR processing, Stream Transcoder and Graphic Inserter – furthermore widen the pool of functionality from which operators can choose for their productions: the HOME Apps platform not only supports SMPTE ST2110 and JPEG XS, but also the NDI® and SRT protocols. More HOME Apps will follow over time.
‘Lawo Flex’ will allow customers to combine traditional purchasing possibilities of the technology with a subscription scheme that helps manage peaks in functional requirements in a flexible and cost-effective manner.
“Lawo is excited to introduce an innovative commercial model that complements this technical innovation,” explains Jamie Dunn, Lawo’s chief commercial officer. “We understand that purchasing software functionality for applications where utilization is continually needed makes sense from an investment perspective, but offering some commercial elasticity is very attractive for one-off larger events or requirements. For this, ‘Lawo Flex subscriptions’ provide a perfect mechanism to gain access to any Lawo functionality in the Ecosystem, on demand.”
The company states that major host broadcast services have embraced HOME Apps and that it expects a significant buy-in from the broadcast community at large. Go here for more specifics.
