NEP Platform unifies vision mixing, audio, replay and infrastructure from multiple vendors in a single interface, with entire workflows deployable in 45 minutes
NEP Group plans to transform the way the industry manages media infrastructure and hybrid workflows with the launch of NEP Platform.
NEP Platform unifies the deployment of critical production applications from multiple vendors within a single, secure interface.
It provides essential production functions including vision mixing, audio mixing, replay, infrastructure, multiview, and measurement, through Bridge Technologies, Calrec, Grass Valley, Lawo, Manifold, Panasonic, Sony and Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations.
NEP says that, at a click of a button, operators can configure the right setup for each event and adjust resources on demand, creating “a truly dynamic, adaptable and scalable environment”.
There are plans to add more software solutions to NEP Platform, following its roll out to the wider industry.
It is currently being used in many of NEP’s own facilities worldwide, including new “software first” mobile units recently launched in Australia and Norway.
NEP Platform is now commercially available, backed by the ongoing support of NEP’s engineers.
“The NEP Platform launch marks an important step in NEP’s innovation journey as well as how the industry uses software,” said Martin Stewart, CEO of NEP Group. “Companies are delivering more content, across more markets, to more audiences than ever before, and that requires great agility. Our goal has always been to simplify content production so our customers can easily and securely deliver their content at scale. I’m delighted that NEP Platform offers that long-term solution with the ability to change as our customers do.”
With NEP Platform, capabilities can be added through new applications and software updates instead of major rebuilds. It automatically allocates resources as production demands change, ensuring teams only use the computing power they need.
NEP’s team of experts ensure that NEP Platform deployments are secure and that the system is resilient, says NEP. It also validates application versions and configurations at each deployment, avoiding many of the common pitfalls of software.
“NEP Platform gives customers real choice without added complexity,” said Dan Murphy, VP of NEP Platform (pictured above). “From a single interface, teams can launch the applications they prefer, deploy workflows in minutes and scale as production needs change.
“With this new way of managing infrastructure, customers can transition to software-based solutions that seamlessly operate with existing hardware. This not only protects our customers’ investments; it positions them to take advantage of future technology.”
Broadcast Sport spoke to Murphy to find out more about NEP Platform.
He told us: “We want to keep the experience of using NEP Platform as close as what our customers have today. We’re creating a migration path to move from hardware to software, and we don’t want to disrupt the control room unnecessarily.
We’ll guide customers in their choice of applications, while also helping them maximise their existing investment in hardware.
Many existing traditional control surfaces will work on the platform. We’ve got replay controllers that are familiar to everyone that just work on the platform, and we’ve got vision mixer panels and audio consoles. These things work. We’re also seeing a greater adoption of touch-screen panels, different kinds of router panels, different configuration panels, that help customers do more with less.
We’re supporters of MXL and are big fans of anything that accelerates us into the software reality. As apps start to support MXL, we’ll help tie them together in NEP Platform. We’re known for bringing big white trucks together, and now we want to do the same for software.
It’s genuinely a spin-up, spin-down model where one day you have a vision mixer, the next it’s an audio mixer, the next day it’s a multiviewer - we can deploy entire workflows in 45 minutes, and we want to get the whole deployment down to 15 minutes, offering the industry a whole series of pre-tested solutions.
This is huge - the ability to change your entire production back end in minutes is pretty crazy.
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