Lawo Unveils Server-Based Processing Platform

At a special online event, Lawo made a technology introduction of its next-generation Server-Based Processing Platform consisting of scalable, dynamic broadcast and media production apps and microservices.

The commercial scheme under which they will be made available is equally revolutionary.

Lightning-fast and easy to spin up and configure, Lawo’s 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.

Along with the introduction of HOME Apps, HOME's three existing pillars – Connectivity, Security and Management – are joined by a fourth building block – Processing – that will future-proof broadcast and media operations, infusing them with a striking amount of flexibility and scalability. It also leaves ample room for hybrid setups involving both existing hardware and the new server-based app offering.

Lawo's HOME Apps represent the abstraction of broadcast and media functionality from the generic hardware that does the compute heavy lifting. When users need it, where they need it. And with a revolutionary commercial model.

"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," explained 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them avoid long idle times of costly devices that were purchased in anticipation of brief spikes and may be obsolete or outdated by the time they are required again."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.

The Lawo team is adamant that the breathtaking evolution of the broadcast and media industries requires all players to think outside the box. Major host broadcast services have already embraced the highly innovative HOME Apps solution, and Lawo anticipates massive buy-in from the broadcast community at large for a business model that helps them avoid all the pitfalls of other offerings.

www.lawo.com