where IP becomes practice
From vision to deployment arkona and manifold validate software-defined IP production at scale
For both teams, the week in Las Vegas was defined first and foremost by encounters. Not just meetings in the scheduled sense, but the kind of exchanges that only happen in person, where conversations extend beyond product sheets into shared context, instinct and understanding. Even the setting played its part. The bright Las Vegas sun felt like a small reward in itself, if only during those short morning walks from the parking lot to the newly rebuilt entrance of the Central and North Halls, a brief pause before the intensity of the day began.
Customers, partners and system integrators came with intent. They wanted to see what had changed, what had matured and what could now be deployed. Much of that attention centred on the latest announcements from arkona and manifold, which together painted a clear picture of where the industry is heading.
Arkona introduced BLADE//planner, a new graphical configuration environment designed to fundamentally change how engineers build and manage IP workflows. It allows entire system architectures to be designed offline with an intuitive visual overview, while still exposing the full depth of control for expert users. Alongside this, a series of usability enhancements to the BLADE//runner platform, including a Video Switcher soft panel, AutoMix functionality in the audio mixer and expanded EASY-IP capabilities, reinforced a clear direction, making powerful FPGA-based infrastructure more accessible, configurable and operationally efficient.
Manifold expanded the reach and flexibility of its software-defined approach. A key highlight was the introduction of multiviewer functionality directly on arkona’s AT300 acceleration cards, allowing users to deploy manifold’s processing capabilities on hardware already present in their infrastructure. This tight integration strengthens the combined ecosystem, enabling a unified, software-defined production environment across both platforms.
At the same time, manifold showcased support for 400GbE COTS FPGA accelerator cards, delivering up to 4.8 Tbps of media processing within a single rack unit. This breakthrough was recognised with the TVTech Best of Show Award, underlining both its technical significance and its practical impact. The ability to handle up to 1500 x 3G multiviewer sources or 96 UHD services in a single 1RU server, with deterministic, ultra-low latency, fundamentally changes how density, space and power are approached in Tier-1 live production environments.
At its core, manifold CLOUD remains a service-based platform. Multiviewing, up, down and cross conversion and graphics are deployed on demand, orchestrated dynamically and scaled in real time. The system removes operational friction without reducing capability.
Another defining moment at NAB was manifold’s integration into NEP Platform. This collaboration enables manifold CLOUD to be deployed as an on-demand application within NEP’s orchestration environment, allowing broadcasters to instantiate FPGA-accelerated services dynamically across global infrastructure. In practice, this shifts the conversation from infrastructure ownership to infrastructure availability.
Across the booth, there was a noticeable shift in audience and engagement. Strong interest came from US system integrators, with promising opportunities spanning universities, sports venues, multi-market production providers and broadcast networks. At the same time, a notably larger presence of South American partners, alongside European and Asian business partners and customers, made the journey to Las Vegas, reinforcing NAB’s continued role as a truly global touchpoint.
Several recurring themes stood out throughout the week. Clients are no longer questioning whether to adopt IP and SMPTE ST 2110, but how to implement it in a way that is manageable, scalable and aligned with real operational needs. Solutions like EASY-IP resonated strongly because they address exactly that challenge by reducing complexity without compromising capability.
Beyond the technology, there was also a broader sense of continuity. Conversations flowed easily, ideas were exchanged openly and the atmosphere remained focused on collaboration and shared progress. Demos extended into dinners and discussions that began around specific features evolved into longer term opportunities.
NAB remains what it has always been at its core, a moment to connect. Continuous communication may happen the year round, but real-life conversations add a dimension that cannot be replicated remotely. They bring nuance, trust and momentum to business relationships that extend far beyond the show floor.
For both arkona and manifold technologies, NAB 2026 was not just about showcasing new capabilities. It was about reinforcing partnerships, validating direction and demonstrating that the shift towards software-defined infrastructure and IP based production are no longer theoretical. It is happening, it is scaling and it is being nurtured in real time through interactions like these.
