Revolutionizing Live Broadcast with FPGA-Accelerated Cloud Production
FPGA-accelerated cloud production is reshaping the way live media workflows are deployed at scale. At the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas, Manifold Technologies announced a significant collaboration with NEP Group, unveiling Manifold CLOUD as a key software-defined media processing component within the new NEP Platform. This partnership marks a decisive shift toward flexible, on-demand broadcast infrastructure built on industry-standard hardware.
Manifold CLOUD Joins NEP Platform
The integration of Manifold CLOUD into the NEP Platform empowers broadcasters and rights holders to deploy advanced services—including FPGA-accelerated multiviewers, UDX (up/down/cross) conversion, and real-time graphics—in mere minutes. By leveraging FPGA-accelerated cloud production technology, NEP’s global fleet of mobile units, flypacks, and facilities can now access these broadcast-grade services dynamically, adjusting resources on demand for any event.
Traditionally, live production required dedicated, fixed-function hardware, limiting flexibility and scalability. NEP Platform introduces a centralized orchestration layer that enables trusted third-party software like Manifold CLOUD to run on shared commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) compute within modern IP-based environments. This shift removes the need for proprietary systems, streamlining deployments and supporting the evolving demands of live broadcasting.
Benefits of FPGA-Accelerated Cloud Production
FPGA-accelerated cloud production stands out for its ability to deliver deterministic performance and subframe latency—crucial for live events. Manifold CLOUD’s design philosophy centers on decoupling media processing from proprietary hardware, instead running on COTS FPGA accelerator cards from multiple vendors. This approach combines the elasticity and efficiency of cloud-native orchestration with the reliability required by Tier One broadcasters.
Within the NEP Platform, Manifold CLOUD joins other leading media production applications. Production teams can configure, deploy, and scale their setups at the click of a button, enabling seamless workflows for diverse live events. The entire process—from spinning up services to scaling resources and tearing down environments—is automated, with real-time telemetry ensuring health, performance, and resource usage transparency.
Live Demonstrations at NAB Show 2026
At the NAB Show 2026, attendees will see firsthand how FPGA-accelerated cloud production transforms live event workflows. Demonstrations at both the NEP meeting space (N253, North Hall, Level 2) and the Manifold booth (C.1808, in partnership with arkona) will showcase the process of selecting Manifold from the NEP Platform application catalog and deploying it onto shared COTS compute. Once deployed, Manifold CLOUD appears as a virtual device in NEP’s TFC orchestration layer. Operators can then configure their live workflow, demonstrating setup in minutes and rapid decommissioning post-production.
Driving the Industry Shift to Software-Defined Workflows
This partnership goes beyond distribution, serving as a proving ground for the next era of broadcast. Manifold’s collaboration with NEP underscores the power of FPGA-accelerated cloud production in enabling operational flexibility, speed, and adaptability without sacrificing the simplicity or reliability of traditional studio-based systems. The software-first approach opens the door to new efficiencies, allowing production teams to tailor their environments to each event’s unique requirements.
Dan Murphy, VP of NEP Platform, highlighted the significance of this integration: “Manifold’s FPGA-accelerated infrastructure harnesses the flexibility of COTS hardware and software-defined processing with the power of hardware acceleration. This architecture delivers the deterministic performance, scalability, and agility that modern productions demand.”
Manifold Technologies’ CEO and co-founder, Aleksei Shevchenko, emphasized the importance of integrating hardware and software seamlessly: “With NEP Platform’s orchestration layer, the future of live production becomes repeatable, scalable, and secure, enabling service providers to collaborate and deliver industry-wide benefits. We’re proud to contribute our technology to NEP’s global customers.”
The Future of Broadcast Production
As the industry continues its shift toward flexible, software-defined workflows, FPGA-accelerated cloud production represents a cornerstone technology. The Manifold and NEP partnership exemplifies how broadcast infrastructure is evolving—empowering media teams to meet the fast-changing needs of live events with the agility and reliability they demand.
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