Yes, the news you read yesterday is true, and it is great news. Vizrt has acquired NewTek, joining the two leaders in the IP video revolution.

A terrific analysis has come from the folks at RedShark News:

This was an almost complete surprise. We know NewTek very well, and we didn’t see this coming. But it does make sense: more so, the more we think about it…Today [NewTek] is riding another wave of innovation and recognition because of NDI^®, a complete network environment for real-time production. It’s the first video over IP system that is easy to use out of the box, and which already has hundreds of partners…Vizrt is a Norwegian company focused on the broadcast and sports industries, providing real-time graphics and other assets. It has been involved in the standardisation efforts around SMPTE 2110…What I find exciting about this is that the two companies have come together not to cherry pick the best parts of each, but to turbo-charge their R&D efforts towards a virtualised future.

Among the other things they had to say:

“The new, combined company poses a profound challenge for other manufacturers which have traditionally built and sold “heavy iron” products. Vizrt and NewTek are two companies that completely “get” the future paradigm of IP video. Companies that don’t get it are going to be like runners in a sprint race who don’t hear the starting gun. They may never catch up.

In practical terms, what happens now? We don’t have the details, but it seems likely that because of the complementary nature of the two companies, there’s virtually no duplication of products or services. Which means that the present generation of products is likely to continue unchanged. In future, the product portfolio will converge and benefit from new technology from both companies.

This is fascinating - because it’s a blueprint of how the future’s going to happen. We’re in a phase in the evolution of video technology where we need intense innovation. It needs to be disruptive, creating new categories of product, new marketplaces and new ways to work.”

“The combined company represents one of the most disruptive changes for the video industry in decades. However, the goal remains the same - to build a new world of IT-based video technology to grow the reach and impact for anyone with a story to share.” Dr. Andrew Cross, President of Research and Development, Vizrt

Read the complete article at RedShark News: Vizrt buys NewTek in one of the biggest disruptive moves for decades

Join the discussion in the NewTek forum, and read additional comments from Dr. Cross and others: Vizrt Acquires NewTek

Read the Vizrt/NewTek Press Release: Vizrt Buys NewTek to Become A Global Powerhouse In Advanced Video Systems

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