IBC: Pioneering the Future of Workflow Innovation

Innovations in Media Storage and Workflow Technology at IBC 2025

At IBC 2025, which will take place from September 12 to 15 at RAI Amsterdam, Elements, a leader in high-performance media storage solutions, will present its latest advancements in storage and media workflow technology. The company will be located at Stand 7.B25, showcasing a forward-thinking approach to the future of media workflows and storage systems.

One of the key highlights of the exhibition will be Grid, an advanced software-defined all-NVMe storage appliance tailored for the demanding needs of the media and entertainment industry. Built on the Ceph distributed storage platform, Grid offers exceptional speed, scalability, and reliability within a compact 2U form factor. It is designed to support post-production, visual effects (VFX), broadcast, and content creation workflows. Grid features 200Gbit Ethernet connectivity, which helps eliminate bottlenecks in high-resolution editing, rendering, and collaborative processes. When combined with Elements’ Media Library, Grid extends beyond mere storage by enabling users to efficiently organize, store, retrieve, share, and comment on large volumes of media assets.

The major features of Grid include unified file and object storage, integrating CephFS for scalability with an S3 Gateway for cloud-native workflows. Its built-in resilience ensures high availability and data durability through replication, snapshots, erasure coding, and self-healing capabilities. Grid is also compatible with Windows and macOS via native SMB support and full Active Directory compatibility, allowing for centralized access. Additionally, it offers effortless scalability, enabling nodes to be added on the fly without downtime or data migration. With a media-optimized architecture, Grid provides low-latency access, high IOPS, and strong metadata performance, ensuring smooth media playback and efficient asset management.

Another exciting addition at IBC 2025 is Valet, a new storage extension service designed to streamline the management of large-scale media projects. Valet acts as a storage attendant, discreetly syncing active projects to a secondary location and clearing local copies once they are no longer in use. This frees up high-performance infrastructure while maintaining access to the data. According to Heiner Lesaar, Elements' Chief Technology Officer, "Valet combines the benefits of fast local storage with the scale and affordability of the cloud, offering a cost-effective solution for distributed teams, growing media libraries, and busy studios."

At its core, Valet allows for seamless offloading of completed or inactive workspaces, whether from on-premises or cloud infrastructure, to a secondary location—typically cloud storage. Unlike traditional cold storage solutions that disrupt workflows or hide data, Valet keeps everything connected to its original workspace, making it easy to retrieve and reintegrate without manual tracking or system juggling. This transforms storage into a strategic tool, helping teams focus on their creative processes.

Additionally, Elements will showcase Blink, its native BeeGFS client for Windows and macOS. Designed to unlock the full performance potential of BeeGFS file systems, Blink offers true kernel-level integration, outperforming traditional FUSE-based clients. It delivers exceptional speed, reduced latency, and rock-solid stability for high-performance media workflows. When paired with Elements’ NVMe CUBE appliance, Blink provides block-level file access over Ethernet, delivering unmatched throughput and efficiency across platforms.

Elements’ head of marketing and communications, Paul Patterson, emphasized that this year’s IBC exhibition goes beyond exploring current trends in media and entertainment workflows. The company is also offering an exclusive first look at powerful new features and updates.