While planning a move to new facilities, Smoke & Mirrors identified the need for staff to have access to computing resources from both the existing and the new sites, whilst also keeping all computing equipment to a central server room location. The new postproduction facility comprised of several different editing suites, each equipped with individual user stations office areas. A flexible KVM solution was needed to enable staff at Smoke & Mirrors to take control of the different workstations at any of the locations, and share screens, all while the computers themselves are located in a sever room away from the user. A further requirement was for the system to be user-driven and access controlled, with certain users only able to access designated machines. In addition, a solution with fast-switching capability that also delivered pixel perfect video was also essential for professional artists and designers to ensure that video over the network was displayed without losing quality or dropping frames.

The relocation of computing equipment to a secure server room has resulted in ergonomic benefits to the office environment, by freeing up room on desks and workspaces, and eliminating heat and noise, which can be hugely disruptive in a postproduction environment. Going forward, the next steps will be adding 4K-capable solutions. This can be easily accomplished through the use of the IP network as the infrastructure already exists to support it.