When new servers are slow, expensive, or simply unavailable, the right move depends entirely on the bottleneck you actually have. NETINT’s VPU Ecosystem is organized around three practical paths, not one product pitch.
NETINT VPU ECOSYSTEM · IBC 2026
AT A GLANCE
This article explains three practical ways to increase video processing capacity when servers are limited or procurement is delayed. Rather than focusing on a single product, it presents a deployment framework that helps organizations choose the right approach based on their infrastructure bottleneck.
You’ll learn how hosted VPU capacity, repurposed existing servers, and dedicated VPU systems each solve different operational challenges, and why identifying the real constraint is the first step toward building a more scalable video infrastructure.
Video platforms need more processing capacity, and the way to add it has changed. The familiar pattern of forecast, buy, deploy still works, but it is no longer the only answer, and for many teams it is no longer the fastest one.
Power, cooling, rack density, procurement timing, and component allocation now shape infrastructure decisions as much as raw compute requirements. So the useful question is not only how to buy more servers. It is what the most practical way to add capacity is, starting from where a team is today.
That reframing matters because it changes the conversation from a single purchase to a choice among deployment models. At IBC 2026, the NETINT VPU Ecosystem Pavilion is built around three of them.
Three ways to add video capacity
Figure 1. One framework, three deployment models. The right path is set by the constraint, and each connects to specific ecosystem partners
Path 1: Use VPU capacity through partners
Some platforms need capacity before a traditional build can finish. Others do not want to own and operate every server their growth requires. For them, partner-hosted capacity is a practical option that still delivers purpose-built video acceleration without the full burden of ownership.
This path fits teams facing procurement delays, limited data center space, power or cooling limits, regional expansion, or unpredictable traffic peaks. In the pavilion it maps most directly to NetActuate, which represents distributed infrastructure, and i3D, which brings performance infrastructure for latency-sensitive workloads. The message is simple: you do not always need to own every server to access more video capacity.
It is especially relevant for cloud and CDN transcoding, live streaming, and regional video services. The goal is not to replace owned infrastructure in every case. It is to give video teams another way to scale when traditional expansion is slow, expensive, or impractical, while still getting the benefit of purpose-built video acceleration.
Path 2: Get more from infrastructure you already have
Not every platform starts from zero. Many organizations hold servers that are underused, aging, or no longer ideal for their original purpose. In a constrained market, those assets deserve a second look before they are written off.
This is not a blanket endorsement of old hardware. A server has to be evaluated for PCIe layout and lanes, airflow, power headroom, thermals under sustained load, BIOS settings, operating system support, drivers, and workflow integration. When a system passes, a VPU can turn it into a high-density video node. This path is NETINT-led because it depends on VPU capability and technical validation, and it creates a natural role for a systems integration partner such as Arcadian.
Path 3: Build dedicated VPU-based systems
Some customers need owned infrastructure built specifically for video. For them, the right answer is neither hosted capacity nor retrofitting, but dedicated systems designed around predictable encoding capacity, high stream density, lower power per stream, and clear operational ownership.
Dedicated infrastructure is more than the accelerator card. Server design, airflow, I/O, PCIe layout, power delivery, form factor, networking, and software all shape the outcome. This is where a hardware partner such as Advantech fits, and where Arcadian can help plan, validate, and roll out systems into production.
Bring one bottleneck. Get one path.
Figure 2. Bring one bottleneck, get one path. The most useful IBC conversation starts with a single, concrete constraint.
The right path depends on the bottleneck
The three paths are not separate campaigns. They are different answers to the same question: how do we add video capacity in the most practical way? The first real step is naming the bottleneck honestly.
If the bottleneck is procurement, hosted capacity may be the fastest path. If it is underused infrastructure, evaluate existing servers for VPU readiness. If it is density, power, or control, dedicated systems are likely the strongest option. If it is workflow complexity, a transport, streaming, or integration partner becomes essential.
Naming the wrong bottleneck is expensive. A team that buys dedicated systems to solve a procurement deadline waits just as long as before. A team that rents hosted capacity to solve a control or data-residency requirement inherits a model it cannot fully govern. The framework is valuable precisely because it forces the diagnosis before the purchase.
More video capacity. Three ways to get it. Use it through partners, add it to infrastructure you already have, or build dedicated VPU systems.
That is also why the pavilion includes more than one kind of partner. NetActuate and i3D support capacity through partners. Advantech supports dedicated systems. Arcadian supports assessment, integration, and deployment. Zixi brings live transport reliability, Wowza brings streaming workflow context, and V-Nova brings the future compression-efficiency layer. NETINT provides the VPU foundation, and the ecosystem provides the paths to use it.
The most productive way to start is not with a broad infrastructure roadmap or a product comparison. It is with one specific problem: a maxed-out server fleet, an approval that will not move fast enough, idle hardware of uncertain value, or a live workflow outgrowing its power budget. Bring one bottleneck, and the right VPU path becomes far easier to find.
Sources & further reading
NETINT, VPU Ecosystem (partner framework). https://netint.com/vpu-ecosystem/
Akamai, Benchmarking VPUs and GPUs for Media Workloads (Aug 19, 2025). https://www.akamai.com/blog/developers/benchmarking-vpus-and-gpus-for-media-workloads
SemiAnalysis, The Great GPU Shortage (Apr 2, 2026). https://newsletter.semianalysis.com/p/the-great-gpu-shortage-rental-capacity
NETINT VPU ECOSYSTEM · IBC 2026
As video workloads continue to grow, adding capacity is no longer a single decision, but a set of practical paths depending on the real bottleneck. This series explores how to scale video processing efficiently using NETINT VPUs, whether through infrastructure partners, existing systems, or dedicated deployments designed around video from the start.
1. The New Video Capacity Problem
2. Three Ways to Add Video Capacity
3. VPU-Powered Capacity as a Service
4. Get More from the Servers You Already Own
5. Build Dedicated VPU-Based Video Infrastructure.
6. VPU Capacity Without a Hardware Cycle
7. Scaling Performance-Critical Video Workloads
Coming soon:
8. Building Practical VPU-Based Video Systems
9. Reliable Live Video Meets Efficient Processing
10. Maximizing Encoding Efficiency in Live Streaming Workflows
11. The Next Layer of Video Efficiency
12. From VPU Evaluation to Production Deployment
