ChamSys Acquires ArKaos MediaMaster, GrandVJ, and Kling-Net

ChamSys, a subsidiary of Chauvet & Sons LLC, has expanded its leadership in show control by acquiring the product and software portfolio of Arkaos SA, including MediaMaster, KlingNet, and Grand VJ. The strategic move is designed to deliver a unified, one-console, one-server approach to controlling a show.

ChamSys will release ChamSys MediaMaster 25, a major update to Arkaos MediaMaster 6 software, offering a new interface that spans multiple screens and flexible project workspaces and features user-defined GDTF personalities. MediaMaster 25 will be complemented by a new range of ChamSys MediaMaster servers.

The company says that ChamSys MediaMaster 25 users will benefit from ChamSys' 24/7 global support, expanded documentation, and training programs. To maintain continuity, Arkaos general manager Tony De Prins, along with the longstanding Arkaos engineering team, will join the ChamSys group.

Current MediaMaster customers can continue using their existing licenses with no change or added costs. Future updates will provide an integration path into the ChamSys ecosystem. ArKaos customers will be able to interface with MediaMaster and other ArKaos products via the ChamSys website. "The acquisition strengthens ChamSys as the leading single-source solution for native lighting, pixel, and media control," says Chris Kennedy, founder of ChamSys. "By unifying MediaMaster with ChamSys control systems, we are giving users seamless, powerful, and reliable control from a single platform, eliminating workflow complications and technical barriers."

Seconding Kennedy's optimism, De Prins recalls the "strong history" of collaboration between ChamSys and ArKaos, noting that both companies were key players in the CITP/MSEX open network protocol, which allowed the high-level integration of lighting controllers, media servers, and visualisers, making it possible for applications to share video in real time, and display it on a lighting console or in a visualizer.

"Our team is going to be right at home being part of ChamSys," De Prins says. "ChamSys has been a trusted partner for years. Joining forces will strengthen our efforts in a multitude of ways and result in very real benefits in modern production control. You can look forward to some very impressive things happening."