Press Release: OffShoot, the next generation Hedge
Utrecht, The Netherlands, 3rd October 2023: The future of Hedge starts today. Hedge turned seven this year and with that, we believe that the Hedge application has matured to a level where it deserves its own identity and place in our lineup. Following the announcement of our transition from the Hedge application to OffShoot earlier this year, our team has been fully immersed in a customer-engaged beta track. The feedback we have received from the testers has been phenomenal and helped further refine the release. The Hedge team is now pleased to be officially releasing OffShoot Solo, OffShoot & OffShoot Pro.
At its heart, OffShoot is still the fast, secure, easy-to-use application for offloading camera media, but it’s also grown to become part of a wider ecosystem of products and supports a greater range of workflows. A change in name is something we’ve thought about a lot, and the time feels right, especially as we move to introduce significant new features and seek to harmonize our software under the Hedge brand. The new name describes the core role of the app and aligns with our vision for the company.
All good things come in threes
To better support a wider range of customers, we are making the software available in several versions: OffShoot Solo (for iPadOS), OffShoot, and OffShoot Pro. This means users will be able to choose the version with the features that best suit their needs. OffShoot Solo takes advantage of the latest updates in iPadOS 17 for increased speeds, OffShoot features an updated UI and new integrations, whilst the Pro version adds support for AWS S3 cloud storage, support for scripting/API, and Codex Device Manager 7, which introduces compatibility for the latest ARRI Alexa camera formats. The core of the Mac/Windows versions is that it also marks the debut of both our new floating license model as well as Connect 3, the next instalment of our online dashboard and universal push notification system.
OffShoot Solo
Just as Hedge wants to engage with high-end cinema production, we want to reach out to filmmakers, photographers and creators working on projects that favor mobile devices. We recognize the value of the work and how mobile devices have evolved to now support fast connectivity, verified transfers, and affordable options for users to transfer camera files to their devices and other storage. (OffShoot Solo USD $49)
OffShoot
The application formally known as Hedge contains all of the core copy engine technology that’s been developed over the last seven years that provides the functionality required to copy files fast and securely. OffShoot is targeted at a broad range of creatives who require accelerated data transfers and use verification to ensure each copy is secure. The organization functionality can dial out further issues down the line by helping define folder structure, renaming and integrating with other applications within a user's workflows. With an easy-to-use interface that takes away the complexity of the work being done to ensure not only that transfers are easy to set up but also provides verification of the transfer as proof of work. (OffShoot USD $149)
OffShoot Pro
OffShoot Pro has been designed to support specialized tools and advanced workflows. With this in mind OffShoot Pro is introducing an Amazon S3 integration so that users can link their offload workflow directly to the cloud. This allows users to utilize the efficiency benefits of cloud workflows while providing a verified copy to cloud functionality as if it were a local disk. Alongside support for AWS S3 storage, the connection to cloud can be utilized with other cloud storage vendors that support the S3 architecture. (OffShoot Pro USD $249)
OffShoot and Cloud Workflows
The team at Hedge is very aware of the challenges everyone has faced over the last three years. They have impacted every level of our industry in general and changed our customer requirements specifically. We recognize how important the cloud has become in enabling remote workflows, and we are certain that they are here to stay. For this reason, OffShoot and OffShoot Pro both offer integration with iconik, a popular hybrid cloud asset management solution from our partners at Backlight. With OffShoot, users can copy cards and send media straight to iconik’s Storage Gateway to catalogue, archive, and share with their team. OffShoot Pro includes additional metadata options to further deepen the integration with iconik. OffShoot and OffShoot Pro also offer opportunities to upload files to Frame.io via a dedicated watch folder.
Connect 3 - Notification and online dashboard
Connect 3 now further expands our comprehensive push notification system and further extends our cloud technology strategy. Currently, notifications are app-based, which is inherently limited, so we’ve developed a cloud platform that will eventually allow us to add notifications wherever we need them across our entire product line.
Connect 3 adds support for Android and iOS devices on 16.4 and above. Users can use the web interface to monitor transfer status on every instance of OffShoot you manage, wherever it is located. For large organizations, this means tracking footage across numerous locations and better coordination of resources.
OffShoot - Flexible licenses
With the introduction of OffShoot, we have improved our licensing system by transitioning to floating licenses. This newly implemented feature offers the convenience of installing OffShoot on any number of machines while granting users the freedom to deactivate licenses from machines that are not currently in use. If users require concurrent usage on multiple machines, they can easily add extra activations as needed. Having perpetual OffShoot licenses gives users the flexibility to add activations whenever necessary, whether it's for specific projects or to align with production demands. This approach empowers our customers by providing them with maximum flexibility and control over their licensing expenses.
For existing customers with active support for the current Hedge application, we are pleased to announce that OffShoot will be made available as a complimentary update. Additionally, for other customers, there is a seamless upgrade path accessible.
Those who would like to trial OffShoot for free can benefit from a 10-day full feature trial here.
Learn more about OffShoot here: https://hedge.video/offshoot