The transition to all-software workflows in live media production is accelerating, driven by the flexibility of incorporating post-production tools and new AI processes. This shift is gaining traction in higher production tiers, where users seek “best of breed” solutions that integrate favorite components like graphics, vision switchers, and audio mixers. However, many vendors are still locked into proprietary ecosystems, limiting open interoperability. Traditional linear approaches, such as SDI and ST 2110, are inadequate for modern, asynchronous compute processes. Alongside VSF’s GCCG AG initiative, a new open API is being developed to enable efficient, low-latency communication using standard Ethernet, requiring no specialized hardware.