Bitfocus delivers high availability, high security and high usability for complex show control

Absolute reliability is the key demand of any live event. The latest version of Buttons now supports an architecture of three virtual machines (or dedicated hardware) running in parallel, ensuring absolute non-stop performance.

Buttons supports cue lists within its own software, eliminating the need for third-party software and the complications of interworking. Cue lists can be as rich as the show demands, with multiple levels of stacked actions to be triggered from a single cue. It also supports conditional actions which depend either on data from the connected devices or from other information such as time or date. This means, for example, that a show that has different versions at different times can have a single cue list which automatically and seamlessly sets up the variations.

Security is intrinsic to the Buttons software environment. Access is protected through a single sign-on scheme, which can be integrated with corporate infrastructures. Hardware devices are activated with access keys – which can be physical tokens for Stream Deck, or biometrics for tablets and computers – which automatically set the panel to the right configuration for the task and for the individual.

“Buttons is developed by media professionals who really understand what happens in live events and broadcast,” said Ole-Andreas Løvland, Bitfocus CEO. “We hear what our customers tell us about their experiences in using Buttons, and we build on that to make the system even easier in real world applications.

“The result is an incredibly capable platform which brings together all the intelligence to build a complete show, along with interfaces to more than 700 popular devices from all the key vendors in media technology,” Løvland continued. “AV professionals will almost certainly have used our open source platform Companion: Buttons takes the same approach and adds all the enterprise functionality to perform at the highest level, while still being approachable for even the smallest show.”

The core Buttons software can be hosted on macOS or Windows computers or as virtual machines on a server network. It is capable of linking multiple locations and production elements in a single control environment. Configuration and workflow design uses a web interface, and users are free to build bespoke user interfaces for computers, laptops and tablets. Most, though, will simplify live operations with dedicated hardware like the Elgato Stream Deck range of panels, or similar devices from other vendors.

Try the latest version of Buttons for yourselves at ISE 2026, on stand 4P880, and find more information at bitfocus.io.