45Drives Launches Beta for On-Premise Video Collaboration Platform Challenging Cloud Services

Open-source storage leader 45Drives announced the beta launch of a remote collaboration platform using on-premise storage for video professionals, developed by its creative technology division, 45Studio. Currently in active beta testing, this new platform serves as a powerful, self-hosted alternative to Frame.io and other cloud-based collaboration tools, designed to give post-production teams a faster, more secure, and more cost-effective way to work together on video projects. Through this beta, 45Drives is inviting professional editors, colorists, and production teams to test the platform in real-world workflows and provide feedback that will directly guide product development.

Dr. Doug Milburn, President of 45Drives, emphasized the company's collaborative approach, stating that working hand-in-hand with professionals ensures tools evolve into something truly built for them, not just for the market. The platform addresses significant pain points modern production teams face with proprietary cloud collaboration platforms, including cloud dependency that introduces latency, long upload times, and bandwidth challenges. Security risks from third-party exposure represent another critical concern, as cloud tools put mission-critical creative content in the hands of parties beyond a team's direct control.

Cost scalability presents additional challenges, with pricing tending to scale steeply with storage, usage, and sharing activity. Pay-per-share limitations often require costly higher-tier plans or paid seats when inviting clients or collaborators. This yet-to-be-named platform, built by 45Studio, takes a fundamentally different approach by being on-premise, allowing teams to collaborate directly over their own infrastructure while delivering the same seamless review and approval experience professionals expect, but without the delays, ongoing fees, or data control tradeoffs.

45Drives and 45Studio are partnering with Nicholas Wiczynski, Founder of NGW Post, an award-winning boutique post production company specializing in offline editing, re-recording mixing, color grading, and network delivery. Wiczynski is working directly with the 45Studio team to ensure the platform fits the real-world workflows of professional editors and post facilities. He noted that in post-production, professionals live and die by speed, collaboration, and reliability, and this platform is shaping up to solve real pain points that every professional editor knows too well. Professionals interested in joining the beta program and helping shape the future of video collaboration can sign up at https://45drivesstudio.com/beta.