| About RSA | | |
How long has RSA been in business?
Rochester Software Associates (RSA) has been delivering Integrated Workflow Results since 1986. RSA's software solutions consolidate, optimize, and manage data center and network printing, thereby enhancing productivity and lowering costs. return to top | | |
What solutions are available from RSA?
RSA enables Internet-based print job submission and fulfillment (WebCRD), Scan to Printshop submission (QDirect.SCAN, legal solutions for Bates Stamping (BatesPrint) and Electronic Data Discovery (CDPrint), enterprise print workflow management (QDirect), EPS printer enhancement (EPSPro), and print transform (M.I.S. Print, IPDSPrint, VIPrint, RDOPrint, PDF Pro and PDF Lite). return to top | | |
What is RSA's 100% Guarantee?
All installations are backed by our 100% Guarantee. For print transform products, RSA guarantees the legacy Xerox LCDS (Metacode, DJDE, XES/UDK) or IPDS applications will print on the network printer exactly as they did on the original legacy printer provided RSA receives the same output and the designated printer's hardware supports required features. For all other RSA products, RSA guarantees that each product will perform in accordance with specifications. return to top | | |
Who are RSA's business partners?
RSA's software solutions are sold by leaders in the printing industry, including Canon, Canon Business Solutions, IKON, InfoPrint Solutions, Kodak NexPress, Konica Minolta, Ricoh and Xerox Corporation. These alliances have resulted in thousands of printer deployments and integrated customer solutions, producing billions of pages more efficiently than even before. Businesses rely on RSA's software solutions for their digital document production needs. return to top | | Customer Service | | |
Does RSA provide training and technical support?
Absolutely. RSA offers complete service in every sense of the word: from pre-sales support, through installation, training and on-going technical support. All levels of technical support are handled by qualified RSA support engineers. Simply choose a maintenance plan that suits the way your business operates. If that means every hour of every day, seven days a week, support is available from RSA. Each maintenance plan includes unlimited operator training, even for new employees who join your organization throughout the year. return to top | | |
What can I do to ensure the implementation goes smoothly?
The best way to be certain your installation will go smoothly is to contact RSA early to solidify the technical aspects of the installation. There are many configuration options. RSA sales engineers are experts in connectivity. You can take advantage of this by getting them involved on conference calls to review the current environment, and discuss changes in the configuration. Pre-sales calls with our sales engineers will develop the most efficient, cost-effective solution, and contribute towards a smooth installation. return to top | | |
How much time is involved to complete an installation?
One major benefit for RSA Partners is the analyst's time is kept to a minimum as all levels of support are handled by RSA support engineers. From pre-sales through installation and on to maintenance support, RSA accesses the system via modem or secure Internet connection, performing all tasks as if we were right at the console. This allows us to quickly diagnose and resolve any service issues without delay. If necessary, jobs can be run in our print lab to verify conformance. RSA also provides unlimited technical support pre and post installation. return to top | | Data Stream Transform and Production Print Management | | |
What are the advantages of running RSA software on the controller?
M.I.S. Print and IPDSPrint are the only integrated solutions that can be installed on the print controller of many production printers. This offers a number of major advantages: The solution is more reliable because it does not require any additional hardware (PC based server solutions add a potential point of failure that may reduce printer productivity). All functions are performed at the printer console, simplifying user operation. By residing on each print controller, the solution is also completely redundant. return to top | | |
What are the advantages of the Sun platform?
The print controller of most production printers is a Sun workstation. Print vendors have approved running M.I.S. Print and IPDSPrint on their print controller. Sun workstations running UNIX (Solaris) provide the highest level of serviceability and increased uptime. This is why major print vendors use Sun workstations for their print controllers. Why would anyone put a Windows based PC with a potential high failure and lockup rate in front of a production printer with Sun reliability? M.I.S. Print has an easy to use interface, designed to eliminate the need for operators to have any UNIX or Solaris operating system knowledge. Remote access to a Sun Solaris workstation has advantages compared to PC access. RSA can configure software, diagnose problems and upload changes and enhancements as required. This is a true multitasking platform capable of performing many functions simultaneously without Windows type PC lockup or crashes. Sun workstations are binary-compatible making them scalable from the entry level Sun Blade through Enterprise servers. M.I.S. Print can be scaled to any customer need. return to top | | |
How does M.I.S. Print emulate the functionality of Xerox LPS printers?
M.I.S. Print is designed to take Xerox Metacode, DJDE and XES data as if it were a LPS printer, and from that data, in real-time, create PostScript capable of printing on any PostScript printer. The customer's resources are copied and reside within the M.I.S. Print system in their native LPS formats. And, because M.I.S. Print converts legacy data streams at up to 10,000 pages per minute and creates extremely efficient PostScript, you can be assured your printers will run at rated speed. M.I.S. Print also works with midrange and desktop decentralized PostScript printers, opening the enterprise to mainframe documents. return to top | | |
Does RSA have a solution to balance workloads at multiple locations and produce jobs from any host to any printer?
Yes! RSA's popular QDirect is an enterprise job manager used to control workflow, route jobs and manage print queues. QDirect enables you to consolidate jobs from multiple departments or locations (data center, publishing, and end user applications) to a central point, and distribute print to local or remote locations. By integrating QDirect with RSA's data transform products, customers have the added ability to convert multiple data streams prior to distributing the output. This integrated solution will reduce costs by enabling the organization to share print resources, consolidate print centers and ensure maximum printer productivity. return to top | | |
What options are available for creating a redundant print solution for the customer?
There are quite a few ways to configure M.I.S. Print and IPDSPrint for redundancy. The most common of which, is running the software on the controller of each production printer. There is no additional charge to install and run M.I.S. Print on the print controller of each licensed printer rather than running it on a Sun server. By residing on the printer controllers, you reduce the number of boxes in the customer's critical data path and create a redundant print solution. Anytime the printer is operational, so is M.I.S. Print/IPDSPrint. For those printers that do not have a printer controller, RSA can install the software on a low-cost Sun workstation. The Sun workstation assures a high level of reliability and uptime. For a total redundant installation a backup workstation can be configured or the solution can be implemented with a RAID level 1 or RAID level 5 redundancy. return to top | | |
Disaster recovery is a mandate, what options do you provide?
RSA has many disaster recovery/high availability options. All RSA products run on Sun workstations, resulting in superior scalability and a level of fault tolerance not found in the PC world. Whether your customer is demanding a RAID array or preparing for off-site recovery, RSA has the solution. Our servers can be configured with RAID level 1 or 5 redundancy at the OS and application level. The resource replication feature and multiple resource set management allow RSA to meet even the most demanding customer's backup requirements. Call RSA for further details. return to top | | |
I want to replace our aging LPS and/or IPDS printers in the data center with new production printers that will handle network and publishing applications. How can M.I.S. Print help?
Many organizations are consolidating their print facilities. As MIS/data center printing is merged with network and publishing printing, the demand for printing of multiple PDL's on production printers increases greatly. M.I.S. Print enables this transition by converting LCDS, Metacode, XES, and IPDS for simultaneous production on networked printers such as the DocuTech, imageRUNNER and Infoprint printers. Here are some major benefits of M.I.S. Print: For customers with mixed printer environments, RSA can provide one seamless solution to convert LCDS and IPDS data streams for all printers, concurrently without a warm/cold boot. In fact, M.I.S. Print and IPDSPrint are the only integrated solutions, installed co-resident on the printer controller of major production printers. RSA's transform solutions support virtually all types of connectivity can be integrated with RSA's robust print manager, QDirect, to control workflow, route jobs and manage print queues. Value-added features such as resource replication and multiple resource set management are standard with each installation. Reprinting jobs is easy and jobs can be converted to PDF or TIFF for desktop viewing, archiving, or distribution. return to top | | |
How does M.I.S. Print manage resources for multiple printers?
Managing fonts, forms, and other resources was often a challenge with multiple LPS printer installations. Customers had to first develop the resource, then load and test it on a printer. They then created a disk and sent it to their other LPS printers for loading. Human error, bad disks, mistyped commands and remote locations resulted in delays for print operations. M.I.S. Print's resource replication feature makes it easy to load new resources and then distribute them to other printers at the click of a button. Once a new resource is loaded, selecting replicate instantly updates only the changed resources to all configured copies of M.I.S. Print on the network. M.I.S. Print does not have to be rendered offline, meaning resources can be updated while production jobs are processing, saving even more time. When M.I.S. Print is installed on the print controller of multiple printers, the replicate feature keeps the resources of all printers current automatically. return to top | | |
How can I manage multiple resource sets?
RSA's Transform Solutions are often part of a print solution when print centers consolidate, companies bring jobs in-house, or mergers and acquisitions leave a customer with jobs from multiple unrelated LPS printers. A potential problem is created when you want to run these various jobs and there are conflicting resources with the same name. One solution for this conflict would be to change the names of the resources to make them all unique. Fortunately this is not necessary with RSA. The Multiple Resource Set feature allows customers to maintain separate resource libraries on a single installation which manages the resource selection. A distinct set of FNT, FRM, LGO, IMG, JSL, PDE, CME's can be associated with an inbound queue allowing customers with consolidated LPS printers to migrate seamlessly to a PostScript solution. return to top | | |
Can M.I.S. Print help distribute documents electronically?
Absolutely! In addition to creating PostScript for high volume, midrange and desktop printers, M.I.S. Print can also convert legacy data streams to indexable, viewable PDF or TIFF for an unlimited number of applications including online viewing, archiving or automated e-mail distribution. Data can arrive in any of M.I.S. Print's supported PDL's including sysout, LCDS/DJDE, Metacode, or XES/UDK. After conversion to PDF, the output can be named based on input queue, banner criteria, or information intelligently gathered from variable data. Similarly, the output can then be routed (via FTP, NFS, file copy, etc.) to destinations based on that same information or other criteria from the job itself: Account Name, Date, Sender, etc. PDF also offers some powerful indexing options. M.I.S. Print can create searchable output indexed on fields available within the job. End users can then view mainframe created documents in digital form at their desks and distribute these digital document images across the enterprise. return to top | | Web-to-Print | | |
Who are ideal users of WebCRD?
WebCRD is ideal for facilities management sites and print centers within corporations, colleges and universities, financial institutions, and government offices - anyone looking to automate the submission, fulfillment, and production management of print jobs within their operation. return to top | | |
What is RSA's experience with web submission and Print Center automation?
RSA has provided software solutions to automate print centers since 1993. In 1997, RSA delivered Global Production Management System (GPMS) to automate print submission and production in the Xerox Document Technology Centers. This demanding environment called for the very best in capability and reliability, producing millions of pages for customers across the globe. RSA took the most frequently used features of GPMS and updated them for use in the general marketplace to deliver WebCRD as an easy-to-use and robust job submission and print production application. return to top | | |
What benefit does WebCRD offer to the Print Center?
WebCRD is more than just a web submission application. The Print Center can manage incoming orders and production workflow, including directly releasing jobs with properly formatted job tickets to print queues on networked printers. WebCRD supports all printers, with powerful Job Ticket support for your printers. Production activity is tracked by user, so that accounting information is easy to extract for cost allocation purposes. return to top | | |
Does WebCRD also support printers that do not have a job ticket?
Absolutely. WebCRD is able to directly drive networked production printers that are driven by PostScript rather than by a job ticket, making WebCRD ideal for environments with mixed configurations as well as those installations that only contain these mid-range printers. return to top | | |
Why is Direct Submission of print jobs to production printers important?
Direct submission of jobs improves order accuracy. Operators no longer must re-enter job ticket information. Elimination of points of failure reduces errors and improves operations. Orders are stored automatically in the WebCRD file repository just the way they have been printed, providing operators increased productivity and convenience. return to top | | |
How does WebCRD create PDF files for proofing and production?
RSA offers two options for automated print-ready PDF file creation: CentralPDF for server-based workflows, and client-based SurePDF for submission of proofed PDF documents. SurePDF, powered by genuine Adobe PDF JobReady, automatically creates PDF files from the user's PC or Mac. Creating PDF on the user's desktop produces the most accurate PDF because it uses the native application and resident fonts for PDF generation. return to top | | |
When do I use these PDF workflow options?
For tightly controlled IT environments that will not allow the addition of the SurePDF print driver, use CentralPDF workflow software. For all other environments, WebCRD SurePDF produces secure, reliable, and predictable results from every client application capable of printing to a PostScript printer. With WebCRD SurePDF, customers can Print to WebCRD, just as if they were using any Windows print driver to print to a local printing resource, delivering the most efficient and predictable workflow for online submission of jobs to the print center. return to top | | |
What are the advantages of the Sun platform for WebCRD?
RSA's solutions run on a secure, scalable Sun platform. This offers many significant advantages: Sun workstations running UNIX (Solaris) provide the highest level of serviceability and increased uptime. Remote access to a Sun Solaris workstation has strong advantages for support and installation processes. RSA can remotely configure software, diagnose problems and upload changes and enhancements as required. This is a true multitasking platform capable of performing many functions simultaneously without spyware, viruses, or Windows type PC lockup or crashes. Sun workstations are binary-compatible making them highly scalable. RSA will configure WebCRD for any size customer need. Sun Solaris running the Apache server is the platform of choice for secure internet operation. Ultimately, the server is an appliance with low overhead and remote serviceability, allowing RSA to maintain your installation securely and reliably. return to top | | |
How do I see a demo of WebCRD?
In addition to the Flash demo at www.rocsoft.com, demonstrations of WebCRD may be scheduled in advance, and are typically conducted using WebEx over the Internet. Prior to scheduling a demo, RSA will work with you and your customer to understand their needs and goals for the individual solution. For more information about WebCRD or to receive a sales quote, call RSA at 585-262-2690 or email RSAinfo @ rocsoft.com. return to top | | Connectivity | | |
When should I use the RSA Channel Card vs. the Channel Server?
When TCP/IP is not the desired connectivity option, RSA offers two possible solutions for Channel connectivity, the RSA Channel Card and the Channel Server. Solutions can be used either to connect to mainframes or intermediate Channel solutions (Barr, Spur, etc.). The best choice for a specific customer is usually dependent on the number of printers enabled. The Channel Card offers direct 3211 Channel connectivity through a PCI card placed in the Sun print controller of the production printer. This configuration eliminates the need for a separate server between the host and the production printer. This is the most cost-effective and reliable solution for customers with one printer. The card can be used in conjunction with other Channel devices through traditional daisychaining, and will maintain the Channel integrity even when the Sun controller is powered off. The Sun-based Channel Server acts as a pass-through from the Channel to a TCP/IP Ethernet network. One server can emulate up to (24) 3211 devices, making it a cost-effective solution for multiple printer installations. The server requires no user intervention to operate and also can be part of a daisy-chained Channel. The RSA Sun-based Channel Servers provide better serviceability and increase uptime compared to PC-based Channel Servers. All of RSA's Channel solutions provide a transparent transition path for legacy data streams, and are available as either Bus & Tag (Parallel) or ESCON. Data arrives without change to the customer's application or submission process. RSA guarantees 100% document fidelity on the network printer. return to top | | |
How can I run LPS jobs from offline tape or a new networked printer?
RSA offers some very flexible solutions for processing offline tape. Options include attaching a tape drive directly to a print controller or to an external Sun workstation that then sends PostScript output to multiple printers. All tape formats supported by Xerox LPS printers can be processed. The print controller can be fitted with a SCSI card, a tape drive (IBM Cartridge or 9 track reel), and M.I.S. Print. This allows processing of offline LCDS jobs (line-mode, DJDE, Metacode) on the PostScript printer without changes to the application and without interrupting the printer's ability to receive and process mainframe and network jobs via Channel or TCP/IP. RSA can also supply an external Sun workstation and tape drive to load the offline jobs, and forward PostScript over the customer's network to the new printer(s). One Sun can be configured with up to 3 tape drives for simultaneous printing to multiple devices. If printing is not your intended goal for some or all of those jobs, M.I.S. Print can create PDF or TIFF for automated electronic distribution. return to top | | |
What TCP/IP options do I have to print LCDS/Metacode/XES data from an MVS mainframe?
Though most legacy printers are connected by IBM channel, many customers wish to move to a TCP/IP-based workflow. On an MVS host there are a number of options. RSA offers Mainframe Downloader, a software-based Secure TCP/IP solution that uses AES Encryption and also offers compression/decompression for enhanced use of bandwidth. There are many factors that come into play when printing LCDS/ Metacode/XES data from an MVS host over TCP/IP. RSA's Sales Engineers are available to assist you in configuration details. return to top | | Professional Services | | |
What types of services do RSA's Professional Services include?
We categorize all of our Professional Services offerings as either Core or Optional. Core services are offered at no additional charge with each and every sale. Optional services are available to you at an additional charge, should you require them. return to top | | |
While our needs are something that RSA could help with, I'm afraid that the problems unique to our company are something that is outside the realm of your offering. Is this the case?
No two enterprises are the same. The lifecycle of your documents, from creation to final production and archival, is unique to you. So too are your customers, and their demands on you. For this reason, RSA does not force you into a one-size-fits-all solution. Our Professional Services team works closely with you to understand your requirements and ensure that the solution we deliver will meet them. Also, RSA's Discovery, Design, and Documentation process to define customer's needs and recommend a custom-matched solution. We deliver custom scripts (where applicable) or entirely new product features to support customer needs. return to top | | |
All of this looks pretty complex, is there any training? Will RSA come to us for Consulting and Training?
RSA offers in-depth software training that includes a webinars with an instructor, Flash demos, and PDF training guides. On-site training and consulting is available. Contact your sales representative for details. return to top | | |
|
|
