Brooks Updates Remote Print Manager with Customized Workflows

Published: June 10, 2008

by Alex Woodie

Brooks Internet Software is giving users of its RPM Remote Print Manager software the capability to create complex printing workflows. With RPM version 5.0, launched two weeks ago, users can instruct the software to execute multi-layered tasks, such as convert i OS-based SCS spool files to the PDF format, and then send the resulting file to a Windows PC for printing.

RPM Remote Print Manager is a Line Printer Daemon (LPD) print server designed to provide more flexibility in the management and handling of the print output of i OS, mainframe, and Unix systems. The software, which runs on Windows PCs and servers, works by intercepting host print jobs, performing various transformations (such as converting EBCDIC or SCS to ASCII or PCL), and then distributing the file through various methods, such as printing, e-mail, and archiving.

With RPM version 5, Brooks has altered the product with the introduction of multi-stage processing and the execution of complex workflow processes. Users work with the product by assigning actions and transformations to each RPM print queue; each queue can support an unlimited number of actions and transforms.

With this release, classic RPM features such as text and pass-through printing and filter processing, are now considered actions. Additional actions introduced with this release include e-mail and copy-to-queue. New transforms have also been added, including string translator and Computer Output Reduction (COR), which automatically scales and rotates a page depending on content. Existing transforms, such as SCS, have also been enhanced, Brooks says.

The enhancements enable users to create workflows for their legacy systems. For example, a user can now accomplish broadcast printing by simply adding text print actions to a print queue, Brooks says. Any other combination of supported actions and transforms can be set up and ordered to execute automatically whenever a spool file hits a queue.

Other new features introduced with version 5 include the capability to send print jobs as e-mail attachments; the capability to convert files to PDF; and full Unicode support for reading and writing international character sets.

Brooks, which is based in Idaho Falls, Idaho, develops several other print-related products, including ExcelliPrint IPDS, which supports IBM's high-end AFPDS printing infrastructure, and INTELLIscribe LPR, which is used for document distribution.

Brooks sells two versions of RPM: RPM Select, which can be connected to up to 10 Windows printers, and RPM Elite, which can support an unlimited number of Windows printers. Only RPM Select has been updated with the new workflow capabilities in version 5; Brooks says the new features will be brought to RPM Elite with a version 5.0 release in the coming months.

RPM Select 5.0 is available now. Pricing begins at $324. For more information, visit www.brooksnet.com.

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