It’s been a couple weeks since we discussed all the ways RCS’ 2GO line of products can maximize your remote efficiency. So we decided to go over how to schedule, broadcast and more as part of this week’s RCS Live: Revisiting Questions and Answers in the Time of Remote Workflows.

Starting with your music schedule, users can make category changes in Selector2GO, schedule their log and then massage the log within the Editor. Don’t forget, users can also enable the “Save On Server” option so that when a user exports a schedule in Selector2GO, they can still send their flat file to automation. Of course, if you have GSelector and Zetta integration, there’s no need to export a log because GSelector and Zetta features 100% live integration. Pro Tip: Right Click and open a new section of Selector2GO as a “New Tab,” so that you can work on multiple stations or areas of Selector2GO by navigating between tabs.

Moving onto Zetta2GO, users can add audio, edit metadata, voice track and continue to broadcast live – all from their browser. As with all RCS 2GO products, there’s no app to download and as long as your device has access to the Internet, you can utilize RCS 2GO. During the Facebook Live, we also talked about how it’s best practice to add your new audio from Zetta2GO first and switch to Selector2GO to further add scheduling metadata.

Next, we went over Revma, RCS’ Content Delivery Network, and its Conference App. Think of Revma’s Conference App as a digital room that hosts can invite guests into the room for a single digital output. Once set up and broadcasting live, Administrators can configure that particular Conference App stream to a Hot Key so that users can control the on-air sequencer via Zetta2GO’s On-Air module, enable the Conference App Hot Key and begin to broadcast live, like a morning show with multiple talent. When the broadcast is done, simply turn off the Hot Key and/or turn off the Conference App live stream.

Finally, we took a brief dive into Zetta Cloud, which is written on Amazon Web Services, utilizing best practices and securities. Since Zetta Cloud is not a Virtual Machine on an AWS instance, users can access their Zetta Cloud from any device that has Internet and they’ll be able log in with their Okta Two-Step Authentication process. Zetta Cloud has its own encoder than can be pre-configured to your transmitter site so that when disaster does strike, one can open their phone, log in, and enable the stream. Zetta will send all audio, metadata, schedules, log changes, and SQL backups so that after your disaster is over. Simply restore the Zetta Cloud data or stop the sequencer and return back to your local Zetta.

As always, reach out if you have any questions or looking for workflow solutions. JUST ANNOUNCED: We will be hosting our first ever RCS Live: Questions & Answers in the Time of Remote Workflows (En Español) on Tuesday September 8^th at 10am ET. You can RSVP and submit your questions to be answered live in real time in advance on our Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/RCSSoundSoftware.

This week, we were joined by RCS VP of Customer Experience Barry Hill for another RCS Live. Barry and Nate broke down how users can reach out to Support and offered a grab bag of frequently asked questions.

Don’t forget that there are a lot of free RCS tools you can utilize in order to maximize your efficiency. For example, users can book their installation times ahead of time with www.rcsworks.com/bookings , Selector users with advanced firewall configurations can manually license themselves by going towww.selectorlicense.com , users can reset their password via our Forget Password link and finally if you send yourself a Data Exchange, RCS will keep an emergency copy of your database.

Next, straight from RCS Support Engineers, we broke down some methods to speed up the Support process. Users can always email support@rcsworks.com for smaller issues that don’t need an immediate turnaround, whereas if there is an off-air emergency, we encourage you to call the main support line (914-259-4900) so that we can get you back on the air ASAP. Make a point to write down important pieces of information like the exact time of the issue or the element in question. It saves Support from having to fish for resolutions stemming from, “I have an issue. At some point yesterday some song didn’t play. I don’t know which one or when it was or why it didn’t play.”

In the upcoming weeks, we’ll be showcasing some great Facebook Live topics. Keep an eye out for Facebook Event Invites and more! As always, reach out if you have any questions or looking for workflow solutions. Don’t forget to follow us on www.Facebook.com/RCSSoundSoftware for updates and we’ll see you every Thursday at 11am ET.

Why choose between working from home (WFH) and going to the station?

The 2020 health crisis has affected the way we all work and, after the initial shock to the system, more and more workers are discovering the benefits of working from home. But what comes next as lockdowns creak open and a ‘WFH’ lifestyle increasingly feels like your own personal Groundhog Day?

The greatest advantage of working from home centers around ‘freedom’. The freedom to sculpt your day around what you want to do, and when you want to do it, means that workers are always operating at peak intent. Don’t feel up to tackling that spreadsheet? Do something creative and fun instead. All out of amazing new ideas? Maybe it’s time to take care of those invoices after all.

When you work at home, there are fewer interruptions from bosses or distractions from work colleagues eager to waste their day. And by eliminating commutes, going out to buy lunch (or even change out of your pajamas), there’s more time to get more done. Data from time tracking tool RescueTime, shows that home workers enjoy a 4% increase in core work and an 18% decrease in time spent on communication when compared to office workers.

Over a year, that delivers up to 58 more hours of work from nowhere. And with the US Census Bureau finding that the average American commute is now 27 minutes per journey that’s almost an hour that home workers are (sometimes entirely) adding to their workday.

But the world of WFH isn’t all rosy. With the forces that create our work/life balance removed, the danger is that some workers are now working too hard and never actually escaping work.

Networker NordVPN reports that ‘wake-up times’ may indeed be later but ‘peak email’ is now an hour earlier. Similarly VPN Surfshark has seen spikes in usage from midnight to 3am that simply didn’t exist before the current crisis. And aside from the health implications – both physical and mental – you do have to question the quality of anything being produced at 3am.

It’s therefore not surprising that in a survey of their users, market-leading sales tool Salesforce found that 64% of workers said that they want to spend ‘at least some’ time in the workplace. Similarly a recent survey published by UK serviced office supplier Office Space In Town found that just 5% of employees want to remote work on a full-time basis.

But this is only what freelancers and coffee shop warriors have known for years – getting away from daily life and securing a little productive ‘me time’ is only ever a good thing. Indeed, studies have shown that the uncontrolled ambient bustle of a coffee shop is more conducive to creativity versus the predictable, controllable environment of home.

These same desires have fueled the rise of co-working spaces with a report from Raconteur discovering that the basics of ‘a social and enjoyable atmosphere’, ‘interaction with others’, a sense of ‘community’ and ‘like-minded people’ leads workers to flee the easy life of the dining table boardroom and bedroom office in favor of a more conventional workspace entirely by choice.

It’s clear therefore that there’s a happy medium to be found, and with working from home and alongside colleagues in a workplace each having their pluses, can’t we just have both?

Welcome to the ‘new, next level normal’, one that’s become known as ‘hybrid working’. It’s an approach that smartly cherry-picks the upsides from WFH and safe co-working, while dodging either’s downsides.

A typical hybrid worker will therefore rise out of bed later and be more rested, yet start work earlier. They’ll manage their own workday, performing the tasks they feel most attuned to and they’ll spend more time with loved ones rather than being jostled with strangers on a frustrating commute.

They’ll work through lunch, yet gain greater job satisfaction as they get more done. They’ll be empowered by like-minded ‘hybrids’ and seek out company and collaboration in comfortable, safe, purpose-built workspaces free from the responsibility to own or manage them.

These hybrid workers will be inspired, learn new skills and then take that knowledge to wherever it can be best put to use. They can get change and influence when they want it and stability and predictability when they don’t. They’ll produce more quality work in less time, without any worries of burnout, boredom or burden. Hybrid delivers the dream of all the support from their big stack IT, their trusted team and corporate infrastructure, plus the new freedom that only comes from the time and space to work their own way.

So what are the requirements for going hybrid? Connectivity is, of course, key. Intent Group found that ‘Good Wi-Fi’ is the main requirement of 95% of co-workers. But it’s new smart software with mobile components that’s emerging as hybrid’s biggest enabler.

Software vendor RCS – the world’s biggest supplier of broadcast software – is a company that’s already used to delivering performance under pressure as its suite of Zetta, GSelector and Aquira software power the output of thousands of radio stations worldwide. What was devised as a way to more easily deliver outside broadcasts and to remotely back up content in case of outages, is at the core of freeing users as they go hybrid.

The RCS suite features ‘To Go’ mobile versions, enabling teams to collude on sequencing songs, putting together shows and even selling the ad slots in between, all from anywhere via an internet connection. And remote workers can get at their projects anywhere via Zetta Cloud, so when there’s the opportunity for safe co-working they can bring their projects – and the time spent apart – back together, delivering the best of all workplace worlds.

RCS software gifts the power to create, perform and deliver rich entertainment that is now seamlessly powered by the passion, freedom and creativity of the people that use it. They’re typical of the new hybrid workers that are creating their best work while getting more done, with less interruption, friction and fuss.

The road ahead is increasingly looking like it’s reached a point of no return as, through the necessity of adversity, powerful tech has made good on its promises and finally delivered. It’s up to managers everywhere to use lockdown learnings and take the next steps towards a smarter, more flexible and more efficient workplace.

Now that sporting events are back after a COVID break, it’s time to talk about Zetta and sporting events. As part of another Questions and Answers During a Time of Remote Workflows, Nate Mumford was joined by Brian Willard, Field Technician Services Manager, and Jeff Ziger, Senior Sales Engineer, to discuss some of their favorite sporting event tips and tricks.

Nate, Brian and Jeff broke down the session into four parts: prepping, affiliates, network (source of the content) and the future. Starting with the prep process, it’s also important to understand what your station needs to configure in order to properly run a successful sporting event broadcast. That starts with reaching out to your Network Provider to get the broadcast schedule and perhaps double check if there were any off season tweaks to either the clocks, tones or the event structure. Also, don’t forget that RCS is here to help you with any configuration, you’re not in this alone. If you need any assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to RCS Support or your Field Technician Services (FTS) team member.

Next, we discussed implementing sporting events for Affiliates, specifically Mini-Logs and additional sequencers. Remember, the most important difference between Zetta Shows and Mini-Logs is that Mini-Logs can include time stamped assets, like Spot Blocks and Exact Time Markers, that can be implemented into the log structure. RCS recommends that users pre-define their Mini-Logs so that when they’re in season, users can simply drag and drop elements into the log as needed. Users can also pre-load their Logs to include Mini-Logs for each game ahead of time.

One of the biggest tips that RCS recommends is to purchase an additional Sequencer, which is tied to its corresponding Logs module. This will allow users to freely pivot content from the Primary Sequencer (or terrestrial output) to a Secondary Sequencer (like an online stream that cannot air certain content or another alternate source of programming, like a music log for rain delays. If you’re looking for some remote workflow solutions, if you add these audio routes and macros to Zetta’s Hot Keys, then they’re available for control via Zetta2GO. That way, users can control the on-air product via their home office! Markets with multiple stations can also get creative and have team or sport specific sequencers that can be controlled via Audio Routes to broadcast on different Primary sequencers, like on a AM one game and the FM during another.

Finally, Nate, Brian and Jeff discussed the future of what’s next for Zetta and sporting events. With the additional of the new Revma, RCS’ content delivery network, Conference App, hosts can create a cloud room to invite talent from multiple geographic locations that are mixed to a single output source. In regards to sports, think of a play by play cloud room that is fed by a Network to its affiliates. In addition to Zetta, GSelector also has a feature for a specific Clock override. Instead of a grid override, create a single sporting clock, which can include Zetta’s Mini-Logs, and program the clock to override generic programming during the scheduling process.

Don’t forget, if you want the latest and greatest, RCS is always looking for new beta users for their upcoming Zetta 5.20.1 and GSelector 4.9.0 releases. And if you’re working from home, we would love to showcase your at-home setup! Send your pictures to live@rcsworks.com or direct message us on social media and we’ll send you some RCS goodies! We have some special guests and surprises lined up for upcoming Facebook Lives, including a detailed breakdown of Zetta’s Site Replication vs. Z-Cast with Zetta Product Manager Martin Blazek. You won’t want to miss it! As always, reach out if you have any questions or looking for workflow solutions. Don’t forget to follow us on www.Facebook.com/RCSSoundSoftware for updates and we’ll see you every Thursday at 11am ET.

This Thursday during another installment of RCS Questions and Answers in a Time of Remote Workflows, we covered RCS Academy. Specifically, we debuted Zetta Certification, which is due later Summer 2020.

RCS Academy is a collection of self-paced online courses, including GSelector Certification and Zetta Certification, that will guide users of all knowledge levels so that they have a complete understanding of how to use each RCS product. For beginners, there will be clear descriptions of each section and a breakdown of every icon, intermediate users will understand the “how’s” and “why” functionalities and for advanced users, we’ll take a deep dive into almost every section of the software to discuss features that they may not have seen or demonstrate real-life examples on how to interpret the software.

Each program is broken down by courses, showcasing certain aspects of each software. First, users will be introduced to self-guided videos describing the specific section of the software and then a follow up Knowledge Check to make sure the user has properly digested the material. If you find yourself failing that section of the Knowledge Check, it’s an indication that perhaps the user should re-watch the previous video. As users progress through multiple sections, at the end of each course, users will take a Final Quiz in order to pass the course and continue to the next part of the Certification Program. Since these Certification Programs are featured in universities, colleges, schools, and businesses, users are forced to navigate throughout each course and cannot simply press play and walk away. Each question, answer, Knowledge Check, Final Quiz and Final Exam are all randomized so that no two users can take the same Certification Program. For example, one user may have Question 1 with the correct Answer B, whereas for another user, Question 1 becomes Question 5 and the correct answer is now D. At the end of all the courses, a user must pass the Final Exam, a collection of all the Knowledge Checks and Final Quizzes. Users MUST pass the Final Exam in order to complete the Certification Program and become certified on that RCS product.

Certification questions range from True/False, Multiple Choice or Select All That Apply. Because the goal is for users to gain product knowledge and pass the course, we made a point to guide these quizzes so that the user will better understand the desired product or workflow, sometimes using real life examples as questions. In doing so, questions are arranged as to not trick the user into incorrect answers, rather encourage them to think about product concepts and workflow locations.

Upon completing the Certification Program, users will receive an RCS shipment, including an RCS Product Certified pin, a signed completion letter by RCS CEO Philippe Generali and other goodies. User can then add “RCS Product Certified” on their resumes and they’ll be able to opt into a “Master Certification List” for employers to find or confirm power users. Feel free to promote your success on LinkedIn or email signatures with Product Certification badges.

As we continue to write more Certification Programs based on other RCS Products, users can head to our RCS Academy website (https://www.rcsworks.com/rcs-academy/) for updates and, once we’re allowed to head back on the road, don’t forget to sign up for our free remote RCS Academy Workshops, in which users can ask questions and take free modules.

As always, reach out if you have any questions or looking for workflow solutions. Don’t forget to follow us on www.Facebook.com/RCSSoundSoftware for updates and we’ll see you every Thursday at 11am ET.