With nearly 20 years of manufacturing and crafting newsroom computer software, we have dedicated our lives to developing and producing one product. The result is Octopus Newsroom which today serves 200+ clients in more than 60 countries around the world. In the process, we have learned many things that have shaped the news industry and helped position our NRCS for the future.
Free choice – Open to Third-Party Products
The MOS protocol opens a vast range of technological partnership options. Octopus Newsroom can be configured to deliver the news-making experience any way you want. You can choose freely among proven high-quality providers of graphics, playout, MAM, prompters, traffic or advertisement-handling solutions.
Some of our competitors have acquired companies and branded them without any major product revamp. That has quietly translated into pushing products as part of their offering that you might not really need.
We believe in the many benefits of an open ecosystem.
Connected, Liked and Shared
Octopus can ingest all incoming source material such as agency wires, RSS feeds, emails, and SMS. However evolution also requires that Octopus can both source from and output to the most popular social media platforms. Operators can search and browse content being posted-in accounts such as YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. They can also follow selected hashtags or channels and have the streamlined view organized for immediate reference. Newsroom staff can also upload videos to YouTube, send breaking news to Twitter and post teasers on Facebook. The Octopus 8 Social Media Hub even tracks the feedback from social media followers. It also allows you to upload that content from the rundown to your website via a friendly integration with CMS such as Joomla, WordPress and Drupal. This can be achieved with just a single click.
Software Ownership vs Subscription Commitment
Software companies are constantly evolving new ways in which they can profit. Octopus remains one of the very few players in the industry that still allow you to buy software without rental strings attached. When you purchase Octopus Newsroom, it is yours forever. Updates implemented to Octopus are not compulsory. If you and your staff choose to keep working with a given version, it will remain completely functional without forcing you to upgrade.
An Open Solution for any Platform
Not all departments within broadcast stations work with the same computer platform. Macs are usually the favorite for video editing. IT departments tend to prefer Linux. Newsrooms generally prefer PCs running Microsoft Windows. Octopus Newsroom is designed to run natively on any of these platforms. There is no need for a parallel operating system or for additional licensing. No remote sessions are needed. Octopus Newsroom is suitable both for television and radio stations. It is also mobile so reporters can take it into the trenches. The Octopus mobile app runs on Android or iPhone smartphones and tablets.
Scalable and Modular
You will find Octopus Newsroom is easy to learn and to operate, all essential features being easy to access and intuitive to use. Advanced features are available where and when required. Octopus can also produce insightful reports to check on the productivity and quality of stories. Social media profiles can be added straight to the command dashboard. You also have the mobility to operate the system in the field with full live reporting.
24/7/365 Support
We began by supporting all Octopus Newsroom customers from our headquarters in the center of Prague. As demand grew and we gained customers in America and Asia, we established offices around the world to be closer to and better serve our clients. Every Octopus Newsroom installation is protected by 24/7 support every day of the year. If technical adjustments are necessary, our engineers can provide reliable, fast and direct online assistance, identifying issues and providing any necessary adjustment.