softdesk collects the various news from different agencies & distributes these services, PTI wired services, through various networks, which ranges from teleprinter lines to VSAT's.

Apart from PTI stories the software is capable to collect stories from AP, AFP, GNA, Reuters, XINHua, TAS, kyodo, bloomberg etc.

The software has all features required for an ideal news room software. e.g thesaurus, spell checker, calculator, idioms, data recovery.

There are three type of modules designed for the user namely communication, editor & reporter.

1. Communication modules This module is basically responsible for data storage and transmission through various serial ports of a multi I/O card. These ports are connected to a MUX or multiplexer card. The mux card is an in house product of PTI designed for serial communications. This card is again configurable at some baud rate (1200,4800,9600bps) & is capable of handling 8 independent channels. The software can handle 6 MUX cards or 48 channels. In the startup the MUX card has to be initailized with predefined parameters.
   Normally It scans the various queues and find the stories eligible for transmission continously.The story is converted in form for various packets which are transmitted one by one.If some problem is encountered in transmission then it stops sending the packet in the respective channel & a red indication comes for that MUX.The mux card has to reinitialized for resuming the communication. The stories are stored in a Novell server which is refreshed at night 2.am.
   PTI wired services are also uplinked to a FTP server of worldpSpace working in asian subcontinent for its various subscribers in India and abroad. The email client is also available for data transmission .
2. Editor
   The editor module has an editor to punch the stories. Data is automatically saved during this process. The story management is done through a Priority which can be of 5 types.They are SNAPP, FLASH, URGENT, PRIORITY ,RUSH. Beside that the story has a service name ,a story no, slug name, priority, date and time of generation. The front end reflects the all the incomming and outgoing stories in two different places for that desk.
   The software first ask to attach a desk(or department).Each desk has a queue. Thus a story
   transmitted by a user is placed in that queue according to the priority assigned. some of the commands given by the user are transmission ,Retransmission ,Transmission as original , drop, promote, demote etc. In either case some activity happens in the queue and the user can also view it. The user can always check the status of his story.
   Various logs are maintained to check the activities of each user.
3. Reporter
   The reporter is assigned with less previledges.The story punched by the reporter arrives to the editor and the final authourity lies with the editor.He can either transmit forward or drop it.

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