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What to Look for When Choosing a SaaS Provider

by lisa September 13, 2024

As businesses increasingly rely on cloud-based solutions, choosing the right SaaS (Software as a Service) provider becomes a critical decision. With so many options available, finding a provider that aligns with your specific needs can be challenging. Here’s a guide to the key factors you should consider when evaluating SaaS providers.

 Security and Compliance

Data security is paramount, especially when you are trusting a third party with sensitive business information. You should evaluate the security protocols that the SaaS provider has in place to ensure your data is safe from breaches, cyberattacks, or leaks. At Genesis Systems we ensure you data security is our priority!

Questions to ask:

  • What security measures do they implement?
  • Are they compliant with industry regulations?
  • How do they handle data backups and disaster recovery?

 Scalability

As your business grows, your software needs will likely change. It’s essential to choose a SaaS provider that can scale with you. This means the software should be flexible enough to accommodate increasing users, data volume, and complexity without sacrificing performance or significantly increasing costs.

Questions to ask:

  • Can the service scale as my business grows?
  • Are there any additional costs for scaling?
  • How easy is it to add more users or features?

 Integration Capabilities

No software operates in isolation. The ability of a SaaS platform to integrate seamlessly with your existing systems is critical for ensuring smooth workflows and data consistency. At Genesis we offer robust APIs or native integrations with the tools your team already uses.

Questions to ask:

  • What integrations are available out of the box?
  • How easy is it to integrate the software with other tools?
  • Is there a cost for API access or custom integrations?

 Support and Customer Service

Good customer support can make or break your experience with a SaaS provider. Whether you encounter technical issues or simply need guidance on using the product, responsive and knowledgeable support is crucial. Genesis Systems offers several support channels such as chat, email, and phone support.

Questions to ask:

  • What support channels do they offer?
  • What are their support hours?
  • Is there a dedicated account manager for larger clients? 

Pricing and Contract Terms

SaaS pricing models can vary widely, with options ranging from monthly subscriptions to annual contracts. Be sure to review the pricing structure in detail, including any potential hidden fees. Additionally, consider the flexibility of the contract—some providers may lock you into long-term commitments, while others may offer more flexible month-to-month plans.

Questions to ask:

  • Are there any setup fees or hidden costs?
  • Is there a discount for annual contracts?
  • What happens if I want to cancel or switch providers?

Product Innovation and Updates

The tech landscape evolves quickly, and so should your software. Genesis Systems provides regular updates, security patches, and performance enhancements. This not only ensures that you have access to the latest technologies but allows you to stay ahead of industry trends.

Questions to ask:

  • How frequently are new features and updates released?
  • Do they listen to customer feedback when developing new features?
  • Are updates automatic or manual?

User Experience and Training

Even the most feature-rich software won’t be beneficial if your team struggles to use it. Genesis Systems provides an intuitive user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) that make it easy to navigate and perform tasks. Additionally, Genesis Systems offers unlimited remote training sessions to help onboard your team efficiently.

Questions to ask:

  • How intuitive is the user interface?
  • What training resources do they offer?
  • Do they provide personalized onboarding for new clients?

Choosing the right Telcom SaaS provider is a crucial decision that can have a lasting impact on your business. By considering factors like reliability, security, scalability, and support, you can ensure that the provider you choose will be a strong partner in your digital journey. Contact Genesis Systems today to learn more about what we provide with our Telcom SaaS.

Diverse offerings with Genesis

by lisa September 6, 2024

Genesis offers a wide range of solutions to enhance organizational connectivity, including emergency alerting (E911), call accounting, incident tracking, and contact center monitoring. You can integrate on-premises, cloud-hosted, and SaaS TeleManagement solutions seamlessly. With features like traffic analysis and public alerting, Genesis ensures secure and efficient communication. You can customize solutions through their interactive Solution Designer or consult directly with experts by scheduling one-on-one meetings to tailor your connection needs to your unique environment.

Learn more at Genesis Systems.

Enhancing Compliance for Bill 553 Using Incident Aware

by lisa June 28, 2024

California's Senate Bill 553, effective from July 1, 2024, mandates comprehensive workplace violence prevention plans. Incident Aware by Genesis Systems provides a robust solution to help businesses comply with this law and ensure employee safety through advanced alerting and incident management capabilities.

  1. Enhanced Employee Safety: The primary goal of Bill 553 is to protect employees from workplace violence. Incident Aware allows employees to report suspicious or aggressive behavior discreetly using their mobile devices or desktops. Incident Aware helps quickly identify and respond to potential threats, ensuring swift action to prevent escalation.
  2. Legal and Financial Protection: Incident Aware’s detailed incident reporting capabilities provide employers with documented proof of compliance and response efforts. This feature is crucial in protecting businesses from legal repercussions and financial liabilities by offering evidence in case of litigation. It ensures that all incidents are logged, tracked, and managed according to the legal framework set by Bill 553.
  3. Improved Workplace Culture: By implementing Incident Aware, businesses can foster a culture of safety and vigilance. The platform's real-time chat, multimedia sharing, and checklist features facilitate thorough and collaborative responses to incidents, promoting a secure environment. Employees feel valued and secure, leading to higher job satisfaction, improved morale, and enhanced productivity.
  4. Increased Awareness and Education: Incident Aware emphasizes training and preparedness by guiding staff through incident reporting with preset questions and checklists. This ensures that all necessary information is captured accurately. The system's flexible notifications and compelled response options keep everyone informed and ready to act, fostering a culture of awareness and proactive prevention.
  5. Support for Vulnerable Workers: Bill 553 highlights the need to protect high-risk workers in sectors like healthcare and social services. Incident Aware’s ability to initiate location-rich panic alarms, evacuations, or lockdowns ensures that these workers receive immediate support during emergencies. The system’s multi-location alerting capability ensures comprehensive coverage across different facilities.

Implementing Bill 553 may pose challenges, but Incident Aware simplifies this process. Its configurable layout, integration with existing phone systems, and automated workflows streamline compliance efforts. By leveraging Incident Aware, businesses can efficiently meet the requirements of Bill 553, ensuring a safer and more compliant workplace.

California’s new workplace violence prevention law marks a significant step towards employee safety. Incident Aware by Genesis Systems is an essential tool for businesses to meet the law’s requirements. Its advanced alerting, incident management, and real-time collaboration features enhance safety, legal protection, workplace culture, awareness, and support for vulnerable workers. As the importance of workplace safety continues to grow, Incident Aware stands out as a vital component in creating a secure and thriving work environment

Genesis Systems Support

by lisa April 5, 2024

Genesis Systems offers unparalleled technical support, setting the standard in the industry. With a team of highly trained and dedicated professionals, we provide comprehensive assistance to ensure seamless operation and maximum efficiency of their systems. Whether it's troubleshooting issues, offering guidance on system optimization, or providing timely updates, Genesis Systems' technical support goes above and beyond to meet the diverse needs of our clients. Our proactive approach to problem-solving and commitment to customer satisfaction make us a trusted partner for businesses relying on cutting-edge telecom technology.

Contact Genesis Systems today for more information on our product offerings and unlimited support. 

GenAware Paging

by lisa March 1, 2024

GenAware Paging is a pivotal strategy in ensuring that critical information is disseminated effectively across diverse platforms. By harnessing various communication channels like overhead paging, smartphone alerts, and other devices concurrently, organizations can significantly reduce the likelihood of missed notifications. This approach not only ensures that on-site personnel remain informed but also extends the reach to stakeholders beyond the organization's premises. 

Additionally, by extending safety alerts to neighboring organizations, a comprehensive safety network is established, enhancing overall community security. In the event of a regional incident, this collaborative effort and shared information facilitate a more coordinated and efficient response, ultimately bolstering the safety and resilience of the entire community. 

Choose GenAware Paging to ensure your organization can effectively during a crisis.

What is NG911?

by lisa February 22, 2024

Next Generation 911 (NG911) represents a transformative leap in emergency communication systems, revolutionizing how individuals seek help and how responders deploy assistance.

Unlike traditional 911 services, NG911 integrates multiple additional technologies, enabling callers to transmit not just voice but also text messages, images, videos, and even sensor data to emergency dispatchers. This advancement enhances accessibility for those with speech or hearing impairments and provides crucial context for responders, expediting the dispatch process and potentially saving lives.

NG911 migration also represents a shift in how voice calls are delivered to emergency call centers and dispatchers, paving the way for more seamless communication across various devices, platforms, emergency services and locales. NG911 likewise provides an architecture within which new technologies can be more easily supported as society evolves and new communication methods emerge. NG911 ensures that emergency response systems are able to evolve alongside, adapting to meet the diverse needs of communities and improving the effectiveness of emergency services overall.

Call Genesis Systems today to find out more about NG911 and how our solutions can help improve alerting, issue detection and reporting within your emergency call center.

Incident Aware is Now Available in the RingCentral App Gallery!

by Nathan March 3, 2023

Although our Mass Notification and Incident Tracking & Response Enhancement solution has been compatible with RingCentral for some time, it's now officially listed and available as a stand-alone solution. RingCentral users can confidently choose Incident Alert to enhance both their alerting for emergencies originating through RingCentral phone use, and those originating from outside of their RingCentral, platform entirely.

Many RingCentral users have chosen to add our GenAlert solution in order to greatly expand their awareness using our emergency alerting options (including alert formats, intelligent recipient and path selection based on location, etc.), while ensuring thorough records are kept of all call details, call audio, and validated caller location. Using Incident Aware, either stand-alone or in conjunction with GenAlert, provides additional integrations with overhead paging, push notifications via our cross-platform app, 2-way SMS, and adds the ability to generate alerts completely outside of the RingCentral solution, to nearly any person or device, for any purpose.

Incident Aware is used to enhancing emergency response management by many businesses operating large campuses or facilities. Often, emergencies within these facilities can be difficult to detect, and it can be similarly challenging to both notify all staff and disseminate clear instructions to all emergency participants to ensure the greatest level of safety. By providing detailed instructions, checklists, and robust, real-time multi-channel 2-way communications, you can collaborate with everyone within your organization and ensure nothing is missed, and everyone is safe.

Contact Genesis for more information on how Incident Aware works with your RingCentral solution, other on-prem or hosted voice solutions, and how we can help optimize your on-site safety regardless of your goals.

New Website & Software Appearance Update Launched!

by Nathan September 19, 2022

We're excited to announce our new website has gone live!

The latest update reflects a number of our new solutions and enhancements, as well as specific use case information, and details around many of our integrations with common problems and our solutions to them.

Perhaps most exciting are our new tools to help you easily determine exactly what's needed to build your ideal solution.

Give our new solution designer a try! Genesis Solution Designer

Additionally, we've been working hard on our new solutions over the past 2 years, and have a lot of updates which will be posted to our news section in the coming months. Stay up-to-date by bookmarking this page!

We at Genesis are committed to providing a superior customer experience. Give us a call at 1-888-993-2288 to see for yourself.

E911 Alerting for All Telephone Systems!

by Nathan March 31, 2022

We're excited to announce our latest enhancement to E911, lockdown and evacuation alerting.. Support for ALL on-premises and cloud telephone solutions!

Now, users of nearly any telephone solution can benefit from our full alerting capabilities, which include (but are not limited to):

- In-App push notifications via our native Android & iOS app (available in the Google & Apple App Stores)

- Email & native SMS

- Desktop screen pops

- Overhead pages

- Audible alerts on telephone sets

- Visual alerting hardware

- Team Messaging Solutions (Teams, RingCentral MVP, etc.)

- and more!

Not only can you send your staff alerts via all these paths, but you can also flexibly choose when, where and how to alert certain staff based on what best fits your needs. You can choose to selectively alert any on-site or off-site staff, or specify groups to notify depending on the type of incident. You can track staff responses and compel responses to ensure safety, and see in real-time if any staff left in the building, and where... and more.

The best part is that Genesis uses your existing telephone system(s), paging equipment, and smart devices to provide a total safety and alerting solution! No additional hardware to buy and no retrofits or replacement equipment or phone system upgrades are required. There is simply no easier or more cost effective solution available to you today!

Call us at 1-888-993-2288 to talk to someone now, or email us at sales@buygenesis.com for more information. Whether you're a prospective or current Genesis user, we're excited to show you how we can improve your organization's safety quickly, easily and cost effectively.

Building on RingCentral: Developing GenAlert's Real-time 911 Alerting & Reporting Capabilities to Improve RingCentral Users' Safety

by Nathan May 10, 2021

In today’s world where public safety is a major concern, it is important that all possible tools are available to assist the respondents when managing emergency situations.

Genesis for RingCentral

In today’s world where public safety is a major concern for all organizations, it is important that all possible tools are available to assist the respondents when managing emergency situations. Genesis developed GenAlert, a Ring Central solution that not only notifies the pertinent individuals when a 911 emergency call has been placed, in real-time, but also allows customizable additional actions to be taken such as Glip instant messaging, generating emails, sending SMS or text messages, triggering custom alarms like strobes, etc., plus many more…

The decision to begin developing GenAlert for RingCentral was a easy. Our development cycle typically begins with evaluating the available integration points, APIs and any other accesses to the necessary data. Typically, access to the necessary data is the difficult part; APIs are often not available or accessible externally, system design isn't condusive to integrating third-party solutions, data isn't available in a timely manner, etc. During the evaluation phase it was apparent we'd be able to work with RingCentral due to the extensive catalog of APIs, and additionally be able to provide features that were not possible on other systems. This gave us the confidence to engage deeper and start planning the addition of these features uniquely for RingCentral users.

During the development of GenAlert, Genesis recognized the requirement to perform many different tasks when a 911 call is placed. Genesis utilized many of Ring Central APIs such as Events & Notifications Subscriptions, Call Control, Call Recording, User Settings, Device, Call Log, GLIP, etc. to determine when calls happen, where the caller is, who to add to the audio stream, whether to record the call, etc. Since these requirements are fairly comprehensive, there are a variety of events occurring at the time a call is detected, during the call, and even after the call that need to be considered, monitored and recorded.

While developing GenAlert we were impressed with the knowledge and responsiveness of the Ring Central development team to our questions and concerns. The Ring Central development team added features and enhancements to APIs which helped both us and the customer in accomplishing what was required. They also explained in detail some caveats and issues that were not as well documented and the side effects or real-world implications of these. Initially in the early development stage of GenAlert we had almost daily email & voice communications with them to better understand the features and capabilities of the API’s. Also, the Community Pages were of great assistance in resolving some of issues we encountered during development.

In short with Genesis’ vast Telecom knowledge and experience combined with the exceptional help and support of the Ring Central development team and the development API tools available to us, the development of GenAlert went quite smoothly. Genesis GenAlert is our latest hosted solution available as a monthly service add-on for Ring Central users.