by CIA Omnigage | May 10, 2023 | Blog, Uncategorized
Every business, no matter what size or what industry, must be prepared for emergencies. And in today’s world, those emergencies can range from employee misconduct to workplace violence to natural disasters and more. While most businesses won’t experience the worst of the worst, it’s important nonetheless to be prepared, and that means having a plan.
Creating a solid disaster recovery plan for your business in 2023 doesn’t have to be daunting, and you definitely don’t have to do it alone. So whether you’re a company in New Jersey looking to prepare for winter storms or a firm in the south preparing for a hurricane or anywhere across the U.S. where gun violence seems to be an everyday occurrence , preparation is key to ensuring you can quickly and safely respond to the emergency and protect your employees, your company’s interests and your community.
At CIA Omnigage, Omnialert, a mass notification system enables companies of every size and in every industry to prepare responses for critical scenarios and initiate emergency notifications, alerts, and actions that reach every member of your organization or community instantly. Our specialties include emergencies in the workplace, at schools and universities, in healthcare facilities and beyond.
Furthermore, once the disaster has passed, you need to focus on business continuity recovery i.e. the return to normal. We know the safety of your employees, your company and your community is critical important, so let’s get right into your disaster recovery plan.
How to Create a Solid Disaster Recovery Plan in 2023
Creating a solid disaster recovery plan is essential for businesses of all sizes to ensure you can recovery quickly and resume operations after a disaster. And since we’re the experts, we developed a step-by-step process for creating a comprehensive disaster recovery plan for your business in 2023.
First, you’ll want to conduct a risk assessment. During this phase, you will identify potential disasters that could impact your business, such as natural disasters, cyber activities, power outages, workplace violence and other disruptions. You should evaluate the likelihood and potential impact of each type of disaster so you can focus on the most profitable threats first.
Next, examine your critical business functions. Determine which are crucial to your operations and then prioritize them based on their importance to your business. For example, if your business deals with proprietary software and valuable customer data, you may want to focus on cyber attacks first.
Now that you’ve identified areas of risk, you can move to the creation of a disaster recovery team. This team is responsible for executing the disaster recovery plan, and it should include members from all relevant departments, including operations, IT, customer service and finance.
Next you’ll develop your business recovery strategies. These may include things like data backup and recovery, alternative communications channels and methods, and alternate work locations.
Communication is Critical During and Post-Disaster
Communication is one of the most important areas to focus on when going through and when recovering from a disaster. You want a coordinated company response, right? Ensure your communications team is positioned and prepared for fostering business continuity.
Develop a plan to inform employees, customers, families, communities, and other stakeholders. For example, your local government or industry regulatory agencies may require post-event summaries of the disaster, your actions and overall results.
Test, Test and Test Again
Before a disaster strikes, test your disaster recovery plan for your business in 2023 to make sure it’s current and effective. Conducting drills like table top exercises are a great way to identify any gaps in your response. Make necessary adjustments during each practice session to ensure your plan reflects the latest response information and processes.
Finally, well… there is no final step really. Reviewing and updating the plan are a continuous process. Leading businesses review and update their disaster recovery plan regularly, at least annually, to ensure operational changes as well as potential threats are fully examined.
By following the above steps, you can create a solid disaster recovery plan for your business that will help you recovery quickly and resume operations after a disaster. When your partner with CIA Omnigage, you have access to our many tried and tested tools and resources that can help you manage contacts, send texts, blast voicemails and/or email alerts as well as provide a consolidated view of responses and other metrics- perfect for a debriefed meeting.
Remember, preparation is key, and the time and effort invested in creating a disaster recovery plan can save your business from significant losses and downtime in the event of a disaster. Contact us today to get started.
by CIA Omnigage | May 2, 2023 | Blog, Conference Calling, Uncategorized
Are you a business who regularly uses an advanced conference calling service? Do you host large conference calls or quarterly earnings releases? Or perhaps you need an automated or on-demand conference calling solution? Are your participants international or out of state where a toll-free option would be beneficial?
If you said yes to any of these scenarios, you may be looking for an operator assisted conference call service. But what are operator-assisted conference calls, and how does it work?
Let’s dive right in and explore the benefits of an operator assisted conference call service
What is an Operator Assisted Conference Call Service?
An operator assisted conference call service is a type of conference call where a dedicated operator assists in managing the call. The operator helps with all aspects of the call, from pre-planning to hosting, technical issues to value-add services such as translation, recording or added security. Your live operator’s goal is ensuring your important conference call runs smoothly and professionally.
How Operator Assisted Conference Calls Work
To begin with, you will typically have a pre-planning meeting with your dedicated conference call operator to schedule the call, providing the date, time and number of participants. At this time, you’ll want to discuss any additional customization needs, such as call recording, transcription/translation, virtual break out rooms or additional layers of security. The live operator can also help you set the conference call agenda and manage the call flow, ensuring that it stays on time and on track.
Once all of your conference call needs are planned out, your operator will help you set up the call by providing access details such as the dial-in number, video conferencing link and passcode information. A best-in-class conference call provider will distribute separate passcodes for the host and participants, ensuring you and the other meeting managers have the privacy you need for real-time, secure discussions.
Once your ready to host your call, your dedicated conference calling operator will introduce participants and provide any necessary instructions. The operator can also host a Q&A session, keeping logistical worries far from the meeting host’s mind.
One of the best benefits of having an operator assisted conference call provider is the technical support. If any technical issues arise during your call, the operator will provide real-time issue resolution and support.
Once the call concludes, the operator can provide a summary such as participation logs, action items and other follow up activities.
Who uses an Operator Assisted Conference Call Provider?
There are many applications where an operator assisted conference call makes good sense. These include:
- Investor Relations
- Legal Procedings
- Virtual Events
- Board Meetings
- Sales Presentations
- Press Conferences
- Political Campaigns
What other ways can an operator assisted conference call provider benefit you? Keep reading!
Top Five Benefits of Operator Assisted Conference Call Services
Operator assisted conference calls are flexible. They can be used by a myriad of industries in a variety of different ways. Now that we know more about the many ways they can be used, let’s review the top five benefits of using an operator assisted conference call service.
- Professionalism: Your dedicated operator helps you manage you manage your call from start to finish, ensuring the call stays on track, A/V needs are executed seamlessly any any technical issues are resolved expertly.
- Customization: The operator can help you set up a call agenda, provide introductions and welcome messages, and integrate value-add services such as call recording, translation and hosted Q&A. Virtual break out sessions are another great way to provide variety during your call by hosting smaller team workshop sessions. A dedicated conference call operator can help manage it without a logistical nightmare, dropped calls, interruptions or dreaded dead air.
- Security: Enhanced security features prevent unauthorized access to your call. This includes unique passcodes for hosts vs participants, restricted access such as a listen only feature, and monitoring capabilities that will ferret out any suspicious activity.
- Participation Management: Your dedicated conference calling operator can help manage your participants by adding, removing and muting them to ensure only the intended participants are on the call and background noise is removed. You can also review participation logs to measure engagement and review Q&A records, action items and other follow up activities.
- Technical Support: If you encounter any technical issues during your call, the operator ensures they are quickly resolved, minimizing disruptions.
The benefits of operator assisted conference calls are many. Continuous, dedicated operator assistance throughout your conference call takes the worry of hosting large, international calls, meetings with virtual break our rooms, analyst briefings, board meetings, quarterly earnings calls, sales presentations and so much more.
Need a partner to help you execute the meeting of your dreams? Look no further than CIA Omnigage, the leading conference call provider for New Jersey, the Northeast U.S. and throughout the country. Request a demo today!
by CIA Omnigage | Apr 5, 2023 | Blog, Education, Multi-channel, Uncategorized
Do you strive to improve communication with students, faculty, and the community? Do you have a system to quickly and efficiently communicate detailed emergency information via a multi-faceted alert system?
With budgets and staff stretched thin, school districts, private schools, and public and private colleges nationwide are looking for ways to save money and increase communication efficiently. Schools need the ability to reach multiple audiences, including students, faculty members, and parents via phone, text, and email- in multiple languages to boot.
Do you have what you need to communicate quickly and efficiently at the touch of a button? Is your alert system flexible enough to differentiate sending alerts that are informative in nature, such as a weather notice or school event reminder, vs. those focused on saving lives, such as in a medical emergency or active shooter response? Let’s learn more about blast communications solutions for educational institutions.
Five Ways to Prepare for a School Emergency
Blast communications are a modern way to ensure critical messages reach their intended audiences quickly and with ease. But you need to prepare to be effective. Here are our top five recommendations for implementing a blast communications solution for educational institutions.
- Have a plan: Develop a clear plan for when and how to use blast messaging. Identify who will send the messages, what information will be included and how often updates will be provided. Use drills to practice your emergency response with all stakeholders so you know exactly how to proceed should an incident arise.
- Use simple language and provide specific direction: In a crisis situation, people need quick, precise, and specific information. Use simple, actionable language that gets right to the point. For example, instead of saying “evacuate the building”, say, “evacuate the building through the south exit and gather in the parking lot past the main gate.”
- Provide continuous updates: People want to know what’s happening and what they should do during a crisis. Provide regular updates via blast to keep everyone informed at every stage of the incident, including when it’s over.
- Use multiple communication channels: Blast messages can include: voice, SMS, and email, but don’t forget to update your social feeds so interested or affected external parties in the community can follow along.
- Test and retest your systems: Conduct regular tests to ensure your blast messaging system is working properly. Don’t wait for the emergency to arise before you test your systems; have a backup plan.
Schools Need CIA Omnigage’s Don’t Panic Button
Right now, many schools are implementing a blast communications solution from CIA Omnigage called the Don’t Panic Button. It can help educational institutions prepare for and launch critical messages with the touch of a button.
With applications for every school system level, CIA Omnigage’s flexible, robust solutions help solve common educational institutions’ communications challenges. The Don’t Panic Button can be implemented for uses such as:
- Public education, private schools, and higher education
- Emergency notifications for natural disasters, gun violence, medical incidents, and more.
- School closings, announcements, and reminders
- Grade attendance, and status reporting
- Fundraising, community outreach, and recruiting
- Student/parent/faculty engagement
The CIA Omnigage Don’t Panic Button places a device at teachers’ and faculty members’ fingertips that allows them to launch a multi-channel (voice, SMS, and email) message to a list of pre-uploaded contacts you define. The button alerts recipients to an emergency at the location with a simple click. Plus the device, launch three separate alerts different on a short, extended, or double click. These clicks can be programmed to respond with a notification of a school closure to something as serious as a tornado approaching or active shooter.
How Does the Don’t Panic Button Work?
Each CIA Omnigage Don’t Panic Button is programmed to send three different alert types based on the click- short, long, or double. Each alert type sends a specific message to a pre-configured list of recipients, allowing you to communicate reliably and securely with students, parents, and faculty via three channels- text messaging, blast voicemail, and email.
In fact, the Don’t Panic Button can be worn on a a lanyard around the neck of school staff, making it easy to access in the case of an unexpected event. There’s no need to even leave the classroom!
Today more than ever, educational institutions can use blast communications to keep students, staff, and faculty safe during emergencies. Don’t you owe it to your school and community to invest in the leading blast communications solution available for educational institutions? Consult with us today!
by CIA Omnigage | Mar 28, 2023 | Blog, Conference Calling, Uncategorized
Do you need help to host quality, professional, and stress-free conference calls? Are the logistics of hosting large conference calls with multiple presenters or advanced A/V needs preventing you from making the most impact? Trouble keeping track of live Q&A or audience feedback during your conference call? It sounds like you need a conference call service that can help you showcase your business in the best possible light while keeping host anxiety at bay.
Whether in the financial industry, technology, education, or any other industry, your hosted conference call service matters. But how do you evaluate a conference call provider, and what should you look for in a top notch hosted conference call service? Let’s take a look.
- Call Quality: A reliable conference call service should provide high-quality audio conferencing capabilities with minimal disruptions or dropped calls. In addition, attendees should be able to join from any device, anywhere in the world. It’s the first ingredient in our recipe for conference call success!
- Reliability: One of the most critical areas to explore with prospective conference call service providers is their reliability record. You should see solid uptime, minimal call drops or disruptions, and a stable network infrastructure that ensures all participants can easily connect.
- Security: Your conference calls often share detailed company information, including financials, corporate strategy, and customer data- information that’s too important risk on a mediocre conference calling service. Instead, look for a secure conference call service with robust security features such as end-to-end encryption, password protection, and two-factor authentication to protect your calls from unauthorized access. For an extra layer of security and convenience, the best conference call service providers typically offer separate codes for meeting managers versus participants.
- Ease of use: The conference call service should be user-friendly, with a simple interface that makes it easy for participants to join and manage calls, whether on desktop or mobile.
- Scalability: Is your business poised for growth? Your conference call provider should be too. Ensuring it’s scalable to meet your company’s needs today and in the future without sacrificing call quality or reliability is definitely on our list of what to look for in a conference call service.
- Integration: Do your employers work in silos, or is your company flush with collaboration masters? Similar to your people, your conference calling provider should integrate seamlessly with others, playing nicely with existing systems and tools such as your CRM, email, calendars, messaging apps, and more.
- Customer support: Having an incredible customer support with quick response times and knowledgeable operators who resolve issues isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity. A customer support team should be easily accessible and exceptionally responsive. Your time matters, as does that of your audience, and nothing is worse than dead air on a live conference call.
- Cost: While you may not always get the cheapest solution, you should be prepared to pay a little more if you truly want a premium conference call service. With that, however, comes piece of mind. As long as your conference calling provider is transparent and provides the cost justification you need, you’re moving in the right direction. Some conference call providers may offer flexible pricing options to meet your organization’s budget and needs, which is clearly better than a one-size fits all approach.
- Special features: Features like virtual backgrounds, whiteboards, and chat/messaging add professionalism and collaboration abilities to your call. Virtual backgrounds make it comfortable to turn your video on no matter where you’re calling from, and whiteboards are a great way to share ideas visually and collaborative in real time. With chat/messaging features, participants can communicate with each other and the meeting host during the call without interrupting it.
Of course, there are certainly more features to explore with potential conference call providers, like recording and playback capabilities, as well as moderated Q&A sessions. We could go on. But it comes down to the conference calling provider’s experience so you’ll want to learn more about their customers and recent projects as well.
At CIA Omnigage, we enable customers to execute large conference calls and quarterly earnings release calls with ease. We’ll kick off your project with a pre-conference meeting to understand your needs, and our dedicated operator assisted conference call service is just the beginning of what we provide. Our turnkey, white-glove approach to conference call solutions means superior bandwidth, exceptional audio sound quality, content sharing, and slide presentations, hosted Q&As, event archiving, detailed participation logs, burstable capacity, and much more. Contact us today to learn more, and you’re well on your way to hosting a successful conference call.
by CIA Omnigage | Feb 28, 2023 | Blog, Communications, Multi-channel
When every second counts…
you can rely on the…
CIA Omnigage Emergency Alert Button for Broadcast Messaging
The CIA Omnigage Emergency Alert Button places a device at your finger tips that allows you to launch a multi-channel (Voice, Text & e-mail) message to a list of contacts you define to alert them to an emergency at your location with a click of a button. The device can be configured to launch three separate alert-types based on a short-click, long-click or double-click.
Please contact CIA Omnigage today to schedule a demo and receive more information on our latest emergency management communication technology.
