Periscope S2G

1. Registration:
   Vendors begin by registering on the Periscope S2G platform or through a government agency’s portal that uses the system. They enter their email address to check if they already have an account. If not, they provide their information and agree to the terms and conditions. A verification email is sent, which must be confirmed to continue.

2. Account Setup:
   After verifying their email, vendors set a password and start building their business profile. This includes entering company details, demographic information, and selecting sales territories (such as states or regions) where they want to receive bid notifications. Vendors can either join an existing company account or create a new one. Joining an existing account requires approval from the company administrator.

3. Profile Completion:
   Vendors select keywords and classification codes that match their business offerings. This customization helps ensure they receive relevant bid notifications from thousands of government agencies across North America.

4. Subscription Options:
   Vendors can use a free Limited account, which provides access to a smaller subset of bids, or opt for Premium subscription plans (State, Regional, or National) that offer broader access and additional features. Premium accounts require payment and involve providing billing information and confirming the subscription.

• Periscope S2G offers customizable workflows that allow users to tailor the software to fit their specific business processes, enhancing operational efficiency and alignment with company needs. This includes the ability to select keywords, classification codes, and sales territories to receive relevant bid notifications.

• Users can request customized modules to better suit their unique business requirements, such as specific reporting formats or integration needs.

• The platform integrates with other industry-standard tools like accounting and project management software, enabling a more seamless workflow across different business functions.

• Despite these options, some users have reported limitations in customization, particularly regarding the availability of certain bid documents and deeper platform personalization, which may affect how effectively they can evaluate opportunities.

• Periscope S2G offers a free Limited plan that provides access to a small portion (about 2%) of available government bids from over 1,000 agencies. This plan has no setup fee or mandatory charges.

• Paid Premium plans are available at different levels:
  • State-level access: Approximately $779 per month (billed annually upfront)
  • Regional (multi-state) access: Around $911 per month (billed annually upfront)

  • National access: About $1,571 per month (billed annually upfront)

• These premium subscriptions expand access to a much larger database of government bids and provide advanced search and aggregation technology for near real-time bid notifications.

• There are no reported setup fees or separate maintenance charges; the subscription fee generally covers access, updates, and support.

• Support includes customer service and training resources, though some users have expressed concerns about the quality and responsiveness of customer support.

• Cancellation requires contacting the sales or cancellation team directly.

Periscope S2G provides a range of training and support services designed to help new users quickly become proficient with the platform and maximize their ability to find and respond to government bid opportunities. The training and support typically include:

• Onboarding Assistance: New users often receive guidance during the initial registration and profile setup process. This may involve step-by-step instructions, walkthroughs, or direct support from customer service representatives to ensure the account is correctly configured.

• Training Materials: The platform offers a library of training resources such as user manuals, video tutorials, FAQs, and best practice guides. These materials help users understand how to navigate the system, set up keyword and classification code preferences, manage bid notifications, and utilize collaboration tools.

• Live Training Sessions: Some users may have access to live webinars or one-on-one training sessions provided by Periscope’s customer success or support teams. These sessions can cover advanced features, tips for efficient bidding, and how to leverage the platform’s search and aggregation tools.

• Customer Support: Periscope S2G maintains a customer support team reachable via email, phone, or online chat. Support staff assist with troubleshooting technical issues, answering questions about functionality, and helping resolve account or subscription concerns.

• Ongoing Support: Beyond initial onboarding, continuous support is available to help users adapt to updates, optimize their use of the platform, and address any challenges that arise during their subscription period.

Periscope S2G takes data security very seriously and implements multiple layers of technical, physical, and administrative controls to protect user information and maintain platform integrity. Key security measures include:

• Network Security: The platform uses firewalls and dedicated virtual private networks (VPNs) to prevent unauthorized access to its systems. These tools help filter traffic and create secure communication channels.

• Data Encryption: All sensitive data, including passwords and personal information, is encrypted both in transit and at rest. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology ensures that data transmitted between users and the platform is encrypted, preventing interception.

• Access Controls: Strict authentication mechanisms require users to log in with secure credentials. Access to sensitive system components is limited to authorized personnel only, with role-based permissions and multi-factor authentication where applicable.

• Intrusion Detection and Prevention: The system incorporates intrusion detection systems (IDS) to monitor for suspicious activity and potential security breaches. Some installations may include dedicated intrusion detection devices to provide additional protection.

• Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Mitigation: Proprietary systems are in place to detect and mitigate DDoS attacks, which could otherwise disrupt service availability.

• Physical Security: Data centers housing Periscope’s servers employ rigorous physical security measures such as biometric access controls, 24/7 onsite security staff, surveillance cameras, and restricted entry points to prevent unauthorized physical access.

• System Hardening and Patch Management: Operating systems and software are regularly updated and hardened against vulnerabilities. Security patches are applied promptly to minimize exposure to exploits.

• Logging and Auditing: All access to systems and data is logged and audited to detect and investigate any unauthorized or suspicious activities.

• Backup and Recovery: Regular backups are performed, and secure media handling procedures are followed to ensure data integrity and availability in case of system failure or data loss.

• Compliance and Policies: The company follows industry best practices and standards such as ISO17799-based information security policies. Independent audits, including SAS70 Type II audits, verify the effectiveness of security controls.

• Employee Training: Staff members receive ongoing training on information security, privacy policies, and incident response procedures to maintain a security-aware culture.

• Continuous Improvement: The platform is updated frequently to incorporate new bid sources, improve search algorithms, and enhance user experience based on customer feedback and evolving market needs.

• Security Patches: Critical security updates and patches are applied as soon as vulnerabilities are identified to protect users and maintain compliance with security standards.

• Change Management Procedures: Updates are managed through a structured change management process that includes development, testing, validation, and deployment phases. This process ensures that new features and fixes do not disrupt existing functionality.

• Minimized Downtime: Updates are generally rolled out in a manner that minimizes service interruptions, often during off-peak hours or through seamless background deployment.

• User Notifications: When significant changes or new features are introduced, users are typically notified via email, platform announcements, or training sessions to help them adapt quickly.

• Version Control: The platform maintains version control to ensure stability and allow rollback if unforeseen issues arise.

Periscope S2G has clear policies regarding data ownership and vendor rights to ensure transparency and protect user interests:

• Vendor Data Ownership: Vendors retain full ownership of all data they input into the platform, including company profiles, bid preferences, and any documents or information uploaded. This means vendors have control over their own business information.

• License to Use Data: Vendors grant Periscope a non-exclusive, worldwide license to use their data for the purpose of providing the service, improving platform functionality, and conducting lawful activities such as anonymized data analysis or reporting.

• Data Backup Responsibility: Vendors are responsible for backing up their own data during the subscription period. While Periscope performs routine backups for disaster recovery, vendors should maintain their own copies of critical information.

• Data Access After Termination: Once a vendor’s subscription expires or is terminated, access to their data through the platform is revoked. Vendors should export or save any necessary data before account closure.

• Data Transfer and Sale: In the event Periscope sells or transfers its business assets, vendor data may be transferred as part of the transaction. Vendors will be notified in advance if such a transfer occurs.

• Intellectual Property Rights: Periscope retains all intellectual property rights to the software, platform, and related technology. Vendors receive a license to use the platform but do not gain ownership rights over the software itself.

• Restrictions on Redistribution: Vendors are prohibited from copying, redistributing, or reselling fee-based bid information or other proprietary content without explicit permission from Periscope.

• User Licenses: Each Periscope S2G subscription covers one user and one physical location. Organizations requiring multiple users must purchase additional user licenses. These licenses are location-specific and cannot be shared across different physical locations. This structure allows organizations to scale up by adding more user licenses as their needs grow or scale down by reducing licenses if fewer users require access.

• Subscription Plans: Periscope S2G offers tiered subscription plans-Limited (free), State, Regional, and National-allowing organizations to select coverage levels that fit their current scope of operations. Moving between these plans (scaling coverage geographically or by bid volume) is possible but would involve changing the subscription and associated fees.

• Flexibility: While the terms do not detail automatic scaling mechanisms, organizations can adjust their subscription level and number of users by contacting Periscope and purchasing or canceling licenses accordingly. All changes are subject to Periscope’s approval and billing policies.

• Automatic Renewal: Subscriptions automatically renew for successive periods of the same duration as the initial term unless the subscriber disables auto-renewal or provides notice of non-renewal at least three (3) business days before the current term expires.

• Renewal Fees: Upon renewal, Periscope may increase the subscription fee by up to 10% at its sole discretion. Renewal fees are charged automatically to the payment method on file without requiring further consent.

• Non-Refundable Fees: All subscription fees and renewal fees are final and non-refundable. No refunds are given for cancellations or terminations.

• Cancellation: Subscribers can cancel by disabling auto-renewal in their account settings or by contacting customer service. After cancellation, access to the platform ends at the expiration of the current paid term; there is no prorated refund.

• Suspension for Non-Payment: If payment is not received or is dishonored, Periscope may immediately suspend access to the platform until full payment, including late fees and collection costs, is received.

• Late Fees: Late payments incur a service charge of 1.5% per month or the maximum rate allowed by law.

• Termination for Breach: Periscope may terminate the agreement for material breach or non-payment. Upon termination, all rights to access and use the platform cease immediately.

• Notice of Price Changes: Periscope may notify subscribers of price increases prior to renewal but is not obligated to obtain additional consent beyond the initial agreement.

Periscope S2G adheres to recognized industry security and operational standards to protect data and ensure platform reliability. These include:

• ISO17799-based Information Security Policies: This standard provides a framework for managing information security risks.

• SAS70 Type II Audits: Independent audits that assess the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting and IT security.

• Data Security Best Practices: Including encryption, access controls, intrusion detection, physical data center security, and regular patching.