PULSAR GROUP PLC

Pulsar

Pulsar is an audience intelligence, social listening, media monitoring & analytics platform. Pulling data from public sources including Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitch, Reddit, Blogs, Forums, search data, print and online news, we combine cutting-edge data science, AI and image analysis to help organisations improve their marketing and communications.

Features

• Realtime data collection & analysis across the public web
• Sentiment, Emotional & Image Analysis with advanced Entity Detection
• Historical access for multiple years, including X data to 2006
• 3 Search methods including keyword boolean, audience panels & URL
• Trend Analysis
• Advanced filtering and charting to identify insights quickly
• Rest & Graph QL API access & Fully Exportable data
• Dedicated Government Specialist Account Manager, Training & Support
• Multilingual coverage of over 180 languages
• Audience Segmentation & Mapping based on cultural persona identification

Benefits

• Understand how consumers talk online about any topic
• Measure the perception of the department and your campaign performance
• Measure resonance and success of your owned and earned media
• Find key influencers talking about your department, topic or campaign
• Understand the audience behind any conversation
• Real time up to date trend monitoring & crisis management
• Gain early warning of emerging crises for PR management
• Drive behavioural change by leveraging personality insights
• Automate your insights on any topic/audience to save time
• Maximises ROI of your communications/marketing

£8,000 a unit a year

• Free trial available

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at gcloud@accessintelligence.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

866535859947859

Contact

Rob Hill (Pulsar) or Oliver Grant (Vuelio)
0203 426 4070
gcloud@accessintelligence.com

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: No
• Cloud deployment model: Public cloud
• Service constraints: We regularly undertake planned maintenance work and this is communicated to all end users and clients at least 48 hours before the maintenance is carried out.
• System requirements:
  • Some features depend on buyers' firewall restrictions
  • Supports major operating systems, e.g. Windows, Linux, Mac OS X
  • A reliable internet access is required
  • Supports major browsers, e.g Firefox, IE, Safari, Chrome

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: 3 minute response time via online chat during working hours only (9-5:30 Monday - Friday GMT). 1 hr response time via online help desk email during working hours only (9-5:30 Monday - Friday GMT). Out of hours support (weekends, public holidays) - 24 hours response time.
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: Web chat
• Web chat support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support accessibility standard: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Web chat accessibility testing: We have done web chat testing across: * Screen reader compatibility * Keyboard navigation * Color contrast and visual cues * Accessible input methods * Accessible error handling * Testing with real users
• Onsite support: Onsite support
• Support levels: - Additional training sessions at no extra cost; -Monthly Meetings; -Fortnightly Webinar Training; -Tech Support; 2) 2 points of contact - Account Manager and Customer Success Manager.; Additional support is available and priced based on the time required. Pricing starts at £150 per hour
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: Pulsar always proposes a bespoke onboarding service based a specific client's needs. We follow a customer success methodology when onboarding a client, with each element of the process aligned to deliver maximum value in the shortest time. Elements include kick-off meetings, unlimited training sessions, monthly meetings, in-app support, fortnightly webinars professional services setup and ongoing account management and customer success support.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
  • Other
• Other documentation formats:
  • Online
  • Email
• End-of-contract data extraction: All data is exportable via the API, XLS or image format.
• End-of-contract process: At the end of the contact platform access is removed and all data is deleted.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Internet Explorer 11
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
• Application to install: No
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: The entire platform has been mobile optimised. There is also an available app downloadable from the app store.
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Description of service interface: The Service Interface is simple and easy to use, with a clear and concise design. Users can easily navigate the software. It adheres to the same design principles and conventions throughout, is intuitive and easy to learn, with clear and concise instructions that guide users through the software. It is very responsive and accessibility has been a key consideration to ensure that the software can be used by people with different abilities and needs.
• Accessibility standards: WCAG 2.1 AAA
• Accessibility testing: We use AxeDevTools to do our interface testing.
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: Get an index of all of your active searches available on the platform through our GraphQL. Create searches from scratch. Get top level analysis of your search data: e.g. whole search sentiment, total engagement, total posts, etc. (GraphQL) Get more detailed counts regarding analysis: e.g sentiment for all top keywords,or count of posts per language for each location in your search, etc. (GraphQLonly) Get full results, filtered or not: e.g. all comments marked with the emotion joy, orposts made by males who have “gamer” in their bio, etc. (GraphQL) Upload your own first party data to be analyzed with the rest of your Pulsar data (GraphQL only)
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats:
  • Open API (also known as Swagger)
  • HTML
  • ODF
  • PDF
  • Other
• API sandbox or test environment: Yes
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: The Platform is highly customisable to the users. Searches and data collection are defined by the user in a completely customisable search interface. The dashboard functionality is also highly customisable, with a range of building options that clients have access to. All other features such as alerts are also customisable.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: Pulsar has a strict data fair usage policy to ensure that users do not abuse the system and thereby affect other users' data collection. Each client on Pulsar has a subscription package which includes a monthly data allowance and this helps to control the data usage and ensure fair usage. With regards to using the Pulsar API, although no official rate-limits are generally enforced against calls to the API, Pulsar reserves the right to throttle users sending through excessive API calls.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: Number of user sessions, duration of sessions, last logged in. Volume of support tickets raised and time to response can also be provided by the Support team.
• Reporting types:
  • API access
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Up to Security Clearance (SC)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations:
  • United Kingdom
  • European Economic Area (EEA)
  • Other locations
• User control over data storage and processing locations: No
• Datacentre security standards: Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 3.0)
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: Another external penetration testing organisation
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
  • Physical access control, complying with another standard
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type: Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
• Equipment disposal approach: A third-party destruction service

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: We have an export function within the tool that allows users to download the data. Simply click on the exports buttons to export the data and charts. We also have RESTful and GraphQL APIs to export the data.
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • ODF
  • Other
• Other data export formats:
  • XLS
  • Image Format
• Data import formats:
  • CSV
  • ODF
  • Other
• Other data import formats:
  • XLS
  • Image Format

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks: TLS (version 1.2 or above)
• Data protection within supplier network: Other
• Other protection within supplier network: Pulsar Platform is protected by a Web Application Firewall (WAF)

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: Pulsar API availability: 99.5% over any calendar month, excluding scheduled andemergency maintenance, as well as any disruption that constitutes an event of ForceMajeure. We measure availability 24x7x365 by testing live Queries on Pulsar from a remote testserver, located outside of and remote to our production infrastructure. Availability issampled every four minutes and is based upon the successful operation of all coreanalysis functionality (including login, project listing, categories listing, Query group andsitegroup listing, Mention retrieval, and Mention search).We endeavour to provide two business days advance notice of any scheduledmaintenance of Pulsar. We give notice via email. Although we try to minimize disruptionby scheduling maintenance between the hours of 23:30 on Saturday to 05:30 on SundayGMT/BST, we cannot guarantee this will always be the case.We reserve the right to undertake emergency maintenance at anytime for any reasonand we determine, within our sole discretion, what constitutes emergency maintenance.
• Approach to resilience: AWS data centers are secure by design. To help organisations fulfill their own audit and regulatory requirements, AWS provide insights into their security controls here: https://aws.amazon.com/compliance/data-center/controls/
• Outage reporting: Via email and in-app notification.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Client Administrators are tagged with their organisation identity, and unable to access and other client data.; Pulsar Support teams have access to administrative functions. Monthly reviews of admin users ensure this is correctly allocated and our leaver process ensures that accounts are immediately disabled and access tokens retrieved.; Out of band or back-end System access is strictly limited to operational roles following senior management approval.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least once a year
• Management access authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: User-defined
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: User-defined
• How long system logs are stored for: Less than 1 month

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: CFA
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 21st July 2023
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: None
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: Yes
• Other security certifications: No

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: ISO/IEC 27001
• Information security policies and processes: Pulsar is part of Access Intelligence. We are ISO 27001 certified and all Information Security policies are available for reivew in our Trust Centre: https://www.accessintelligence.com/trustcentre/

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: All change requests that could impact information security are reviewed by several separate roles. No self-approved changes enter production.
• Vulnerability management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Vulnerability management approach: Our organisation conducts regular internal and external vulnerability scans of its IT infrastructure and remediates any findings. We also have controls in place to manage threats, vulnerabilities, and risks. Additionally, our IT infrastructure is scanned by a third party at least once per year, and any vulnerabilities identified are added to the ISMS and categorised. Mitigation timeframes for vulnerabilities are fixed for each category. We have formal agreements in place that mandate suppliers must have implemented a defined level of information security.
• Protective monitoring type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Protective monitoring approach: Yes, logging and monitoring controls are in place to ensure audit data is captured and protected. All end-points have EDR software configured which is reviewed by a SOC.
• Incident management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example, CSA CCM v3.0 or ISO/IEC 27035:2011 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Incident management approach: Our incident management approach involves recording all security incidents in the ISMS with an Incident Manager identified.We have an Incident Response Plan that includes alternative communication systems in case our usual systems are disrupted, roles and responsibilities in the event of an incident,and allows for the classification of information security events. We have a process for employees,contractors, and suppliers to report suspected or known information security breaches and weaknesses.We also have a process for reporting information security breaches that affect our clients to them in a timely manner. We regularly rehearse and maintain our Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plans.

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Conforms to a recognised standard, but self-assessed

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

  • Fighting climate change
  • Wellbeing

  Fighting climate change

  Fighting climate change We are committed to fight climate change where we possibly can and follow have in place an environmental code of conduct to support behaves that limit the impact of the environment. As a software business, it is tricky, but we have made all of the below commitments to date: 1. Energy saving lightbulbs 2. Motion sensitive lightbulbs 3. Cycle2work schemes 4. Remote working optional for all employees, should they be uncomfortable coming into the office. 5. Recycling stations around the office with different colours for different forms of recycling such as black for waste, blue for recycling etc. 6. Plants throughout the office to improve air quality 7. Motion sensor

  Wellbeing

  We take health and wellbeing very seriously and offer a wide range of initiatives such as social clubs, LGBTQ+ committees, quarterly team building workshops and social activities such as . For physical health, we have an in-house gym with a professionally trained health and wellbeing coach who delivers daily physical exercise classes, offers diet plans, and provides mental wellbeing services such as yoga and breathing exercises all free of charge to all employees. For mental health, we have a weekly mental health workshop open to all employees to share any struggles openly with fellow colleagues. We also offer monthly HR drop-in sessions for employees to come and talk about any work or mental health related struggles. If any mental health struggles are identified, we look to create any practical plans such as reduced hours or managed workload to support where we can, as well as advise seeking external professional help if necessary.

Pricing

• Price: £8,000 a unit a year
• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: Yes
• Description of free trial: All trials are bespoke. Usually 1-2 weeks with a predefined query and full access to the tools and functionality.

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at gcloud@accessintelligence.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.