Genesis changes moniker

Genesis Communications International today announced that it has completed its name change to Vycera Communications. The San Diego-based carrier, which specializes in providing voice services to the Hispanic market, changed its name as part of a new marketing effort.

Founded in 1995 specifically to address the market in Southern California, Vycera is now providing local and long-distance voice services across the U.S., though focused primarily on California, Texas and Florida. Over the course of seven years, the company has found some of its biggest success in marketing calling features such as caller ID and call waiting.

“They like the whistles and bells,” said Derek Gietzen, president, CEO and co-founder of Vycera.

The target market also tends to budget much more for communications services than the average American, he said. Part of the success comes from company production of marketing materials using the dialect and idiosyncrasies of the dominant Latin American region from which its customers come.

“One of the things that happens at the big carriers is that all of the marketing materials are developed in English and then it’s converted to Spanish,” said Gietzen. “That doesn’t usually translate.”