Throwback Thursday: From Large Mobile Phones to Small Mobile Phones...and Back to Large?

Happy Throwback Thursday!

With all the buzz around the announcement of the new iPhone 6, and the competition releasing their new smartphones on the market, it seems fitting to look back at the beginning designs of mobile phones. 

To the left you can see the progression of mobile phones. When Motorola first put out their cell phone, it was almost bigger than a house phone, but as time went on, they recognized the demand for smaller phones. Likewise, other major cell phone manufacturers followed suit and kept trying to make mobile phones smaller and smaller. 

As you can see in today's generation, mobile phones are turning into smartphones, and those smartphones are reverting back to the 'bigger is better' motto. Apple typically remained the same size, but with their latest iPhone, the screen is much larger than previous models. It is comparable to Samsung's Galaxy Note smartphones. With all the features and capabilities, developers needed to adapt the user interface to better fit all of the functionality. 

Similar to smartphones, the User Interfaces (UI) of Virtual Agents have progressively changed over the course of time to better accommodate users. In the past, Virtual Agent interfaces were text on a DOS screen, and eventually evolved to look very similar to AOL instant messenger. Now, Virtual Agents have become more sleek, can include multi-pane U.I.'s, avatars and promotions, the potential for speech capabilities, predictive text, and much more. In the past, Virtual Agents found their home on a website, and were best accessed from a laptop or computer; however, today, Virtual Agents make so much sense for the mobile customer experience (right, Siri?).

The user interface is not the only thing that is constantly updated; the administrative tools have also come a long way. For example, Virtual Agents can now integrate with third-party platforms, provide custom reporting, and with the Internet of Everything now in play, the capabilities are endless.  

What do you think the future of user interfaces will look like? How do you think the Internet of Everything will play a role in device designs?  
www.nohold.com 

Happy 15th Birthday, noHold!

Photo Credit: mecury-labs.com

Last Friday, September 12, we celebrated noHold’s 15^th birthday. We have always prided ourselves on being one of the longest standing virtual agent vendors to date. In an interview with Connected World Magazine, Diego Ventura, the CEO of noHold, talks briefly about how the concept of noHold all started.

“CW (Connected World): It is said that the past is prologue, and in that spirit, can I ask you to describe how you came to start noHold 15-years ago?

DV (Diego Ventura): noHold is my second company; my first company was STEFRA Corp. We created a product called Video Control that was bundled with most of the Web cameras of the time. It was a very successful enterprise for us, but it also meant that millions of new customers had questions about our software. I have always been passionate about AI (artificial intelligence), so we thought about creating an Expert System that could answer customers’ questions automatically. The idea caught on and I realized there was the opportunity to create a separate company. I raised $15 million from VCs (venture capitalists) and started noHold.”

To read the full interview, please follow this link.

Throughout the years, we have continued to watch and contribute to the growth of this industry. noHold has acquired great experience over the 15 years of developing Expert Systems and we've determined best practices that help our clients enhance the customer experience, but our technology is also flexible and continuously adapting to keep up with the rapid growth of technology. As the acknowledged leader in Web based self-service solutions, we are very happy that in the past few years, Virtual Agents and artificial intelligence have grown to become household names. More and more people are feeling comfortable interacting and having a conversation with their technologies (artificial intelligence) than ever before. We predict great growth in Virtual Agent adoption, especially within the Internet of Everything (IoE). Nevertheless, we are looking forward to what the next 15 years will bring. Cheers!  

www.nohold.com

Tim Cook Says, "People Want to Relate to Their Phone in a Different Way"

About two years ago, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, was interviewed and asked about Siri. His response was, "I think Siri has proven to us that people want to relate to their phone in a different way. Yes it can be broader and so forth, but we see unbelievable potential here. I think you're going to be happy with where it's going. We're doubling down on it." (wired.co.uk)

Fast forward 2 years, we can tell that they are doing some serious upgrading to Siri technology to keep up with the competition. As we mentioned yesterday, Siri has some interesting new features to appear in the updated iOS8. Back in August, Apple submitted a patent application for a Siri-like virtual assistant for Mac's (appleinsider.com). And now, they are expanding their Siri office in Boston to accommodate their continued work on speech recognition technology. "Earlier this year a report in June suggested Apple could be looking to replace Nuance as the speech recognition component used for Siri pointing to several new hires at the company." (9to5mac.com)

Siri, and other Virtual Assistants alike, provide users with a sense of connection to their devices, making it more personal. It has completely changed the way humans interact with not only our phones, but technology in general. Virtual Agents are being used more and more for customer support (helping users solve their own problems), sales (giving users knowledge and recommendations based on specific, personalized information), and care (letting users know information about their shipments/orders).

Do you agree that Siri has changed the way we relate with our devices? Imagine a life with a more intuitive and interactive Virtual Assistant; similar to a trusted 'pal' that can predict your needs/wants, give you relevant information in real time, and assist you with things such as scheduling, shopping, and controlling other devices. Siri might not be there yet, but it seems that the future of Virtual Assistants is moving in that direction.   

www.nohold.com

Apple's Big Announcement: What Does This Mean For Siri?

"Today, we are pleased to announce the biggest advancement in iPhone." -Tim Cook

The much anticipated Apple event occurred this morning in Cupertino, CA. Here, they announced some of the latest features integrated into the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. 

• Much larger screen.  iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch display. iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5-inch display. 
• The cover glass is made up of a Retina HD display.
• There is a updated Home screen for landscape mode.
• iPhone 6 has a 8MP iSight camera, 1.5µ pixels, ƒ/2.2 aperture, with an all new sensor.
• The predictive keyboard learns your conversation style and helps you answer accordingly. 
• The new Health app gives you a detailed look at your health and fitness data.
• See how much faster and easier it is to pay with Apple Pay
• Pre-order your iPhone 6 starting Sept. 12

Not only did they announce all the newest features integrated within the iOS8 platform, they also unveiled the newest addition to their product line, the Apple Watch. Looks like the rumors were right; Apple joined the market for wearable devices. Check out the sleek design.

Photo Credit: Apple.com

Siri also made it's way into the Apple Watch. The iPhone 6, 6 Plus, and Apple Watch all run iOS8, which made some significant updates to Siri. Though, the event did not mention Siri much, back in June at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference, they mentioned some of the updates Siri will be getting in iOS8. 

• Shazam song recognition
• Voice activation, all you have to do is say "Hey, Siri."
• Streaming voice recognition
• 22 new dictation languages
• Purchasing iTunes content

Do you think this face lift be enough to keep Apple on top of the Virtual Assistant game, competing with Android's Google Now and Microsoft's Cortana?   

www.nohold.com

noHold Participates in a Case Study with Partner, Rackspace

Here at noHold, we love getting feedback from our customers. It is a great way to find out if we are providing the best products/ services possible, what ways we can improve, and how we can customize products to better fit the needs of our audience. Just recently, Dario De Santis, our Product and Engineering Manager, participated in a case study for one of our partners, Rackspace. They are a well-known managed cloud computing company based in Texas. Here is a brief video of Dario explaining how our involvement with Rackspace and their services is truly essential to providing our customers with the best foundation possible for their products.

There is also an article explaining a little more in depth why Rackspace works so well for noHold. To read the full document, please click here.

Is customer feedback a key performance indicator for your company? Why or why not?  

www.nohold.com

Trusted Brands Use Quick Videos to Introduce Virtual Agents to Call Center Agents, Employees, and Consumers

One of our customers once said, "Consumer products and services should be easy enough to use that you don't have to train your audience to use them ." This is a great rule of thumb for consumer products, as well as the support and self-service that accompanies them. Consumers don't like buying an expensive piece of technology and having to spend hours learning how to turn it on. They want easy, light weight, user-friendly technology that can simplify their lives in some way. 

At noHold, we always talk about the importance of ease of use for the end customer and administrators alike. In some instances, our clients recruit interns or entry level associates to build and maintain Virtual Agents. Minimal training is key to making this model successful. Similarly, call center agents and end customers should be able to interact with the Virtual Agents effortlessly. When a customer launches a new Virtual Agent, one of the easy ways to introduce the users to the product is with short overview videos. Within the videos, companies can describe the User Interface (UI) of the Virtual Agent, the different capabilities, and/or anything else they feel appropriate.  

One of the largest companies in the networking equipment industry is utilizing this method of introducing Virtual Agents with easy to follow and engaging videos. In doing so, it encourages adoption by giving examples of the ease of use. These videos have been viewed by internal employees, call center agents, and more. 

noHold also made a quick overview video of our Help Desk Virtual Agent, Albert. Check out the video below to see the example.

Would you be more inclined to use self-service options if you were prompted by a quick video clip? How does your company introduce new products or services, like a Virtual Agent, to your end user?  Do you think videos help to encourage usage? 

www.nohold.com

P.S. 

The time with our interns is almost up; this is their last week here with us. We are sad to see them go, but are very excited for them to show us what they have been working on for the past month. Stay tuned for a blog overview on their work creating their own Virtual Agent.   

Throwback Thursday: Are Robots Threatening Your Job Security?

Photo Credit: apps.carleton.edu

If you look back at past T.V. shows/movies, it is almost as if they were foreshadowing a future with robots and interactive technology. Take the 1960's cartoon series, The Jetsons, for example. They enhanced the futuristic vibe of the show by adding a robot as their housekeeper. Now, in today's World, the public is more afraid than ever of robots replacing humans in the job market. I recently read a funny article, making light of the public's worry about a 'robot take over'. The article is titled, '7 Roles That Robots Will Never Fill (Although We Kind of Wish They Would).' 

Read the full article to find out why the author thought a robot could never replace a human in certain occupations.

While most of these seem like a joke, their are many other jobs that robots cannot replace, either. For example, an occupation in creative arts. While, a computer can enhance art (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.), a robot uses logic and lacks the element of a 'creative eye.' Some of the most beautiful art is abstract and that would be a hard concept for a robot to grasp.

What about teachers? We wrote a blog about Jibo, the social robot, being used as a tool to help teach children. While it was proven successful, it does not mean that the presence of a human teacher is obsolete. Young, developing minds require human interaction, and much more to thrive. 

In the end, it is important to look at robots/technology as supplementary to human jobs, instead of a threat to job security. Industry experts and trusted brands envision a work place where technology and humans work together. Creating efficiency, streamlining processes, responding quickly and reducing costs are just a few of the benefits that automation can provide. According to our metrics, we see millions of consumers interacting with Artificial Intelligence a month. People feel more comfortable with A.I. and in most cases, prefer the immediacy of using such tools. Not only are consumers getting to the answers they want quicker, but they are leaving the conversation feeling satisfied as well.       
What do you think about robots, automation and Artificial Intelligence becoming more predominate in the job market? Are you worried, or do you see it as a benefit? How do you interact with AI today in your occupation, and how does it make your job easier? 
www.nohold.com