Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and More are Validating the Artificial Intelligence Market

Here is a short clip from "What's the Big Deal?" talking about Google's plan to move toward Artificial Intelligence (A.I.). Google is not the only one interested in A.I., though. Big name companies including IBM, Apple, Microsoft, Nuance, and Facebook are also making an investment into A.I. business units. With this sudden spike of interest in A.I., the future is looking bright for intelligent super computers! 

What do you think about these major companies investing in A.I.?

Top Reasons to Show Virtual Agents Some Love: #VirtualAgentLove

A support site without a Virtual Agent (VA) is like going to Disneyland and not seeing Mickey Mouse; the two simply go hand-in-hand. VA’s are gaining popularity in the market, and in light of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to share with you a few reasons why you should show VA’s some love this year. 

1. Virtual Agents reduce support costs

• In many cases, the use of a VA has cut incident rates in half, thus saving companies hundreds of thousands of dollars per month. 

2. Predictions are positive for Virtual Agents to be the next big technology trend

• According to a top analyst firm, the future for IT organization’s strategies includes VA’s. Staying ahead of the curve is going to save companies money and give them the edge to surpass their competitors. Fortune 500 companies are agreeing with this trend. Microsoft is expected to launch Windows Phone 8.1 with a personal Virtual Assistant programmed into it (Meet Microsoft’s Virtual Personal Assistant) and IBM has invested over $1B on a new business unit for the super computer, Watson (IBM to invest $1 Billion to Create New Business Unit for Watson). 

3. Virtual Agents eliminate long “hold” times for customers

• Consumers expect a speedy response to their problems. VA’s give the power to the consumer to find the answer to their problem on their own time. Call Center agents can also utilize a VA to reduce Average Handle Time and get to more customers, faster. 

4. Virtual Agents make for happier customers

• All companies rely on happy customers to make a profit. Implementing a VA has been proven to put brands at the top of their industry in customer satisfaction. 

5. Virtual Agents have the ability to be a butler or central hub for multiple Virtual Agents to connect to one another

• The Internet of Everything is coming to fruition. Applications are being used to control smart machines connected to the Internet. But what happens when you have too many devices/applications to manage? It is hard to take full advantage of what each device has to offer if you don’t know what to do. Leveraging a VA as a “butler”, where you can control all your connected devices from a single user interface (UI) will help simplify your future. Find out more about noHold Connect by clicking here. 

There is an endless list of reasons to fall in love with them. VA’s continue to impress me with all their features and how they have progressively enhanced over time. Be sure to share with us all the reasons you love Virtual Agents! I hope everyone has a great Valentine’s Day, as well as a great weekend.

Cheers! 

Throwback Thursday: The Shift From Search to Cognitive Interaction

Long ago before Virtual Agents existed,

People were forced to use search engines with no diagnostic features,

No interactive component,

Photo credit: money.cnn.com

And no escalate to contact options. 

How many people remember "Ask Jeeves”? How about Clippy, the Question and Answer, animated paper clip at the bottom of a PC? These search engines have been around for quite some time. Before Virtual Agents, these popular tools were cutting edge. Today, the end user requires the interactive element that Virtual Agents possess. Companies are realizing the importance of implementing a diagnostic and interactive approach.

Photo credit: Wayback Machine

Transforming automated support into a cognitive interaction has always been the basis of noHold's technology. The use of a Natural Language Processor (NLP) coupled with an Inference Engine (IE) allows our Virtual Agents to interpret end-users words and drive a conversation instead of a simplistic question and answer session.

Unlike a typical search, Virtual Agents also have the capability to seamlessly activate another Virtual Agent.  Back in 2011, we discussed “A.I. vs. A.I.: The Need for Virtual Assistants to 'Talk' to Each Other.” On a lighter note, here is a funny video of two chatbots talking to each other courtesy of  CornellCCSL.

Fast forward to today, it is more important than ever for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to be interactive and diagnostic, as well as to "communicate" with other AI. With so many things connected to the Internet, the human experience is key. 

What do you think? Tell us if you believe that a typical search will become a cognitive interaction.  

Happy Throwback Thursday!

noHold Announces noHold Connect to Empower Humans to Experience the Internet of Everything (IoE) From a Single User Interface (UI)

Happy Friday!
Recently, noHold announced noHold Connect, to Empower Humans to Experience the Internet of Everything (IoE) From a Single User Interface(UI). 
According to Cisco, the Internet of Everything is defined as bringing together people, process, data, and things to make networked connections more relevant and valuable than ever before-turning information into actions that create new capabilities, richer experiences, and unprecedented economic opportunity for businesses, individuals, and countries. Leading analysts firms, and Fortune 500 companies agree, that by 2020 over 30 billion devices will be connected to the Internet. Click the link below to read the full announcement and learn how Virtual Agents will play a role in the Internet of Everything. 
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/nohold-announces-nohold-connect-empower-203800935.html