How Will Amazon's Fire Phone Compare to the Rest? Should "MayDay" Evolve into a Virtual Assistant?

A couple weeks ago, Amazon unveiled their latest device to hit the market soon, the Fire Phone. As noted in the video, it has the look of standard smartphones, but inhabits a couple new features unique to the Fire Phone. For example, Dynamic Perspective takes 3D display technology to a whole new level. "The display is meant to give viewers a sense of looking deeper into the screen (technically called positive parallax) rather than creating images that "jump out" (negative parallax)." (How 'Dynamic Perspective' Brings 3D to the Amazon Fire Phone). 

With innovative components such as Dynamic Perspective and Firefly (a universal product scanner that allows you to identify and buy objects, in real time), you would think Amazon has a chance to compete with the top brands in the smartphone space (e.g. Samsung, Apple, and more). But with all these new features, a lot of technical support questions will follow. Similar to Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX, the Fire Phone will have a MayDay button to provide 24/7, live support via video chat. Using this as a first line of defense for support can quickly become expensive and time consuming. According to an analyst, Dan Miller, at Opus Research, "If the MayDay 'rep' continues to be a live agent, it will be a matter of training, workforce optimization and knowledge management. Yet I still maintain that, for MayDay to be done right, it is just a matter of time before it turns into a fully automated intelligent assistant, in which case it will depend on advances in life-like automated speech, natural language processing (NLP), artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML)." (Amazon's "Fire" Phone and MayDay Will Redefine "Mobile Assistance"). 

With the increasing volume of MayDay users approaching, do you agree that Amazon will need to turn MayDay into a Virtual Assistant? What about  the absence of a 'butler-style' Virtual Assistant (i.e. Siri, Google Now, Cortana, etc.). Will this effect sales and/or user satisfaction? Leave a comment and let us know what you think. 

www.nohold.com

Virtual Agent Tips and Tricks: "How Do I Connect My Laptop to the Company Network?"

"How do I request time off?" "How do I log into my new router?" Consumers always have 'how to' questions, such as these, when dealing with any company, both externally and internally. Each company has the power to provide immediate answers to these questions, while increasing customer/employee satisfaction. 

The inspiration for this blog came from an article titled, 12 Ways to Improve Android Battery Life. It got me thinking about all the cutting edge, lesser known features that gadgets have, that most people don’t know how to use. A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog about embedding 'how to' videos into Virtual Agent responses to visually represent the solution to an issue, but Virtual Agents are equally used for supplying ‘how to’ solutions via a conversation.

Using the article mentioned above as an example, the user wanted to know how to improve the battery life of the Android phone. Instead of searching through articles online, a more direct and interactive way to find out would be to ask a Virtual Agent. The Virtual Agent can then give you a list of steps on how to save the life of your battery, in real time.

Also, finding cool new ‘how to’ hacks for a new device is social currency and encourages sharing with friends and family. “Hey, did you know your device can do this?!” You can easily share the solution(s) you found with your social audience directly through a sharing mechanism that can be embedded into the Virtual Agent.

What are some of the most commonly asked ‘how to’ questions? Are the solutions difficult to find and share, or are they presented in a conversational manner (even without the assistance of a live person)? How does your company make 'how to' questions an interactive experience for your customers? 

www.nohold.com  

Eugene Becomes the First Robot to Pass the Turing Test

Video Credit: Yahoo! Tech

A few weeks ago, Russian researchers made history when they created the first robot to pass the Turing Test; they named him, Eugene. Alan Turing created this test to measure the intelligence level of a computer through the interaction of man and machine. The computer passes if more then 30% of humans can not identify that the conversation they are having is with Artificial Intelligence (A.I.).

There are a lot of mixed feelings surrounding this topic; what do you think? Does a robot tricking humans into believing A.I. are human make them a danger to mankind? Or is our society so accustomed to interacting with robots/technology already (Siri, Google Now, etc.), that making them more "human-like" is a benefit? 

I'll leave you with a quote from Professor Warwick, the organizer of the test, "In the field of Artificial Intelligence there is no more iconic and controversial milestone than the Turing Test, when a computer convinces a sufficient number of interrogators into beleiving that it is not a machine but rather is a human. Having a computer that can trick a human into thinking that someone, or even something, is a person we trust is a wake-up call to cybercrime." (Turing Test, Bested, Robot Overlords Creep Closer to Assuming Control).

www.nohold.com

Virtual Agents Enhance the Customer Experience within Handheld Devices

Lately, there has been much news about trusted brands expanding product lines to include mobile devices, as well as consolidation among vendors. Top PC manufacturers are starting to realize that to stay a competitor in the industry they need to branch out to the tablet, smartphone, and wearable device markets. For example, Lenovo recently acquired Motorola Mobility from Google with the desire to strengthen its position in the smartphone market (Lenovo to Acquire Motorola Mobility from Google). Also, Dell has been reaching beyond PC’s to solidify its stake in the tablet and mobile arena. Big name companies are also preparing for the wearable device boom. Intel jumped on the wearable train and acquired Basis Science, a provider of high-end fitness trackers, along with a few other companies that specialize in wearable tech (Intel Buys Fitness Band Maker Basis Science). Amazon's recent announcement of a smartphone, further validates the demand for not only mobile devices, but enforces the consumer desire for streaming media on the go. 

While Virtual Agents are known for the ability to troubleshoot issues and answer questions about desktops and laptops, they are also flexible enough to live on handheld devices. Their lightweight characteristics give them the ability to adapt to almost all environments. In fact, noHold's CEO has talked about a future where websites take a more proactive approach and begin by asking the visitor a question first; comparable to a concierge style Virtual Agent.

Do you see the future of websites (via PC’s or mobile devices) being more proactive, intuitive and interactive? Will trusted brands start using this concierge-like approach to seamlessly guide users through their websites? Leave a comment and let us know what you think.   

www.nohold.com

A Virtual Agent for the Internal Help Desk: 92% of Users Would Recommend it to a Colleague

Here at noHold we work with clients from multiple industries to provide them with the most interactive and diagnostic Virtual Agent solution. We are able to customize each Virtual Agent based on specific needs for individual companies. For example, one company was looking to reduce Average Handle Time (AHT) while still providing their customers with a great experience. In this case, they utilized the Call Center App, a VA designed for Call Center agents to reduce churn, AHT, and aid in training and consistency. 

Albert is another example of a Virtual Agent designed to improve the customer experience. Albert was created for internal use; to answer employee questions about the latest devices, applications, and operating systems. While Albert is an expert at all things IT, that is not the only topics he knows about. Albert has the flexibility to answer a wide array of questions specific to your company. For example, concerns involving HR and company policies. A custom version of Albert can be created to optimize employee use and satisfaction. 

Here is a video demo of Albert to show you how he operates.  

If you are interested in 'meeting' Albert, you can take a  test drive. By participating, you will be able to try out the Virtual Agent first hand and provide noHold with valuable feedback so we can continue to improve Albert. Participants who complete the test drive, can get a complimentary t-shirt. (Please note: sizes are limited, and shipping is limited to North America). 

Click here to take Albert for a spin. Enjoy!

www.nohold.com and albertai.com 

Exclusive Interview: Diego Ventura Talks with Connected World Magazine About IoE and AI

The CEO and founder of noHold, Diego Ventura, sat down with Tim Lindner of Connected World Magazine to talk about the Internet of Everything (IoE) and how Virtual Agents are a growing part of this phenomenon. Below is the introduction to the article; to read the full interview, please click here.   

Introduction
"At the close of 2012, Ray Kurzweil, a well-known inventor, futurist, and founder of Singularitarianism, posted a brief article in his online newsletter entitled "How the Internet of Everything Will Change the World."

His primary source was Cisco, which at the time was beginning its transformation into a company primarily focused on supplying the infrastructure that would support the explosive growth it forecasted as the world embraced the IoE (Internet of Everything).

Cisco made the statement that "more than 99% of things in the physical world are still not connected to the Internet." Cisco went on to state that "by 2020, 37 billion intelligent things will be connected to the Internet." 2020 is less than six years away.

As Cisco defines it, "The Internet of Everything builds on the foundation of the IoT (Internet of Things) by adding network intelligence that allows convergence, orchestration, and visibility across previously disparate systems."

Like the iceberg, the things we can see, such as connected-smart devices in people's hands or cars, is just a small part of the whole. The larger part unseen by most is the infrastructure that connects those devices and makes the Internet of Everything work.

It is here, unseen but an important player in the functioning of the infrastructure, "adding network intelligence that allows convergence, orchestration, and visibility across previously disparate systems," that we find Diego Ventura and his company, noHold, Inc. Recently Connected World magazine's Tim Lindner sat down with the very distinguished Ventura to have a very candid conversation about how he plans on charting a course for noHold straight into the future of the Internet of Everything. What we learned is that what noHold does will at some point in the future touch your lives on a daily basis. It will soon be very transparent to you. All you will see, hear, and touch will be his company's Virtual Agents."

To read the full interview, visit: Diego Ventura, CEO, noHold Talks IoE and AI

For more information about noHold, visit: www.nohold.com

Can a Virtual Agent Decide What Kind of Tablet Best Fits Your Personality?

Photo Credit: stores.macmall.com

We have all seen the fun, social quizzes typically on Facebook to find out, “What Star Wars Character is Most like You?” or “Who is Your Perfect Literary Boyfriend/Girlfriend?” Once in a while, we come across one that strikes our interest and we get pulled in to take it.

Many popular brands use these types of quizzes to engage their audience, and promote sharing among friends via social media. By doing so, brands are able to create a unique experience, increase engagement, while spreading brand awareness to prospective clients without having to do it directly themselves.

One way to implement quizzes is through a Virtual Agent. Using fun quizzes as a part of the Virtual Agent experience will encourage more users to interact. A core part of the technology used for a Virtual Agent is its ability to provide an interactive and diagnostic experience for users. Meaning, it can take the answers from the quiz, and using logic, turn them into meaningful metrics. For example, a company in the consumer electronics industry that is focusing on tablet sales can include a quiz in the Virtual Agent that might ask, “What Kind of Tablet Best Fits Your Personality?” Take the photo above: an Apple superstore created a quiz, "Which iPhone 5s Color Are You?" People were interested in taking the survey, increasing engagement, and participants were encouraged to buy the product they thought best suited them according to the results. By incorporating a fun quiz into the Virtual Agent experience, you create 'stickiness', promote sharing, while capturing actionable customer intelligence, among other benefits. 

Tell us how your company leverages quizzes to increase customer engagement. Have you thought about using a Virtual Agent as a customer experience companion? 

www.nohold.com

Virtual Agents Can Provide 'How To' Videos for Visual Learners

Last week, we talked about embedding surveys into Virtual Agent solutions to encourage users to complete a survey by making it more fun and interactive. The same concept about embedding surveys into Virtual Agents can be applied for 'How To' videos, as well.  

It is estimated that about 65% of the entire population are visual learners (Prime Infographics). Most people prefer to see how something is done rather than read about it. Knowing this, we need to adapt self-service support solutions to include options for all types of learners.  

Take the video above for example. In this video, by Donald Bell from CNET, he demonstrates how to take your old PC data and store it in the cloud. Since this is a hot topic now, a lot of people will be asking, "How do you do this?" Explaining this process through text only can be confusing to some and a bit lengthy, but adding a 'How To' video into the Virtual Agent solution, it offers supplementary information that can aid in the support process. In addition, the Virtual Agent makes finding videos much easier than traditional search. By positioning the video as part of a solution, end users can play a short clip and visualize how to fix their problem. 

Here is an example of a Virtual Agent that provided the answer to a question AND a supplementary instruction video. 

Note: In this example, the Virtual Agent being used is SalesAdvisor. A Virtual Agent designed to educate, advise, and cross-sell to prospective customers in real-time. 

How does your company make it easy for customers to find video solutions? Does typical search retrieve a list of potential solutions where the customer has to 'guess' which visual is the answer to his/her questions? 

www.nohold.com