Throwback Thursday: Dentist Move from Old-Fashion Painkillers to New-Aged Virtual Realities

I recently came across an article from Yahoo! Tech (Instead of Painkillers, Dentists May Soon Just Plunge You into a Virtual Reality) and found that virtual realities have been proving to be for more than just gaming. These headsets that immerse you into another world are appearing in your neighborhood dentist office? Yes, that is right, the dentist office! According to Tara Long of Discovery News, studies are being done on using virtual realities to alleviate dental pain. Check out the video below for the whole scoop. 

Video Source: Yahoo! Tech

Before the presence of immersive technology, painkillers/ anesthesia were the only way to reduce some of the pain from dental procedures. Now, the future of this technology is looking to replace modern medicine. What is your opinion on virtual realities used inside the dentist office? Is it all just a hoax or does the distraction and immersive elements of virtual realities really make you not feel the pain?

www.nohold.com

35% of IT Operations Organizations Will Have 75% of IT Service Desk Contacts from the Business Resolved by Virtual Assistants

In recent news, noHold announced last Thursday our partnership with a trusted provider of user-oriented IT solutions for systems, security, mobility, and ITSM challenges. In doing so, we are working together to introduce the next-generation Help Desk to IT organizations with the help of Virtual Assistants/Virtual Agents. Here is our stance on the topic.   

Typically, customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction are prioritized on two different levels, and in a customer-centric world, companies often let employee satisfaction fall by the wayside. In fact, industry experts in IT Operations have said that in general, IT Service Management is five to six years behind consumer-facing Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Knowing this, companies are taking another look internally and starting to incorporate what experts call a ‘necessity’ to running an efficient Help Desk. Top research firm, Gartner, predicts, “By 2016, 35% of IT operations organizations will have 75% of IT service desk contacts from the business resolved by virtual assistants” (Source: Gartner Predicts 2014: Automation Brings Promise to IT Operations Management, but at What Cost? 12 December 2013. Authors: Greene, J., Colville, R., et al.).

Some companies are already embracing a more interactive Help Desk. For example, Fidelity, the world’s largest provider of financial services, used Apple’s Genius Bar as inspiration for constructing their Help Desk. By doing this, the company is providing a closer, more personal relationship between the business and their employees. Multiple universities are also following suit, creating Help Desks with a similar concept to the Genius Bar.

A ‘Genius Bar’ inspired Help Desk is a move in the right direction; but as for the near future, IT organizations seem to be getting more interactive, in addition to becoming automated. In fact, industry experts agree that most IT help desk tickets can be handled through self-service. It is increasingly important for IT to implement a quality self-service solution for their employees to ensure profitability and employee satisfaction.  

A revolutionized Help Desk will include leveraging a Virtual Assistant as a first point of contact. One way of making a Virtual Assistant easily accessible, is through QR codes. Simply scan the QR code and a Virtual Assistant will pop up to help you with questions regarding BYOD, company policies, email issues, and more. When a live agent is necessary, the Virtual Assistant can carry the conversation over to the live agent so they know the root of the issue and can take action quickly. Incorporating a Virtual Assistant into your IT strategy can support employees, while allowing the Help Desk to spend less time responding to issues that can be automated, and more time focusing on the business.

I'll leave you with this slideshare demonstrates how a Virtual Assistant empowers enterprise customers.

   

noHold Joins the LANDESK One Partner Program to Create the Next Generation Help Desk

"MILPITAS, CA, (July 24, 2014) — noHold, Inc. announced today that they have joined the LANDESK One technology partner program to provide employees with the next generation, self-service help desk solution. LANDESK One is designed to provide opportunities for ISVs to create innovative and complementary technology on the LANDESK platforms. The program advances LANDESK’s user-oriented IT vision by enabling ISV partners to amplify the complete LANDESK portfolio to create customized, user-focused solutions. noHold and LANDESK are coming together to support the need of interactive technology for internal customers (employees). 

noHold Virtual Agents are used by leading brands to revolutionize their customers’ experience. Albert is an extension of noHold’s flagship product, InstantSupport™,but instead designed for employees to find answers to their problems, on their own terms. Albert can be customized with company-specific information or pre-packaged with answers to top questions about Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), Windows and Apple Operating Systems, and more."

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Please click here to continue reading the full press release. 

www.nohold.com

The First Social Robot to Hit the Market, Jibo

Throughout time we have used robots to accomplish many different missions: sending them to space, using them within the military, efficiently running a manufacturing line, and more. Now, social robots are hitting the market, such as Jibo, the world's first family robot. 

Photo Credit: wearethefrontier.com

Jibo is a compact robot with a huge personality, designed by a pioneer of social robotics, Cynthia Breazeal. Similar to Virtual Personal Assistants (such as Siri and Google Now), Jibo can greet you and remind you of appointments throughout the day. More importantly, social robots (like Jibo) have been seen to have a greater impact on literacy and second language learning than standard computers. The interactive element of Jibo makes learning easier because of it companionship feel, unlike a regular application on a device (Meet Jibo: The World's First Family Robot).

Click here to watch an interview with Breazeal talking about her inspiration for Jibo and its different functions.

With robots gaining popularity, some people are concerned about robots replacing humans within jobs, and/or replacing human roles in general. As Breazeal said in her interview with Katie Couric, "It's about human empowerment." Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is being used to augment human actions, not take over.  

How do you feel about a personal, social robot for your home? Would you buy one, why or why not? 

www.nohold.com

Throwback Thursday: The Evolution of Movie Robots and Artificial Intelligence

Trivia Question: Does anyone remember the first movie a robot appeared in?

...Give up?

The first robot debuted on the big screen in the 1919 film, ‘The Master Mystery’, except they weren't called robots yet; they were called automatons. For today’s audience, robots are a common thing to see in movies and they have only gotten more technologically advanced…and bigger! Check out this Yahoo! Movies video that takes you through a short tour of the evolution of movie robots.

As you can see, robots, and the brains behind the robots, Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), have continued to evolve throughout time. The beginning years of A.I., the technology did not have the diagnostic, conversational ability. Before, humans would interact with A.I. but it could only pick out keywords. In essence, there was no logic behind it. For example, if you asked an A.I., “I need directions to the grocery store from noHold”, it would pick out the key words (directions, grocery store, noHold), but it wouldn't be able to decipher the connecting words. The A.I. might interpret your request incorrectly and give you directions to noHold from the grocery store instead.

Now, A.I. is more advanced, and does not only use logic to process information, but also customizes responses. 

One way to provide custom responses (that is gaining popularity in the market) is using predictive technology. Taking the example from above about directions, if you ask a Virtual Agent where the nearest movie theater is, and it can respond with the solution AND give you options of nearby restaurants or the latest reviews on a current movie as well. Predictive interactions make it easier for users to get relevant information, without having to ask.

Location-based awareness is also a trending technology for new devices. Using GPS tracking to pinpoint your location, a Virtual Agent can use that information to provide users with location-specific content.

By combining logic, predictive interactions, and location-based awareness, Artificial Intelligence has evolved to become more user-friendly and personalized.

Do you remember your earliest interaction with a robot or A.I.? How has the experience evolved over time? In your opinion, what will A.I. be capable of 5 years from now? 

www.nohold.com

Virtual Agent in Action: User Navigates to the Correct Solution Quickly

Happy Monday! Not too long ago, noHold created a quick demonstration video. In this example, a user encounters an issue with his account. Instead of contacting the company directly, he opted to use their self-service solution.    



As you can see, a Virtual Agent is a user-friendly way for consumers to find the answers to their questions without having to wait for an agent to become available. Additionally, if users elect to use a Virtual Agent, it reduces the volume of calls to the Call Center, in turn cutting the costs. It is a win-win situation for all parties: the customer gets the answer they need while being immersed in an interactive customer experience, and companies deliver outstanding customer service without over paying. 

Does your company's contact center get the same frequently asked questions multiple times a day? Do you think automation will help achieve that 'win-win' scenario?

For more information on self-service solutions, please check out our website: www.nohold.com 

Throwback Thursday: Traditional Robots vs. Human-Like Robots

Photo credit: ucsddigitaljournalism.blogspot.com

Do you remember the times when a person would mention a robot and the image in your head would resemble the picture to the left? Big, bulky, square body parts, with antennas and computer features on the exterior completely validated the "I am a robot" phrase. 

Photo credit: dunckelnews.com

Today, when we see pictures or movies of what robots of the future will look like, they typically have more human features (see example on right), but are still recognizable as machines. 



     

Photo credit: news.yahoo.com

Now, robots are becoming more human-like than ever. To the left is an image of what appears to be a woman, but in reality, it is a robot. In Japan, one company is experimenting with robots, designing them to look, move, and talk like a human.  Japanese robotics expert, Hiroshi Ishiguro says "Making androids is about exploring what it means to be human," he told reporters Tuesday, "examining the question of what is emotion, what is awareness, what is thinking." (Woman or Machine? New Robots Look Creepily Human) 

Imagine adding Virtual Agent technology to a humanoid robot to provide it with the proper knowledge to answer questions. For example, the humanoid robot could be a store clerk, knowledgeable about your favorite product, customer service, etc. Or imagine an employee Help Desk with a human-like robot to answer your questions about BYOD, corporate policies, and more. How would you react? 

What is your opinion on robots that look exactly like humans? If you have used a Virtual Agent for Customer Support, Care, or sales questions, do you prefer to know that it is an automated solution before interacting?   

www.nohold.com

Throwback Thursday: Happy Independence Day!

With the 4th of July right around the corner, people are getting in the holiday spirit: Grills are heating up, swimming pools are crystal clear, and fireworks are in place (with safety precautions taken, of course!). 

But before we start leaving the office for this three day weekend, I wanted to share a quick blog about how technology/computers are being used this Fourth of July to keep the public a little bit more safe. For example, an audio monitoring network will be used to regulate celebratory gunfire. What shooters think to be an innocent act of honor/celebration can turn to be very dangerous and law enforcement is preparing for the high volume of shots this year for Fourth of July. "To help deter this gunfire, several police departments across the U.S. will be using a high-tech gunshot detection system to pinpoint the location and moment a firearm is discharged" (US Police Go High Tech to Tackle Fourth of July Celebratory Gunfire). By utilizing this technology, police are able to differentiate between gunfire and fireworks more accurately, and respond to the scene quicker than if a bystander called it in. 

Some other notable moments in tech history this month

1. MIT's Whirlwind allows keyboard input to the machine. "MIT's Whirlwind which has been completed five years earlier, becomes the first computer in the world to allow its users to enter commands through a keyboard. Previously, all input was accomplished through dials, switches, and/or punch cards" (Keyboards and Computers, Together at Last).
2. IBM introduces their first desktop computer to the world, Datamaster. Intended for small business use, and for end-users to be able to set it up without the need for a computer specialist. Soon after, they released the IBM PC recycling much of the knowledge they used to create the Datamaster (IBM's First Desktop Computer).

All-in-all, there have been some major milestones in tech history this month, but more importantly, major moments in US history. We hope you all have a fun and safe holiday weekend. Happy 4th of July!

Photo Credit: www.smartertravel.com