The Customer Experience Shift From Chatbots to Cognitive Virtual Agents

2 minute read

The report finds IPsoft’s Amelia leading at the forefront of Virtual Agents.

Boston and Cambridge, UK, March 20, 2017 — HfS Research, The Services Research Company™, today unveiled new research on the customer experience shift from Chatbots to Cognitive Virtual Agents.

HfS’ new research report, entitled “Making Cognitive Real: The Transformation of Service Agents,” reveals that with automation becoming more sophisticated and intelligent, the emphasis is now moving beyond chatbots toward Virtual Assistants and Virtual Agents. The key differentiation is that Virtual Agents are progressing beyond simple Q&A services, toward being capable of executing complex processes and performing self-remediation. These new advanced Virtual Agents can connect directly with applications and integrate with lower level capabilities such as desktop automation and RPA where these steps are part of a broader execution.

The report finds IPsoft’s Amelia leading at the forefront of Virtual Agents. IPsoft has developed its Amelia platform as a virtual agent which is capable of analyzing language, understanding context and applying logic to conversations. Amelia automates interactions by integrating vast knowledge libraries into conversations to determine how best to help the customers she supports. She learns from each exchange and applies this knowledge to future dialogues. This approach aims at creating conversational, human-like interaction, that is unlike traditional chatbots.

Two major enterprises currently implementing Amelia within their customer service organizations were interviewed for the research.

According to HfS Chief Analyst and CEO, Phil Fersht, “The most captivating value of cognitive automation, in today's consumer-centric enterprise, is the rapid emergence of the virtual agent, where customer engagement is enriched without heavy incremental investments in support staff. This isn't about replacing a real customer service rep with an avatar; it's elevating the existing customer experience.”

“We are proud to see that the report highlights that Amelia is leading at the forefront of Virtual Agents and delivering business impact. Digital labor will provide a fundamental shift in the way that companies manage their operations and provide a platform on which it is possible to launch new services. We are just at the starting point in this cognitive revolution,” said Chetan Dube, CEO of IPsoft.

About HfS Research

HfS Research is The Services Research Company™ — the leading analyst authority and global community for business operations and IT services. The firm helps organizations validate and improve their global operations with world-class research, benchmarking and peer networking. HfS Research was named "Independent Analyst Firm of the Year for 2016" by the Institute of Industry Analyst Relations which voted on 170 other leading analysts. HfS Chief Analyst, Phil Fersht, was named Analyst of the Year in 2016 for the third time.

Read more

About Amelia

Amelia is one of the world’s largest privately held AI software companies and a global leader in Enterprise Conversational AI. The company’s technology is trusted by organizations across an array of industries to automate operations, improve customer experience and optimize business outcomes. Amelia’s platform develops and deploys AI tools that manage critical tasks and processes, enabling employees to be more productive and deliver better results while reducing operational costs. Consistently recognized by third-party analyst firms including Gartner’s Magic Quadrant 2023 as a market leader, Amelia has powered the voice operations of global Fortune 500 leaders including Telefónica, BBVa and BNP Paribas. Backed by strategic investments from the Build Group and Monroe Capital, Amelia is headquartered in New York City and serves customers globally through offices throughout the US, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Media Contact:
[email protected]

The Intelligent Contact Center

Companies have spent decades implementing Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems in their call and customer care centers, but they've proven unable to keep up with customers' expectations.

In this white paper, we examine the benefits of an Intelligent Contact Center, where companies utilize Conversational AI-powered virtual agents to provide first-line resolution and support for customers, and augment human employees through AI and automation.

Download our paper to learn the benefits of this approach and why current IVR systems simply will not cut it in today’s hyper-paced digital landscape.

Learn More