Tag: Mobile

Rich Messaging Apps: Supercharged SMS
Beyond SMS: Enter the World of Rich Messaging Apps

The history of WhatsApp and other RMAs is a fascinating reflection of the evolution of communication technology, especially in the context of smartphones.

RMAs have significantly impacted CX by offering features beyond SMS capabilities, allowing sending and receiving text, photos, videos, documents, and location and voice calls.

RMAs also offer encryption that SMS lacks, which is ideal for enterprise cloud environments. SMS also involves costs per message or depends on network provider bundles, depending on the user’s plan and country. The limits of SMS led to the development of RMAs.

Today, there are a host of RMAs, including WhatsApp Business, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Apple Business Chat/iMessage, and Google Business Messages.

Customer adoption is impressive. According to research firm Statista, in 2022, the number of global consumers and companies using WhatsApp Business was estimated to surpass 1.26 billion users.

CPaaS Platforms Take SMS & RMAs To A New Level

Though SMS and RMAs are excellent communication tools, they require constant modifications and customisation for enterprises depending on the marketing and support situation. Besides that, SMS and RMAs offer excellent opportunities to mine customer data and analytics and significantly increase customer engagement.

That’s where CPaaS helps.

CPaaS consolidates SMS and RMA apps into one dashboard, providing businesses an integrated platform to orchestrate omnichannel strategies rather than managing individual channels. Companies that offer CPaaS solutions include Webex Connect, Twilio, Bird (formerly MessageBird), Plivo, Sinch and Infobip and Vonage.

Better still, CPaaS handles an impressive range of backend delivery infrastructure, automated workflows, analytics, and more. It provides actionable data and tools around two-way messaging absent in standalone RMAs. Some provide the ability to integrate with the leading RMAs like Apple Message, Facebook Messenger, and Google Business Messenger.

Other benefits include:
- CPaaS offers a flexible development environment with software toolkits and APIs to customize communication products/services.
- It enables developers to build messaging capabilities into apps versus limited configuration with RMAs alone.
- Designed for enterprise-scale communication needs across large customer bases. It also offers more mission-critical guarantees around security, latency, uptime.
In summary, CPaaS solutions augment the capabilities of individual rich messaging apps to power more streamlined, scalable, and sophisticated B2C communication strategies for businesses with advanced requirements.

AI Rising: The Relentless Pursuit of Better CX

AI is becoming integral to CPaaS to enhance customer engagement within the SMS and RMA environment.

SMS and RMAs generate abundant conversational data from real-time, high-frequency customer messaging interactions. Whether customers are texting questions about an order or communicating needs over WhatsApp, every message input provides valuable insights.

When this data is integrated into a CPaaS platform leveraging machine learning algorithms, robust analysis unlocks a goldmine for businesses. Predictive models identify intent and patterns in customer language. Natural language processing classifies the topics, sentiments, and semantics mentioned across conversations over time.

Powerful segmentation and analytics around messaging data fuel hyper-personalization. Customers feel understood and heard when they receive tailored content or offers meeting their needs without having explicitly asked. AI remembers the context of prior discussions, mimicking human memory.

Chatbots leverage NLP to parse inquiries and handle common requests automatically through SMS or rich messaging apps. They personalize interactions, gauge customer satisfaction with sentiment analysis, recommend products, and answer questions seamlessly. Virtual assistants feel more helpful by retrieving and responding with specific details using the customer’s same natural language. Humans step in easily when needed.

Overall, AI augmentation enables companies to scale mass personalization through messaging. The right message, right channel, and right time become possible. Combining smart automation with the trust of SMS & RMAs creates sustainable one-on-one engagement between brands and customers.

AI is no longer an option. One way or another, AI will find its way into every area of the enterprise, especially in the contact centre. It’s still early in the game. The AI hype cycle will be with us for some time to come. In the meantime, CPaaS companies will continue to refine and develop new solutions to harness the power of ML and NLPs. These models will become more refined from expanding datasets (driven by SMS and RMAs), resulting in more meaningful tools to improve CX.

Companies that seize this opportunity and are willing to experiment with AI in an agile way could gain significant revenue, profits, and a loyal customer base. There’s no going back. AI is here to stay.
02/26/2024
SMS: Customer Engagement 140 Characters At a Time
“The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don’t really even notice it, so it’s part of everyday life,” Bill Gates.

Digital transformation has pushed life to hyperspeed. The more we rely on digital technologies, the quicker the pace and the more we need to stay in touch. We need fast, reliable, and simple ways to connect. Thank heavens for SMS.

SMS is not unlike electricity. We assume it’s there when we need it. And it usually is. Better still, it’s simple to use, amazingly effective, and it keeps our daily lives humming along. It’s a basic, widely accessible, and straightforward means of communication. Its universal reach and simplicity have made it an indispensable tool. And it’s an indispensable platform for B2C.

It’s the lingua franca of the digital age, allowing users with different platforms to connect, share, and transact business across different mobile devices, operating systems, and networks. It doesn’t require a smartphone or a high-speed internet connection, making it accessible to a wide range of users worldwide.

SMS: The Unseen CX Workhorse

Since its first message in December 1992, the short-burst SMS has evolved to be one of the most effective customer experience (CX) tools.

The online digital lifestyle publication Earthweb reports that more than 2 trillion SMS messages were sent in the US in 2023. Globally, it was reported that 8.4 trillion SMS messages were sent in 2021, according to a Forbes magazine article.

With over 86 percent of the global population possessing a smartphone, and SMS clocking in with hundreds of billions of messages daily, the SMS ecosystem will remain a rich field for companies across all industries.

A 2021 report from Mitto, an omnichannel solutions provider, offers important insights on using SMS as a tool to build brand loyalty:
- SMS has a click-through rate of 19 percent compared to landing on the first page of Google search engine results page (SERPs), which is at 34.36 percent, email marketing (four percent), and Facebook (one percent). (SMS Comparison, 2022)
- 41 percent of consumers prefer receiving brand updates via SMS versus email (22 percent). Meanwhile, 66 percent of consumers prefer receiving text service notifications. (Yotpo, 2020)
- About 80 percent of people worldwide will be using smartphones by 2023. It’s also estimated that there will be 7.52 billion mobile users by 2026. (Ericsson & The Radicati Group, 2022)
- Ninety-five percent of text messages tend to be read and responded to within the first three minutes when they’re received. (SMS Comparison, 2021)
The SMS ROI: It’s Hard to Ignore

Further to the Mitto report, brands implementing omnichannel strategies, including SMS solutions, had the following results:
- Four times more likely to report loyal customers. 
- Three times more likely to have significant increases in revenue growth.  
- Three times more likely that customer experience was rated an ‘A.’ 
- Three times more likely they will increase their investment in CX. 
- Two times more likely to respond to customers in real-time or less than an hour. 
Follow the Numbers To Follow The Money

SMS is a real workhorse for customer engagement. Its usefulness can hardly be in doubt.

Its compatibility across devices and networks makes it a linchpin in the omnichannel toolkit, driving CX and brand loyalty. Its reliability and simplicity make it a fundamental, universally accessible communication tool critical for B2C interactions.

Its impressive usage statistics underscore its effectiveness, and with reports highlighting its superior click-through rates and consumer preferences, SMS’s role in fostering real-time connections and loyalty is undeniable. And its proven impact on revenue growth, customer loyalty, and investment in CX further makes its indispensable technology in enhancing customer-brand relationships.
02/20/2024
Cloud AI in the Mobile First Markets

In 1959, Esso, now ExxonMobil, launched a consumer advertising campaign in the US dubbed, “Put a tiger in your tank.” The slogan suggested that Esso’s petrol stood out from other brands because it was like adding the strength of a tiger to a car engine. The Esso ‘tiger’ became one of the most well-known ad campaigns of the 1960s.

These days, we’ve gone from tigers to llamas. The hottest topic today is not the petrol in your engine. It’s about the AI in your pocket. Consider Meta and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., the mobile phone chip company. They’re working together to optimize Meta’s Llama 2 large language models (LLMs) directly on-device with generative AI applications using the AI capabilities of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platforms.

Starting in 2024, generative AI models (like Llama 2) will be available on smartphones, PCs, VR/AR headsets (and don’t forget cars) to provide users with private, more reliable, and personalized experiences. This will allow intelligent virtual assistants, productivity applications, content creation tools, entertainment, and more.

So, as the roar of the internal combustion engine gradually gives way to the silent surge of instant torque of the electric car, the smartphone will perform (and look) a lot differently, too – thanks to AI. Within a decade, you could have a “llama in your pocket,” so to speak, offering up personalised recommendations in real-time, observing your precise location, writing emails on the fly, and acting as a personal assistant to guide you through food and menu choices based on your health profiles.

Already Samsung has three Galaxy S24 models that are expected to include generative AI capabilities. The company has also registered two trademarks; ‘AI Phone’ and ‘AI Smartphone.’ And companies like NICE, the CXaaS (Customer Experience as a Service) company, have reoriented their corporate focus to AI-inspired initiatives. Clearly the world is on the cusp of an entirely new era. The ‘smart’ of smartphone is poised for a big upgrade. The AI phone is at hand.

AI and Cloud Projects Grow in APAC

Until now, AI in smartphones has primarily played a supportive role (neural processing units embedded in chips have been instrumental in powering features like on-device translation, voice, image recognition (Google Lens), and virtual assistants such as Siri and Google Assistant). But smartphones are evolving into more than just endpoints; they are becoming active participants in the cloud ecosystem, particularly in APAC (read our last article on the growth of mobile within the region).

Consider the collaboration of digital payments between Apple Pay and Hyundai Card in South Korea which was supported by the government of South Korea. South Korea is the tenth Asia-Pacific country where Apple Pay is available. The fin-tech service already exists in Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan, according to Apple.

As if to cement the East’s growing potential, reported by Nikkei Asia last month was the case of NVIDIA, whose GPUs power ChatGPTs servers, visited nearby Southeast Asia to discuss investments in AI infrastructure; a move that leverages the region’s established experience with technology supply chain. It’s one of the many decisions by global tech companies that are highlighting the emerging market’s path to advanced cloud innovation.

The accelerating demand for mobile payments, e-commerce, and other transactions makes AI in mobile a continuous cycle of benefits.

CX in Emerging Markets Trends Looks Bright

The arrival of AI with mobile-first cloud services will have a transformative effect in emerging markets, creating opportunities for innovation and economic growth.

This growing potential is not lost on even prominent cloud vendors from the established markets of North America, and Europe. 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant CCaaS Leader, Genesys, reports of CX in APAC: “it’s now critical for organizations to have a connected voice and digital strategy that empowers customers across their journey.”

It’s particularly important when you consider that 63% of APAC consumers will pay more to buy from companies that support their values, and a third of respondents reported that they stopped engaging with a service after a negative interaction.

A challenge consistent to further CX innovation in the region is the issue of connecting technology and data to create end-to-end customer journeys. Without the capabilities of a well-integrated multichannel strategy, a customer that switches between a chatbot interaction and contact center loses their historical context leading to frustratingly longer resolution times of their cases. According to Genesys’ report, only 18% of APAC companies have achieved efficient communication within a multi-channel CX presence.

Languages Make Challenges. But Not Impossible Ones

To delegate tasks from human agents to automation, AI and LLMs need to be more proficient and handle more complex requests. Most popular LLMs have been based on the English language, posing challenges for deploying chatbots in non-English regions like Asia where there are dozens of languages with local complex colloquialisms. The sheer diversity of languages in these regions is no small feat for LLMs to master.

But within a decade, these limitations could disappear.

Singapore, both multilingual and flagship to technological innovation within Southeast Asia, is already initiating its own multimodal and localised LLMs to manage context-switching between languages in the region. In India, a travel service has utilized Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service-powered chatbot to accommodate customers in a country with 22 official languages and dozens of dialects. It caters to users who prefer voice interactions over smartphone apps for tasks like booking holidays. The travel service AI chatbots serve as intelligent assistants to human agents, enhancing their productivity and efficiency with more qualified leads.

The goal is to enable voice interactions in multiple languages, making the platform accessible to all Indians. This requires refining natural language models to grasp colloquial speech patterns typical in rural towns and villages. The travel service intends to offer a multimodal chatbot that integrates text, voice, video, and image interactions.

It’s still early in the game, and perfecting such a comprehensive system is a challenge yet to be mastered in the industry. But, considering the astonishing speed of AI progress since 2022 and the widespread adoption of ChatGPT and its competitors, the language barriers in emerging markets will be surmounted within 10 years or less.

Adios Tiger. Let’s Explore With LLama and AI

Generative AI, with its advanced capabilities like natural language processing, image generation, and predictive analytics, will enhance, improve, and deepen the smartphone experience.

The tiger in the tank today is the llama in your pocket. Unlike the tiger, who prefers solitude, the llama is a sure-footed and adaptable companion in your pocket who can take you to new and enhanced digital experiences. With AI in your pocket, you can go almost anywhere your smartphone suggests.

01/25/2024
Tap. Innovate. Thrive: Emerging Markets Hack the Mobile Boom

The sewing machine can do more than just stitch. In the 19th century, it ripped apart cultural traditions in far-flung locations like the New World.

Call it the law of unintended consequences. But when Europeans settled in the New World, they brought tools and technologies that were gradually adopted by the Native people – for better or worse. The musket, copper kettles, hatchets and axes, hand mirrors, and glass beads are examples of European inventions used by Native tribes for their own purposes.

But when the sewing machine was introduced to the Tribes in the 19th century, it was arguably one of the most significant because it altered how tribes designed and made their own clothing. The fashion of a tribe conveys deeply significant meaning, not only the core identity of the tribe but the place that a person (wearing the garment) holds within the tribe itself.

The sewing machine upended certain long-held traditions in fashion. But it also preserved its traditions. Its introduction into Native communities led to a fusion of traditional and certain European styles. Silk ribbons, for example, brought by French traders, were used in Native ribbon work.

And it catalyzed rapid innovation in Native American fashion, blending Western styles with Indigenous details like embroidery and beading. This fusion, facilitated by the ease of machine sewing, allows artists today to infuse cultural art and tribal heritage into modern garments. Cultural identities were maintained in spite of a new invention like the sewing machine.

Adaptation Keeps Going

Something not unlike the way Indigenous people adapted European technologies has already happened widely in emerging markets around the world. And that adaptation to local needs, local cultures, and local nuances continues – with the smartphone at the vanguard of innovation and transformation.

A 2022 article in Forbes describes the emerging markets as “now the brightest spot on the horizon of the global app economy” – fueled by massive smartphone growth and innovation. A 60 percent rise in the total value of mobile money is forecasted by 2026, reaching $870 billion in transactions.

There is no surprise here because emerging markets have been leapfrogging the desktop revolution into mobile-first digital usage for the last decade. As mobile phones with affordable data plans become more widespread, it’s no wonder these regions are benefiting from app innovation which drives mobile-centric digital acceleration.

But, emerging markets are notoriously challenging and require clearly defined localization from global enterprises trying to expand their reach. One size does not fit all.

Mobile First Cloud Isn’t New

In 2014, Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, held a press briefing titled “Mobile First, Cloud First,” which outlined Microsoft’s vision for a cloud-centric future and the importance of mobile devices as primary access points.

In so doing, Microsoft, along with other dominant cloud and mobile companies, recognized the obvious: In emerging markets, most of online life resides on a smartphone.

People work, shop, bank, and connect through cloud-based apps and services, accessed wherever they go. The past 10 years have only proven that the cloud and the smartphone are mutually reinforcing entities driving powerful economic outcomes.

A 202 report from Data AI recorded that China and India held the top positions for app downloads, at 98 billion and 26 billion respectively; followed by Brazil, Indonesia, Russia, Mexico, and Turkey. Collectively, the smartphone has transformed emerging economies with self-reinforcing market dynamics: affordable hardware, cheap data plans, fintech, e-commerce, and a rich ecosystem of locally tailored apps. Its ubiquitous presence will continue to spur growth for the foreseeable future.

Challenges in Emerging Markets

The emerging markets’ landscape could be much easier if the language landscape were simpler.

However, the many languages and dialects spoken within close proximity in regions like APAC, India, and Southeast Asia pose a challenge to scalability. It’s further complicated by AI’s heavy reliance on structured and reliable data sets, which emerging markets often lack.

Market entrants must also optimize for lower-end devices and slower internet connections, due to an even infrastructure that could drastically affect usability. Localization, while focusing on less expensive handsets, and offline capabilities, is crucial for widespread usage.

Consider Southeast Asia: Untapped Market Potential

Southeast Asia (SEA) is a region with 680 million people. It has a high digital penetration with over 440 million internet users. More than half the region’s population is less than 30 years old, and they have increased purchasing power and a high level of openness to new technologies with high expectations for exceptional customer service with omnichannel services.

To attract and keep young consumers, companies are already deploying conversational AI to enhance omnichannel experiences.

According to an article in ETCIO Southeast Asia magazine, an all-online bank in India has integrated AI to serve customers in nine languages, across WhatsApp, email, SMS, and its websites.

In Singapore, a hospital integrated AI into voice-enabled bots to handle increased call volumes to book appointments and handle billing and insurance coverage while its government is investing $7 million into LLM capabilities.

Throughout the region, there are AI-based deployments to combine speech-based technology, NLP, ML, and more into a single omnichannel platform. Banks, hospitals, and telecom companies are the vanguard of this digital transformation.

Conclusion

As these technologies advance, they hold the bright potential to advance economic progress and enhance the quality of life across medicine, education, and government services.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) (with a convergence of mobile-first cloud services) is also poised to fundamentally alter how users interact and use their mobile phones. But, the implications of AI and mobile use on economic growth and the potential impact it will have on those societies remains to be discovered.

Progress doesn’t happen overnight. But by the looks of Mobile First and AI, economic progress in emerging markets will be moving in leaps and bounds and moving very quickly.

Like the Indigenous people of the New World who adapted new tools, AI and smartphones have been adapting to the needs, identities, and nuances of cultures in emerging markets. It promises to spur economic development and deliver rich, meaningful experiences to 660 million people in a diverse and complex cultural context. In fact, it’s already happening.

01/18/2024