A Look Back at noHold's Top Stories of the Week: August 25th-31st +Intern Update!

Let's take a look at this week's exciting stories.

1. Trusted Brands Use Quick Videos to Introduce Virtual Agents to Call Center Agents, Employees, and Consumers. 

Here is an example of a demonstration video for Albert, noHold's Help Desk Virtual Agent. Utilizing short 'training' videos is a beneficial way to introduce Virtual Agents to Call Center agents, employees, and consumers alike. 

2. Virtual Agent Tips and Tricks: What are the Components That Create a Stellar Self-Service Experience.

Based on our experience, we outlined 10 different features that work together to create an effective Virtual Agent.

• Natural Language Processor (NLP)
• Reporting Metrics
• Diagnostic and Interactive  

Click on the title above to find out what the other features make up a stellar self-service experience. 

3. The Leading Manufacturer and Provider of Visual Technology Celebrates Grand Opening

Kudos again ViewSonic on your grand opening of the new headquarters. It was a pleasure to attend the event!

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in Brea, CA

4. Throwback Thursday: Apple's New Release vs. Apple Five Years Ago
With the release of the iPhone 6 coming out, Apple is continually expanding their brand. Check out how they have changed in the past 5 years. 

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As we've mentioned before, our Interns were working hard creating their own Virtual Agent. On Wednesday, they gave a great presentation demonstrating what they came up with. So, before we head out the office for a long three day weekend, I wanted to share with you a brief description about their project...

As a team, they came up with the concept of a Virtual Agent that will aid individuals/ small businesses that are trying to build their brand on social media. In essence, it is an artificial social media expert! Here's an example of when it can be used. Say there is a star college football player that is trying to create his own brand. With little experience with social media, he decides to enlist in the help of "Mara." Mara is able to suggest if something is beneficial to post based on an analysis of up-to-date social media trends. Similarly, a small business with limited marketing budget may need assistance in setting up social media, connecting various channels, and advice on what to post and when. Mara can be updated automatically, pulling new software updates, changes, and information from the most popular social media channels - Thus, empowering a small business to stay on top of its social media game. 

They each contributed to a different aspect of the project, and ultimately came together to make this innovative idea come to life. Eleonora designed the avatar and the look and feel, Stefano took care of the content, Asraful was responsible for the technical and engineering part, and Victor came up with marketing strategies. They've worked extremely hard over the last month and we were very pleased with what they accomplished in such a short amount of time. We are sad to see them go, but know they will accomplish great things in life.    

I'll leave you with this picture of Stefano, Eleonora, Victor, and Asraful; and the avatar for their VA, Mara. 

2014 noHold Interns giving presentation on their Virtual Agent, Mara

Please have a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend! Cheers!

www.nohold.com

Throwback Thursday: Apple's New Release vs. Apple Five Years Ago

Photo Credit: thisdayintechhistory.com

Happy Throwback Thursday!

Did you know that exactly five years ago today, Apple released their Mac OS X 'Snow Leopard'? Most people don't remember that operating system, but it was an important time for Apple, Inc. Due to Snow Leopard, they dropped the support for PowerPC-based Macs and shifted their attention to the Intel processor-based Macs. They also discontinued AppleTalk in Snow Leopard, one of the first and most widely used networking protocol in the World (ThisDayInTechHistory.com).

Fast forward 5 years; Apple is expected to release the iPhone 6 in the coming weeks. The details on the phone are very hush-hush, but everyone is anticipating a very technologically sophisticated phone, with elements that make it easier for users. Some speculations on new features of the iPhone 6 include a much larger screen (edge-to-edge display), a whopping 128 GB of storage, and a Near Field Communication (NFC) chip inside the phone (PCAdvisor.com). With the presence of an NFC chip, wireless charging is made possible, and it also puts Apple in the game of mobile payment systems. It is rumored that they will either use Bluetooth/Wi-Fi to create their own e-wallet platform (accessible from any iPhone, not just the 6), or they are using the NFC technology to include mobile payments, strictly for iPhone 6 users. Either way it looks like Google Wallet is facing some competition now (AppleInsider.com)    

These are only a few of the predictions made for the up and coming iPhone, but what about updates for Siri? With almost all major brands creating a Personal Virtual Assistant for their smartphones (Microsoft=Cortana, Android=GoogleNow, etc.), Apple needs to make sure Siri is maintaining the latest, cutting-edge technology. 

What sort of updates do you think Siri should or is going to get? Sources suggest that the new iPhone will have a heart rate monitor; do you think this means that Siri will be able to manage your health through a single user interface? 

www.nohold.com

The Leading Manufacturer and Provider of Visual Technology Celebrates Grand Opening

Last week, noHold's CEO was invited to attend ViewSonic's official ribbon cutting ceremony in Brea, CA. It was a very exciting day, celebrating the grand opening of their new corporate headquarters! Diego had the chance to see some familiar faces, and also meet a few new ones. Here is a quick photo taken from that afternoon. 

August 21, 2014; ViewSonic ribbon cutting ceremony

Congratulations again on the big move, ViewSonic! We wish you all the best!
www.nohold.com

Virtual Agent Tips and Tricks: What Are the Components That Create a Stellar Self-Service Experience?

Within the past couple of years, Personal Virtual Assistants have become household names (Siri, Watson, GoogleNow, Cortana, etc.). Although they are gaining popularity with the public now, noHold has been developing sophisticated Virtual Agents (VA) for over a decade. Based on our experience, and the satisfaction of our customers, these are just a few of the key features one should take into consideration when implementing a Virtual Agent: 

1. Natural Language Processor (NLP). The NLP gives the VA the intelligence to provide the right answer to a question, even if questions are phrased differently, or if there is misspelled or morphed words. For example, "Show me a neworking sample" and "What is a network?" Due to the NLP, even though the questions are different and there is a misspelled word in one of the phrases, the VA will still provide me with the same answer. 
2.  Multilingual Capability. Having a multilingual Virtual Agent is one of the differences between  becoming a global success and staying a local commodity.  Global support options should speak the language of your audience. 
3. Reporting metrics. This feature allows you to listen to the Voice of the Customer (VoC), and gives the customer an opportunity to share how he/she feels about the experience. Flexible reporting options empower trusted brands to not only listen to the VoC, but also to customize the reporting they capture from each interaction. 
4. An effective VA should be able to provide multimedia options within the solutions. For example, including images for visual learners, or embedding an instructional video to demonstrate how to fix the audio sound on your PC. Most people prefer watch a clip to see how something is done, instead of reading a long list of directions that can often be confusing. 
5. Ease of implementation and ease of maintaining is another feature to look out for when learning about Virtual Agents. A short implementation process and easy administrative tools allow entry level associates (or even interns) to build and maintain a Virtual Agent. Some noHold customers utilize short overview videos to introduce groups a Virtual Agent to call center agents, employees, consumers and more. 
6.  Another important feature that a Virtual Agent should have, is the ability to ask confirming questions. In a natural conversation with your peers, the listener often confirms he/she understands your request before responding or taking action. For example: "Where is the light?" Before answering, the other party might ask "Are you asking me where is the light in the kitchen?" By implementing this type of feature, you keep the conversation as close to a human interaction as possible, while avoiding a false positive response. 
7. Clarifying Questions. The end user should be able to ask clarifying questions without confusing the VA. For example: During a natural conversation, I might use a term that my audience is not familiar with. In this case, my peer or audience should be able to stop me and ask "Before you proceed, please tell me what a Virtual Assistant is?" The ability to ask clarifying questions is imperative for the end user to have a successful dialog, and a smart self-service application should be able to mimic that dialog. Clarifying questions during a VA conversation empowers the end user to understand a term, and then continue naturally with the remainder of the conversation without a hiccup. 
8. Change of subject. The end user should be able to abruptly change subject during the interaction without confusing the VA. Giving consumers the freedom to control which direction the conversation goes in is an important aspect to increasing Customer Satisfaction. 
9. Integration with the customer experience ecosystem. A Virtual Agent can live within your existing call center, integrate with live chat, and/or other applications. Having open APIs gives companies the flexibility to create a custom Virtual Agent that is specific to the needs of the brand. In addition, seamless customer experiences increase customer loyalty and satisfaction, and have proven to reduce costs. 
10. One of the most important features that a Virtual Agent should have is the ability to be diagnostic and interactive. Sometimes, users need help diagnosing or figuring out what the problem is. When there is an 'error' message, the customer may not understand how to troubleshoot the problem. With the diagnostic element, a Virtual Agent can help troubleshoot the problem and give interactive instructions to solving the issue. A Virtual Agent makes sure it understands you and you understand it, every step of the way.    

These are just some of the most popular best practices that have worked for our customers. The light-weight, flexibility of a Virtual Agent gives companies the power they need to create a stellar customer experience, from the beginning of the relationship all the way to supporting that relationship.  

What are the features that make your customer experience stellar? Does your company offer self-service options for pre-sales, customer service/care, and support? What is your strategy to creating a unified customer journey for end-users?

www.nohold.com 

Trusted Brands Use Quick Videos to Introduce Virtual Agents to Call Center Agents, Employees, and Consumers

One of our customers once said, "Consumer products and services should be easy enough to use that you don't have to train your audience to use them ." This is a great rule of thumb for consumer products, as well as the support and self-service that accompanies them. Consumers don't like buying an expensive piece of technology and having to spend hours learning how to turn it on. They want easy, light weight, user-friendly technology that can simplify their lives in some way. 

At noHold, we always talk about the importance of ease of use for the end customer and administrators alike. In some instances, our clients recruit interns or entry level associates to build and maintain Virtual Agents. Minimal training is key to making this model successful. Similarly, call center agents and end customers should be able to interact with the Virtual Agents effortlessly. When a customer launches a new Virtual Agent, one of the easy ways to introduce the users to the product is with short overview videos. Within the videos, companies can describe the User Interface (UI) of the Virtual Agent, the different capabilities, and/or anything else they feel appropriate.  

One of the largest companies in the networking equipment industry is utilizing this method of introducing Virtual Agents with easy to follow and engaging videos. In doing so, it encourages adoption by giving examples of the ease of use. These videos have been viewed by internal employees, call center agents, and more. 

noHold also made a quick overview video of our Help Desk Virtual Agent, Albert. Check out the video below to see the example.

Would you be more inclined to use self-service options if you were prompted by a quick video clip? How does your company introduce new products or services, like a Virtual Agent, to your end user?  Do you think videos help to encourage usage? 

www.nohold.com

P.S. 

The time with our interns is almost up; this is their last week here with us. We are sad to see them go, but are very excited for them to show us what they have been working on for the past month. Stay tuned for a blog overview on their work creating their own Virtual Agent.   

A Look Back at noHold's Top Stories of the Week: August 18th-22nd

Happy Friday!

Let me tell you about some of our top stories from this week. 

1. Traveling All the Way From Italy to the Silicon Valley, noHold Welcomes Interns for a Month.
Check out this brief introduction to each of the interns. And stay tuned to see what progress they are making and how it all turns out!

From left to right: Brandon Liu, Victor Gobbo, Stefano Masserini, Eleonora Marzadro, Asraful Islam

2. Here are some tips on getting your kids ready for back-to-school. Great suggestions on the latest laptops, tablets, and PC's on the market. 

3. On August 20th, we recognized National Radio Day and remembered one of the most infamous moments on public broadcasting, the Orson Welles Alien invasion scare. 

Photo Credit: slate.com

4. Fast forward to our current generation, the public is worried about robots taking over their jobs! See what we have to say about that in the blog, 'Throwback Thursday: Are Robots Threatening Your Job Security?'

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Thanks for sharing another exciting week with us! Cheers!
www.nohold.com

Throwback Thursday: Are Robots Threatening Your Job Security?

Photo Credit: apps.carleton.edu

If you look back at past T.V. shows/movies, it is almost as if they were foreshadowing a future with robots and interactive technology. Take the 1960's cartoon series, The Jetsons, for example. They enhanced the futuristic vibe of the show by adding a robot as their housekeeper. Now, in today's World, the public is more afraid than ever of robots replacing humans in the job market. I recently read a funny article, making light of the public's worry about a 'robot take over'. The article is titled, '7 Roles That Robots Will Never Fill (Although We Kind of Wish They Would).' 

Read the full article to find out why the author thought a robot could never replace a human in certain occupations.

While most of these seem like a joke, their are many other jobs that robots cannot replace, either. For example, an occupation in creative arts. While, a computer can enhance art (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.), a robot uses logic and lacks the element of a 'creative eye.' Some of the most beautiful art is abstract and that would be a hard concept for a robot to grasp.

What about teachers? We wrote a blog about Jibo, the social robot, being used as a tool to help teach children. While it was proven successful, it does not mean that the presence of a human teacher is obsolete. Young, developing minds require human interaction, and much more to thrive. 

In the end, it is important to look at robots/technology as supplementary to human jobs, instead of a threat to job security. Industry experts and trusted brands envision a work place where technology and humans work together. Creating efficiency, streamlining processes, responding quickly and reducing costs are just a few of the benefits that automation can provide. According to our metrics, we see millions of consumers interacting with Artificial Intelligence a month. People feel more comfortable with A.I. and in most cases, prefer the immediacy of using such tools. Not only are consumers getting to the answers they want quicker, but they are leaving the conversation feeling satisfied as well.       

What do you think about robots, automation and Artificial Intelligence becoming more predominate in the job market? Are you worried, or do you see it as a benefit? How do you interact with AI today in your occupation, and how does it make your job easier? 
www.nohold.com 

BREAKING NEWS: Artificial Intelligence is Taking Over the World!

The cover of the New York Daily News in 1938

Photo Credit: slate.com

With all the talk about the recent radio show noHold had that opportunity to be a part of, I thought it would be appropriate to celebrate one of the great inventions of the late 1800’s…the radio! Today, August 20^th, is recognized as National Radio Day. While many don’t know about this ‘unofficial’ holiday, the radio was a huge milestone in technology, and especially for wireless communication. It was a way for World news to be distributed to the masses; and back then, most people believed what was said over the radio without a doubt. (It’s not like they had many sources to fact check). One of the most infamous moments in Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) history was the 1938 War of the Worlds scare.

Orson Welles went on the Mercury Theatre on the Air and acted as if the World was being invaded by Martians (a disclaimer at the beginning confirmed it was not real). While printed press made it seem like millions of people around the World were terrified and believed an invasion was underway, the newspaper industry actually over exaggerated the scare as a ploy to make radio look untrustworthy and dangerous for the public. Sources say that only few were listening and even fewer believed it (The Myth of the War of the Worlds Panic). 

Whether the 'Alien Invasion' scare was true or a fabrication, it is still one of the most talked about radio moments in history and it ties in with something Diego mentioned on the Peggy Smedley Show. He explains that he foresees endless possibilities for the future of Artificial Intelligence, and more and more, we will begin to see A.I. in parts of our daily life. He gave the example about a standard scanner with a small display and a few buttons progressing into an expanded User Interface (UI) through the use of A.I. technology (Virtual Agent applications). In the future, we will be able to have more intuitive human to machine interactions thanks to Artificial Intelligence. If you want to listen to the entire episode, please follow this link to the archived episodes. Note: Diego joins conversation in segment 2, 'Interaction with the Internet of Things.'

What is your opinion on the future of A.I.? Are we going to be 'invaded' by Artificial Intelligence, or do you welcome this kind of disruptive technology? 

www.nohold.com

Tips Tuesday: Send Your Kids Back to School with the Best Suited Device for Them

As August is coming to a close, friends and family are trying to catch their last 'fun in the sun' moments before summer officially ends, and school begins. In light of it being back-to-school month, and having the added stresses that come along with that, I wanted to share a resourceful article with great information about picking the right device that fits your youngsters needs. The article is titled "How to Pick the Right Back-to-School Computer for Your Kid." Check it out to see some suggestions regarding which computers are best for kids of different ages. 

Photo Credit: www.imore.com

Not only is picking the right device important, but choosing the right support to go along with that technology is also key. With so many consumers turning to mobile and portable devices, the best way to respond to troubleshooting, diagnosing problems, and how-to support questions is to utilize light-weight and intuitive self-help options such as Virtual Agents. 

Since the kids of this generation are growing up in a technology driven society (also referred to as the App Generation), it is inevitable that they will utilize their devices in school settings. Parents need to know how to pick the right one, and teachers need to learn how to incorporate the kids identity with technology and use it in their curriculum. "Born after 1990, members of this generation have been surrounded and immersed to an unprecedented degree by technology: laptops, tablets, smartphones, handheld devices of every size and shape. Unlike so-called digital immigrants, they cannot remember a less technological era; indeed, unlike every previous generation, most of them do not know what it is like the be lost" (The App Generation: How Technology is Changing Us). 

What devices work best for your family's needs? Do they like the kid-friendly touchscreens or the more advanced software for performance?
www.nohold.com

Traveling All the Way From Italy to the Silicon Valley, noHold Welcomes Interns for a Month

Happy Monday all! I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend.

To start off this week, I wanted to share some insider news about what's going on inside the office of noHold...

At the beginning of August, we had the pleasure of welcoming 5 bright, young interns to join the noHold team. Four of the five students traveled all the way from universities in Europe and the other came straight from the Silicon Valley, here in California.

They each come from different walks of life and have a unique perspective on the world. This gives them the ultimate advantage in the up-and-coming tech industry. Let me tell you a little bit about each of them. 

Asraful Islam: Originally from Bangladesh, but is now working on his Masters in Software Engineering at the University of Bolzano (ITA). Some of his hobbies include table tennis and soccer. With a passion to travel the world, Asraful has experience studying within multiple different cultures.

Stefano Masserini: Stefano was born in a small town in Italy called Bergamo. He is currently in his third year at the Free University of Bolzano and is expected to graduate next year. One of his hobbies includes freestyle skiing, a hobby that has given him great opportunities in the field of marketing, working with companies such as Spiagames and Redbull.    

Eleonora Marzadro: Born in Rovereto, Italy, Eleonora attended a high school that focused on the arts (graphic design, photography, etc.). After many courses and a great job opportunity as a graphic designer, she decided to get her degree in Design and Arts. With a knack for photography and HTML, she is a great asset to noHold.   

Victor Gobbo: Coming from a small village in Italy called Perca, he is looking forward to continuing his studies in International Economy at the WU-Vienna University, one of the most prestigious universities in Austria. On his free time, he enjoys sports such as skateboarding and snowboarding.   

Brandon Liu: Just starting high school, Brandon is one of the youngest interns here at noHold. He is the son of one of our experienced engineers here at noHold.   

As students, they will be here up until the end of August (a total of one month) and with their time here, they will be creating their own Virtual Agent. As a team, they will go through all the steps involved in creating a Virtual Agent; from creating and organizing content to marketing strategies to promote the Virtual Agent. At the end of the month, they will have the opportunity to present what they have completed to our team at noHold (the board)!       

Here is a picture of our talented interns.

From left to right: Brandon Liu, Victor Gobbo, Stefano Masserini, Eleonora Marzadro, Asraful Islam

Throughout the rest of the month, stay tuned for updates on their experience. 

I'll leave you with a quote that our intern Eleonora shared with me that relates to their experience, and the importance of embracing new challenges and all the positive that can come from that. "I once read, 'Become friends with people who aren't your age. Hang out with people whose first language isn't the same as yours. get to know someone who doesn't come from your social class. This is how you see the world. This is how you grow.' That's why I travel and I try to put myself out of my comfort zone as much as I can!"

Cheers!

www.nohold.com

A Look Back at noHold's Top Stories of the Week: August 11th-15th

This has been a busy week for everyone here at noHold, but it was very exciting nonetheless. This week we only have one top story that takes the cake, and that is Diego being featured on the Peggy Smedley Show.

On Tuesday, August 12th, Diego joined the Peggy Smedley Show along with Glenn Schleicher from Cisco to discuss Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Agents and the Internet of Everything (IoE). If you missed the live show, or would like to listen again, you can find the recorded version here. Be sure to begin listening at "Interaction with the Internet of Things" and continue listening through the fourth segment, "Cisco and the Internet of Everything."

"By connecting our Virtual Agents to wearable tech, it was not just to prove that we could connect to wearable devices, but that we (noHold) can connect to any device; for example, a sophisticated Cisco router. The sky is the limit.  More and more, Artificial Intelligence will exist in many parts of our life. Today, it might be the way you interact (the User Interface) with a device or scanner; in the future, you can expect to see Virtual Agent-like applications that can connect instantly and will expand (change) the User Experience to be much more interactive. This will revolutionize the design of products." - Diego Ventura, CEO of noHold. 

Thanks for listening. 

For more information about the Peggy Smedley Show, please visit: www.peggysmedleyshow.com

Have a great weekend!

Throwback Thursday: How Important is Having a Multilingual e-Service Strategy?

In light of Throwback Thursday, I found a noHold blog from 2011 titled, 'Is your e-Service Strategy Multilingual? 72.7% of Internet Users say it should be...' Now, three years later, more and more companies are realizing the importance of having a multilingual strategy, and putting those plans into action.

Recently, a client of noHold, one of the World's leading, multinational computer technology company, launched another version of their Virtual Agent...in German! To become a global success, the need to appeal to people all over the World is a necessity. If not, you are excluding a large population of potential consumers that you can be marketing to. I'll leave you with this statistic that further validates the need for companies to have multilingual strategies for not only sales, but support as well.

"...85 percent of Internet users do not make important purchasing decisions unless product descriptions are in the language they speak, according to Common Sense Advisory, an analyst firm specializing in translation services. And visitors stay twice as long on sites in their native languages, according to Forrester Research" (Content Translation Speak the Language of ROI).

What is your company doing to accommodate to your non-English speaking consumers? 
www.nohold.com

Didn't Get a Chance to Catch the Peggy Smedley Show? Check It Out on Demand

Yesterday, our CEO had the privilege to be featured on one of the most reputable radio shows for M2M and connected devices, the Peggy Smedley Show. Alongside was Glenn Schleicher, Sr. Director of Customer Service at Cisco. Together, Diego and Glenn, put on a great show, sharing their knowledge and forward-thinking about the Internet of Everything (IoE). 

We just wanted to take the time to say thank you to everyone that was able to tune in to the show. It was a great opportunity to let listeners know what noHold is doing and how important it is, especially as we getting deeper into the IoE. If you did not get a chance to catch the show, but would still like to hear their thought-provoking discussion, please follow the link to archived episodes and click on episode #333. There you will find four segments, Diego joins the conversation in the second segment, 'Interaction with the Internet of Things' and continues into the subsequent segments.    

In today's market, Diego believes the sky is the limit for Artificial Intelligence. It is apparent that A.I. is becoming apart of our daily lives already (i.e. Siri, Watson, GoogleNow, etc.) and it will only get more advanced in the future. Now, with things being connected to the Internet by the second, A.I. can help manage all those 'things.' During the discussion, Peggy mentions that Cisco said, "99% of things in the physical world are still not connected to the Internet, but by 2020, 37 billion intelligent things will be connected to the Internet." With so many connected devices, it is going to be imperative to leverage A.I. to simplify the complexities. 

Glenn joined the discussion and mentioned that there is a new level of challenges that comes with the Internet of Everything -updating software, troubleshooting problems, higher volumes of customers etc.- but by designing self-service (Virtual Agents) that can handle these complex interactions, the Internet of Everything is a very tangible concept for the near future. 

Take a listen to the show and let us know what you think about the Internet of Everything. If you have any questions, you can fill out a contact us form from our website, or tweet us your question by tagging @noHoldAI and using #IoEConvo. We will get back to you as soon as possible. 
www.nohold.com 

REMINDER: noHold's CEO Will be on the Peggy Smedley Show in T-Minus 30 Minutes

About a month ago, Diego Ventura, CEO of noHold, was published in an interview with Connected World Magazine. He had the opportunity to talk with Tim Lindner, a distinguished member of the Editorial Advisory Board at Connected World Magazine about the Internet of Everything and Artificial Intelligence, and how noHold fits in. To read the full interview, please follow this link.   

Today at 10:15 AM PT, Diego will be appearing live on the Peggy Smedley Show, the voice of M2M and connected devices. 

To listen in:  

1. Go to http://www.peggysmedleyshow.com/  

2. Click on the "Listen Live Tuesday at 12:00 p.m. CT" link in the navigation bar at the top of the page.

Nearing the end of the show, there will be a Question and Answer portion for listeners to call in and ask questions or offer comments; the phone number is 866-977-2346 ext. 2. noHold will also be tweeting live throughout the show, so be sure to tweet your comments/questions to noHold by tagging @noHoldAI and using #IoEConvo.

Have questions after the show? You can let us know, by going to the contact us page on our website and filling out an 'email us' form located on the right side of the page. 

We hope you can join us! Enjoy!

http://www.nohold.com/diego-talks-ioe-peggy-smedley-show.html

Diego Ventura, CEO of noHold, with Special Guest Glenn Schleicher, Sr. Director of Customer Service at Cisco, Talk about the Internet of Everything (IoE) on The Peggy Smedley Show

August 11, 2014, Milpitas, California – In recent news, Diego Ventura, the Founder and CEO of noHold, Inc. was published in an interview with Connected World Magazine. Now, Ventura is invited back to be a guest on their live radio show, The Peggy Smedley Show.

Connected World Magazine is a trusted source for all things M2M. They provide insider knowledge about the latest innovations in connectivity, and top technology trends. Tim Lindner, a distinguished member of the editorial advisory board at Connected World Magazine, sat down with Diego to talk about the Internet of Everything phenomenon and how noHold fits into the equation. “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.” (Lindner, 2014; Diego Ventura, CEO noHold, Talks IoE and A.I.). To read the full interview, please click here.

As a seasoned veteran on all things M2M and connected devices, The Peggy Smedley Show is a reputable source for industry professionals and technology enthusiast alike. The show features select guests to inform listeners of the different perspectives on the market today, and what they envision for the future. noHold is very excited to announce, tomorrow, August 12th at 12:15 p.m. CT, Diego Ventura will debut live on The Peggy Smedley Show. Glenn Schleicher, Sr. Director of Customer Services at Cisco will also be there sharing his thoughts on the topics at hand. They will sit down and discuss matters such as: Virtual Agents empowering humans to experience the Internet of Everything, Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), cognitive computing, and everything in between.

To listen, please go to http://www.peggysmedleyshow.com/, and click on the ‘Listen Live Tuesday at 12 p.m. CT’ link in the navigation bar at the top of the page. Be sure to call in during the Q&A portion of the show to share your questions and comments; the number is 866-977-2346 ext. 2. Also, we will be tweeting live throughout the show. To join the conversation tag @noHoldAI and use #IoEConvo.

“It is nice to see the industry accepting Artificial Intelligence as a strategic differentiator. The show will give us an opportunity to discuss some of the latest developments and what the future has in store.” Diego Ventura, CEO of noHold.

About noHold, Inc.

noHold is a privately held company established in 1999 and is headquartered in Milpitas, CA, USA (Silicon Valley). noHold is the acknowledged leader in Web based Self-service solutions with a mission to deliver real answers to real questions - real fast. Simple to use, easy to implement and as close to human as you can get, noHold turns automated customer support into cognitive customer interaction. noHold customers include Toshiba, Lenovo, Cisco and a host of industry leaders. More information can be found at www.nohold.com.

About The Peggy Smedley Show

As the voice of M2M and connected devices, The Peggy Smedley Show is an entertaining, yet fun, resource for listeners looking to understand the issues and challenges of implementing the newest technologies both in the workplace and at home. Broadcast live each Tuesday from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. CT on wsRadio.com, host Peggy Smedley brings her years of experience, knowledge, analysis, and sense of humor to each show. The Peggy Smedley Show features discussions with top-tech thinkers and newsmakers, offering in-depth analysis, while sharing the hottest connected-device stories and trends. To learn more, or to hear current or past shows, please visit www.peggysmedleyshow.com.

Press Contacts

Sarah Ramoz

Marketing Operations Manager

sramoz@nohold.com

408.946.9200 ext. 305

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A Look Back at noHold's Top Stories of the Week: August 4th-8th

Happy Friday and thanks for another great week! We shared a lot of great blogs, including our featured blog of the month, an Interview with Shawn Price of Cisco. Check it out below. 

1. Google's Top Projects That are Bound to Change the Way We Live. 

a. Google Fibers

b. Project Ara Modular Phone

c. Project Tango

d. Project Loons

e. Self-Driving Car

2. Interview with Cisco's Shawn Price, Sr. Manager of End-User & Collaboration Applications: How Cisco sets the bar for a Culture of Customer Loyalty, and Satisfaction while providing value to students at UCSC.

"Cisco Small Business has been working with University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) and its students on a cutting edge internship program that empowers students to learn about Cisco products, helps improve customer satisfaction and self-support, with the opportunity for students to earn money while obtaining college credit. The students that are part of this program additionally have room for advancement as well as the potential to become a Cisco employee in the future."

Here’s the UCSC team!

3. Trusted analyst firms are predicting that by the end of the year 2015, over 80% of all Internet interactions will be made via mobile devices, and failing to improve your mobile customer service will end up damaging your business. 

4. Throwback Thursday: 1983 'Compact' Laptop

RetroGrade video series from Wired.com made some short videos showcasing old-school technology. Check out the rest of the videos here.

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P.S.

Don't forget to tune into the Peggy Smedley Show next Tuesday (August 12th, 2014) at 10:15am PT to hear our CEO, Diego Ventura, with special guest Glenn Schleicher of Cisco, discuss their thoughts on the Internet of Everything (IoE). You can call in at the end of the show with questions or comments; that number is 866-977-2346 ext. 2. We will also be live tweeting during the show. To join the conversation on twitter, tag @noHoldAI and use #IoEConvo. Looking forward to hearing from you!

www.nohold.com

Throwback Thursday: 1983 'Compact' Laptop

"These days, technology is all screen-touch-this and Bluetooth-that. Remember when tech products used to really be state of the art? From the sweet joystick on the Atari 2600 to the compact Apple IIe personal computer, relieve the glory days of gadgets past." RetroGrade from Wired.com is a video series that showcases old-school technologies. They have a few interesting videos including technologies such as camcorders, handheld video games, and more. Check out this episode from the series: The Portable LCD-286 PC Computer.

Video Credit: Retro Tech: Remember the 'Portable' LCD-286 PC Computer from the '80s?

It is interesting to see the progression of these devices. Take this video for example, the generation has moved from floppy disks to the cloud; from basic screens to HD touch-screen capabilities, from limited support options to interactive self-service solutions. 

What do you envision for the future of 'compact' devices?

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 NEWS ALERT!

Don't forget to tune into the Peggy Smedley Show next Tuesday (August 12th, 2014) to hear our CEO, Diego Ventura, with special guest Glenn Schleicher of Cisco, to discuss their thoughts on the Internet of Everything (IoE). 

www.nohold.com