6 Tips to Help Reimagine the Customer Support Experience for Your Audience

A couple weeks ago we mentioned the ongoing trend multiple companies are following of 'reimagining' products and services. While the product is an important component to the customer experience, it is not the only component that needs attention. Think about brand names such as Disney, Apple, Sony, and Amazon. When you hear these names you don't just think about their products...you typically associate them with exceptional customer service. To achieve global success, your customer service and customer support need to match this product evolution. 

Here are 6 tips to help 'reimagine' the customer support experience:     

Photo Source: wearesocial.sg

• Embrace Social Media - Social media is not a new concept, but the necessity for companies to connect with their audience through these channels (Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc.) is now a must. In a survey, "42% of consumers complaining in social media expect 60 minute response times," and "24% expect a reply within 30 minutes, regardless of when the contact was made." (Convince & Convert) Support vendors are making this transition easier with interactive technology that can be deployed directly on their social channels. 

• Leverage the Internet of Everything (IoE) - As we've heard previously, the number of connected devices is expected to reach 50 billion by the year 2020. Thanks to the IoE "companies are starting to use support automation to preemptively diagnose and fix issues with minimal human intervention." (Forrester) "The real value in IoT [IoE] is not just connecting devices to their users, but to deliver an integrated management platform, driven by big data to centralize customer service." (CSMWire)
• Clear Website Design - People typically visit a company website first when looking for support. It is crucial to have a clear, flowing website layout for customers to easily find the information they need.  
• Understand Customer Wants/Needs - The Voice of the Customer (VOC) is powerful data to incorporate into the development of any company. Leading brands have implemented self-service marketing tools that collect metrics/qualitative insight directly from the customers themselves. In one particular case, using an empty Virtual Agent (EZIntel), a leader in computer hardware manufacturing was able to use the knowledge they gained from their customers to make adjustments to their web design to better fit their audience. Learn more about collecting actionable customer intelligence here: http://www.nohold.com/assets/ezintel_brochure-(1).pdf

Photo Credit: ideastogo.com

• Improve Self-Service Technology - "In a survey Forrester recently found that web self service was the most widely used communication channel for customer service, surpassing use of the voice channel for the first time." (Forbes) It is not just enough to have sub par self-service options though. Customers are demanding a more interactive, personalized way for self-service interactions to flow.  
• Single Point of Search - Providing customers with the convenience of having one place to search and find answers to their problems. For example, users can ask a question in the text field, and solutions will come up from multiple knowledge sources. (i.e. internal knowledge base, Google, CRM systems, etc.) Click the infographic below for an enlarged visual representation of this concept.                                            

Please share in the comments below some of the ways your company is 'reimagining' the support ecosystem. For more information on any of the tips mentioned above, please contact noHold.

Self-Service and the Internet of Everything Make a Big Splash at CES 2015

It was a record breaking year for the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). There were tons of innovative and immersive technologies being showcased, including things like driver-less cars, 4K TV's, advances in wearable devices, and virtual realities.

But what do all these things have in common? They all have the potential to be connected with the Internet of Everything (IoE) phenomenon, a continuing hot topic throughout the space. Check out this short clip from CES's YouTube channel, highlighting one of the major trends at this years show, the IoE.

Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Assistants also made an appearance at CES 2015. According to an article from inc.com, Virtual Assistants are one of the top tech trends to watch out for this year (8 Hot Tech Trends Coming to Your Office in 2015). Gartner also predicted in 2012 that "by 2015 [this year], 50 percent of online customer self-service search activities will be via a Virtual Assistant for at least 1,500 large enterprises" (Gartner Says Organizations That Integrate Communities Into Customer Support Can Realize Cost Reductions of Up to 50 Percent). While the exact numbers are not available at this point, it is apparent that since 2012 more and more companies are adopting self-service strategies to support their customers' needs.   

What were some of the tech gadgets that caught your eye this year? Any predictions for CES 2016?  
www.nohold.com

A Look Back at Some Highlights of 2014

Photo Credit: theweeklyracer.com

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing holiday. Now that we are back in motion, I wanted to share a quick recap of some of the memorable moments of 2014. 

1. noHold kicked off our Virtual Volunteers initiative. We successfully implemented a Virtual Customer Assistant (VCA) for the non-profit organization, Family Giving Tree.   

Virtual Volunteer

2. The Internet of Everything (IoE) was, and is continuing to be a hot topic in the tech space. noHold Connect, the evolution of Confederated Knowledge™, is revolutionizing the way humans experience the IoE from a single user interface.

3. noHold's CEO, Diego Ventura, was published in an interview in Connect World Magazine, followed by a feature on the Peggy Smedley Show, the voice of M2M and connected devices. Alongside Diego was special guest Glenn Schleicher, Senior Director of Customer Service of Cisco. Together, they discussed the IoE, Artificial Intelligence, and how noHold fits into the equation. 

Diego Ventura featured in Connected World Magazine

Listed are only a few of the highlights of 2014. To see more click here. It was been a busy year for the team at noHold, and in the coming year we are excited to continue to modernize the way we look at the customers' experience. To keep up with noHold and industry news alike, follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter: @noHoldAI. 

Cheers!

www.nohold.com

The Most Disruptive Technology Trend in IT History... The Smart Machine Era

Earlier in the month, one of the top analyst firms in the industry posted their predictions of the top 10 strategic technology trends for the coming year. For example, being able to compute everywhere on mobile devices, embracing the Internet of Things, and 3D printing are just a few of the kinds of disruptive technologies we will be further immersed in as 2015 approaches. 

The smart machine era is another trend that is considered to be the most disruptive in IT history thus far. In this era of smart machines, they now have the capability to analyze the environment around them, learn from it, and make educated decisions on their own. Leading analysts agree that prototype self-driving cars, intelligent robots, and Virtual Personal Assistants (VPAs) will continue to develop at a fast pace. 

Similarly, Virtual Customer Assistants (VCA) are evolving rapidly. Using this type of disruptive technology will not only decrease support costs, but also improve the customer experience and increase revenue. According to a distinguished magazine publication, when consumers start a support interaction, they are 4x more likely to leave that interaction unsatisfied and stop shopping with your brand. The presence of a VCA allows users to find the answers to their own questions, on their own time – quickly.    

Companies that want to stay competitive need to start thinking about incorporating these strategic trends into their organization. Is your company already adopting some of these trends? If so, which ones and how? Does your eServices strategy emphasize the importance of self-service?     
www.nohold.com

How Will the Internet of Everything Impact Your Healthcare?

Greetings! I hope everyone had a relaxing weekend!

I wanted to start off this week by sharing a video from Cisco's YouTube channel. As the acknowledged leader in the Internet of Everything (IoE), Cisco gives a great practical example of how the IoE can be utilized within the Healthcare space.   

As you can see, the IoE is working to improve the way we view healthcare, but it isn't stopping there. In the past, we have talked a lot about the use of Artificial Intelligence (more specifically Virtual Assistants) in the healthcare industry. As time progresses, there is an increasing amount of automation in the doctor's office. In fact, in a podcast shared earlier in the year, experts in this arena debated whether robots had better bedside manner than a human doctor. In the end, there were quite a few people who preferred the Artificial Intelligence.

People are beginning to warm up to the idea of letting robots and/or Artificial Intelligence play a major role in their lives. Take wearable devices for example. Most wearable devices are designed as a health monitor; tracking exercise, diet, blood pressure, etc. With the IoE, your personal physician can retrieve the data from your health monitor and sync it with your digital file. This way, if you have to see a doctor, he/she will have accurate data and be better equipped to diagnose the problem. 

Do you think the IoE is going to impact healthcare, or is it just an over-the-top fantasy? What do you think about Virtual Assistants becoming nurses? Let us know what you think in the comments section below. 

Cheers!

www.nohold.com 

Throwback Thursday: Virtual Agents for Wearable Devices

Happy Throwback Thursday! 

Earlier in the year, noHold published a short demo video showing you how Virtual Agents can augment the Internet of Everything. Check it out below:  

When asking the community what they think about wearable devices, there has been an overwhelming lack of consensus on this technology. People have mixed feelings whether to embrace this disruptive tech, or reject it completely. With the announcement of the Apple Watch to come out in 2015, we'll see if wearable devices will gain a little more traction than before.  

In addition to being the latest wearable device in the game, Apple Watch also comes equipped with Apple's well known Personal Virtual Assistant, Siri, but Siri seems to be falling short compared to other personal Virtual Assistants lately. While it has received some updates, one important feature that Siri still lacks is the ability to follow a conversation. You can ask it a question, but as soon as you ask another question, Siri loses the context of the conversation. 

For wearable devices and the Internet of Everything to be a more usable concept, a Virtual Agent (VA) needs to be able to act as a 'butler' (similar to the video above), to manage all the devices and applications in your life. It should be able to, not only do what you ask, but also suggest other actions based on gathered knowledge and reference back to the context of the conversation. For example, you ask the VA to set the alarm for 6:30 AM. The VA sets the alarm, but comes back with the suggestion to set your alarm a little earlier because your gas tank is low and you need to fill up in the morning.

What are your thoughts on the future of wearable devices? Are they going to be a dying trend or will they be the next must-have devices? How do you think a more conversational and intuitive Virtual Agent will impact wearable devices and the Internet of Everything?

www.nohold.com

Happy 15th Birthday, noHold!

Photo Credit: mecury-labs.com

Last Friday, September 12, we celebrated noHold’s 15^th birthday. We have always prided ourselves on being one of the longest standing virtual agent vendors to date. In an interview with Connected World Magazine, Diego Ventura, the CEO of noHold, talks briefly about how the concept of noHold all started.

“CW (Connected World): It is said that the past is prologue, and in that spirit, can I ask you to describe how you came to start noHold 15-years ago?

DV (Diego Ventura): noHold is my second company; my first company was STEFRA Corp. We created a product called Video Control that was bundled with most of the Web cameras of the time. It was a very successful enterprise for us, but it also meant that millions of new customers had questions about our software. I have always been passionate about AI (artificial intelligence), so we thought about creating an Expert System that could answer customers’ questions automatically. The idea caught on and I realized there was the opportunity to create a separate company. I raised $15 million from VCs (venture capitalists) and started noHold.”

To read the full interview, please follow this link.

Throughout the years, we have continued to watch and contribute to the growth of this industry. noHold has acquired great experience over the 15 years of developing Expert Systems and we've determined best practices that help our clients enhance the customer experience, but our technology is also flexible and continuously adapting to keep up with the rapid growth of technology. As the acknowledged leader in Web based self-service solutions, we are very happy that in the past few years, Virtual Agents and artificial intelligence have grown to become household names. More and more people are feeling comfortable interacting and having a conversation with their technologies (artificial intelligence) than ever before. We predict great growth in Virtual Agent adoption, especially within the Internet of Everything (IoE). Nevertheless, we are looking forward to what the next 15 years will bring. Cheers!  

www.nohold.com

Throwback Thursday: From the First Internet Search Engine to Predictive Search

Photo Credit: psdgraphics.com

Approximately 24 years ago, the first Internet search engine was launched, they called it Archie. "It was used to index FTP archives to make finding files easier. How, as the technology for the World Wide Web was not invented until later in the year, it was not the first web search engine." (thisdayintechhistory.com)

Innovations to search engines took off after that. Ever since then, there has been ever-changing improvements to search engine tools. Engineers are continuously trying to come up with ways to make searching easier, and in a span of about a quarter of a century, search has innovated a lot.

In today's World, we use search for almost everything. The most common answer to a question we don't know is, "Google it." It has become so easy to search for information on the Internet with the use of complex algorithms that analyze text (and voice in some cases) to provide you with the right content.  

Going forward, predictive search is a hot topic in the tech community. Google started using predictive search algorithms a while back (remember when finishing your sentence in the search bar was a new phenomenon), but now predictive search is getting more intuitive. Not only can it make an educated suggestion as to finishing your sentence, it can suggest answers to questions you didn't even know you wanted to know based on prior interactions. 

As we can see, search is beginning to move toward a more intuitive and interactive based logic to find what you need. It is becoming more like a personal assistant that can communicate with you, rather than a simple list of archived files. What do you think about the future of search? With smart machines and the Internet of Everything, how do you think search will adapt to simplify the lives of the billions of connected users?
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

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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Please follow noHold's 'Press Center' for our latest press releases and news.

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?

_____________________________________________________________________

 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

A Look Back at noHold’s Top Stories of the Week: July 28-August 1

This week has been full of some great information; from blogs about the Internet of Everything to Virtual Realities, it has been an interest week. Here's a quick recap of the week's stories.

1. The Internet of Everything is taking city streets to a whole new level with Internet connected trash cans!

Photo Credit: govtech.com

2. Did you know, "35% of IT organizations will have 75% of IT service desk contacts from the business resolved by Virtual Assistants."

3. Flashy gimmicks are no longer the way to promote your company's new products or services. By using a Virtual Agent, it can provide the appropriate information, in the right context. Check out the blog, Leveraging a Virtual Agent to Cross-Sell Within the Right Context.

4. #TBT: Virtual reality is the new anesthesia? It seems so. Researchers are studying the effects of being immersed in a virtual reality while undergoing dental procedures. Studies are showing that the pain is significantly reduced when you distract a patient by immersing them into a virtual reality. Maybe one day, instead of being 'put under', all you'll have to do is put on a headset and drift into another reality. 
_____________________________________________________________________

Hope you all have a great weekend, cheers!
www.nohold.com

The Internet of Everything Improves Cities

Smart phones, smart cars, smart homes, and now, smart trash cans. This video shows how Philadelphia is moving towards becoming a 'smart' city by installing solar-powered trash compactors for the public. 


Video Credit: cnn.com

As they mention in the video, "The big belly solar compactor automatically crushes down it's trash, allowing it to hold 5 times the amount of garbage as a standard waste basket. When it's full, it sends an alert to a website indicating it needs to be emptied. That little alert makes a big difference." With the capability to hold more garbage and send notifications when it is time for a trash bin to be emptied, the city becomes more efficient, while saving money.

Internet connected trash cans are just another example of how smart technology is impacting our lives. As more and more things become 'connected', people will start to interact with Virtual Agents(VA) on a daily basis as their primary source to manage all these devices.

Do you think VA's are going to play a big role in the Internet of Everything? Can you imagine a 'butler-style'  Virtual Agent that can communicate with all your devices and notify you when something needs to be done?
www.nohold.com

Illustration of the Internet of Everything Working to Make Your Life Simpler

Check out this snapshot of a Cisco infographic. It illustrates an example of how a connected world (Internet of Everything) can help simplify your life. 

Click here to see the full document. 

How do you see your life being impacted by the Internet of Everything?

www.nohold.com

Throwback Thursday: Managing Crowded Cities with the Internet of Everything

Photo Credit: suspectphotography.com

City of Tomorrow video. 

Above is a link to a video from CNN.com about a company using traffic cameras and algorithms to reveal data about pedestrians; essentially, becoming a part of the Internet of Everything (IoE).

The video was set in New York City, one of the most crowded places in the United States, with millions of people walking around daily. The Department of Transportation would hire individuals twice a year to use umpire pitch counters and manually track the number of pedestrians walking by. Using this method is not always accurate, though. In today’s society, now that everything is connecting to the Internet, a startup called Placemeter is supporting this phenomenon. Using various cameras around the city, they can count the number of people outside and inside buildings and turn those camera feeds in useful data.

Capturing these numbers and turning them into actionable data that can be accessed by the public is just another way to stay connected through the Internet. As they mention in the video, “Americans spend roughly 37 billion hours a year waiting in lines.” This technology can help the public reduce the number of hours they spend waiting in line. 

Imagine a world where a Virtual Agent can augment this type of technology by organizing and communicating this information to humans. For example, a Virtual Agent might have access to this data and let users know how many people are at the grocery store so it can estimate how long it might take you to go shopping. Or the Virtual Agent might notify you that your favorite restaurant has a short wait time. The more information you have on a location, the better equipped you are to manage those areas.

How do you feel about the ability for cameras to count people and share this information with the public? Would a Virtual Agent help to provide the 'human element' to transform this data into loyalty and efficiency? 

www.nohold.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

Apple Embraces the Internet of Everything with the Announcement of HomeKit

Photo Credit: techcrunch.com

On Monday (June 2), Apple announced their official dive into the smart home device market at WWDC 2014. HomeKit, as they call it now, is "a new toolkit for iOS 8 developers that will create a standard for developers to pair their iPhones with different smart home devices. That will make it simpler for users to provide secure access to those devices" (Apple Introduces HomeKit to Securely Pair iPhones with Smart Home Devices).

This further validates the need to experience the Internet of Everything in simpler terms. Being able to manage multiple devices through a single user interface, plus the integration with a Virtual Agent to act as a 'butler' and streamline all interactions, revolutionizes users' experiences.  

Do you think Apple is beating out the competition with their latest smart home platform? Check out this article, Apple HomeKit vs. Samsung, Google + Comcast, and let us know what you think about the current state of the home automation market. 

www.nohold.com