Lenovo Uses noHold’s AI to Provide Consumers with a Single Point of Search

November 19, 2015, MILPITAS, CA – noHold recently announced the release of a new AI connector that allows for integration with multiple knowledge sources such as Bing, Google, Lithium Communities, and more. This connector is unique because of its ability to pull content from different sources, all within one place; we call this Single Point of Search.

Lenovo, a leader in providing innovative consumer, commercial, and enterprise technology, is one of the first companies to utilize this type of connector. When discussing web self-support, creating a seamless customer experience was a top priority for Lenovo. With the use of noHold’s connector, Lenovo is able to provide users with a sophisticated search experience through one intelligent interface.

As a strategic way to provide a self-service tool that will augment the customers’ experience, Lenovo’s new product portal focused on a few major areas:

•   A cleaner, more concise user interface with simplified navigation.
•   New and updated content was created.
•   The use of a Virtual Assistant to provide a search experience was enabled to provide real-time solutions from 3rd party sources.

According to a recent Forrester study, web self-service has officially surpassed the use of the voice channel for the first time (Forrester’s Top Trends for Customer Service in 2015). As the number of self-service users continues to climb, the self-service technology itself needs to advance as well. Single Point of Search is the start to shifting the way consumers engage with companies. There will no longer be a need to jump from channel to channel to find the answers you need. Customers will have the information that is most relevant to them, with the convenience of accessing it from a single point. 

“There are three factors that are making the adoption of Single Point of Search critical for companies in the near future: (1) the volume and complexity of content is increasing, (2) the number of repositories for content to be pulled from is growing, and (3) end users are demanding there be one place where they can find exactly what they need. We are pleased to see companies, such as Lenovo, recognizing the need for this type of support and paving the way for others to follow suit,” said Diego Ventura, CEO and founder 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 interactions. noHold customers include Toshiba, Cisco and a host of industry leaders. More information can be found at www.nohold.com.

Press Contact

Veronica Cech

Marketing Associate

vcech@nohold.com     

408.946.9200 ext. 356

All other product and service names are the property of their respective owners.

Virtual Agents Enhance the Customer Experience within Handheld Devices

Lately, there has been much news about trusted brands expanding product lines to include mobile devices, as well as consolidation among vendors. Top PC manufacturers are starting to realize that to stay a competitor in the industry they need to branch out to the tablet, smartphone, and wearable device markets. For example, Lenovo recently acquired Motorola Mobility from Google with the desire to strengthen its position in the smartphone market (Lenovo to Acquire Motorola Mobility from Google). Also, Dell has been reaching beyond PC’s to solidify its stake in the tablet and mobile arena. Big name companies are also preparing for the wearable device boom. Intel jumped on the wearable train and acquired Basis Science, a provider of high-end fitness trackers, along with a few other companies that specialize in wearable tech (Intel Buys Fitness Band Maker Basis Science). Amazon's recent announcement of a smartphone, further validates the demand for not only mobile devices, but enforces the consumer desire for streaming media on the go. 

While Virtual Agents are known for the ability to troubleshoot issues and answer questions about desktops and laptops, they are also flexible enough to live on handheld devices. Their lightweight characteristics give them the ability to adapt to almost all environments. In fact, noHold's CEO has talked about a future where websites take a more proactive approach and begin by asking the visitor a question first; comparable to a concierge style Virtual Agent.

Do you see the future of websites (via PC’s or mobile devices) being more proactive, intuitive and interactive? Will trusted brands start using this concierge-like approach to seamlessly guide users through their websites? Leave a comment and let us know what you think.   

www.nohold.com

Advancing From Virtual Worlds to Virtual Realities: A Completely Interactive Experience

     The high tech industries involved in creating virtual realities are gaining momentum in a big way. The latest progress in virtual realities comes from Sony's announcement of their initiative "Project Morpheus", a gaming headset for the Playstation™ 4. This fully immersive virtual reality takes gamers on an interactive experience where they actually feel apart of the video game. Check out the clip below for more information on the prototype of Project Morpheus. Although virtual realities are becoming popular in the gaming community, they are not only for video games. Dr. Richard Marks, of Sony's Research and Development department stated, "Virtual Reality will becoming the 'preferred medium' and will even extend beyond games to other industries."  

     Similar to the blog I wrote about virtual worlds, Throwback Thursday: Then and Now: Lenovo's eLounge vs. Disney's "Avatar Land", Lenovo created an interactive experience for online shoppers circa 2009. This eLounge was created to give customer a unique "trip" when shopping online. Consumers can get information on the products they are interested in  buying or they can share their experiences with other avatars (online shoppers from all over the world). 

     We have come a long way since 2009. Instead of just interacting with a virtual world, we are able to totally immerse ourselves in a virtual reality, not just for gaming, but also for eCommerce, customer service, and more. What do you think the about virtual realities? Will immersive experiences become the norm for all Internet/Online related interaction?

Throwback Thursday: Then and Now: Lenovo's eLounge vs. Disney's "Avatar Land"

Some might say I am a Disney fanatic, so I am really excited to share some interesting news… Walt Disney World in Florida is working on a new land to add to the Animal Kingdom called Pandora. It is a replica of the world of Pandora from the 2009 movie Avatar. They are creating this "Avatar Land" to be as interactive as possible, just like being inside a virtual world. It is as though the land is a living organism that responds to contact.  

With an abundant supply of technology and resources, I am sure the creators of Avatar and Disney are going to work together and create a memorable, interactive experience that their guest will be amazed by.

In 2009, Lenovo thought of a concept similar to the avatar land which they named eLounge. This eLounge allows you to create your personal 3-D shopping experience online. You can create your own personal avatar, browse and interact with there virtual products, walk around and share your experience with customers from around the globe, and get support from virtual product specialists. Since eCommerce has sky rocketed in the past few years, having a virtual world that is interactive and collaborative will help complete the circle of the customer experience journey.

What I found interesting was the virtual avatar product specialist that is placed in the virtual shop. Implementing a virtual agent as a product specialist, will eliminate the need for human specialists to respond to every question. After all, a virtual world should have virtual agents, right?

Do you like the idea of online shopping, simulating an actual store? Would you like to communicate with other shoppers for advice and support? 

Happy Throwback Thursday!