An internet bot is a software application that runs automated tasks on websites. Businesses can use these to assist customers, as the bots can be programmed to exchange messages and answer question in a way that feels like a real person interaction for the customer. Bots can help businesses provide more customer support, guidance, and interactive experiences. With the use of bots becoming more and more popular, the need for an easily programmed and functional bot system became apparent. Therefore, Microsoft has introduced their own version of a bot system – Atbot.
Atbot by Microsoft provides all users of Office 365 with access to the use of AI, no longer limiting the use of bots to high level computer scientists. Because Atbot is trained with MicrosoftFlow, it can easily be taught tools like QnAMaker and Microsoft’s LUIS. These programs allow Atbot to respond to questions a user might have asked, and understand most everything said, due to its language understanding services. Most bots are unit askers, only being able to accomplish one goal. Because Atbot is programmed with MicrosoftFlow, it is extremely versatile. The integration with Flow also makes it accessible to everyday workers and allows them to easily accomplish daily tasks for a business.
Because it is acknowledged that multiple Atbots are required for businesses to really function well for their different processes, users can customize and create different bots. They can assign bots different names and avatars so consumers know which bot they’re talking to. Unlimited bots enable businesses to have lots of flexibility over the way their platforms are run. It relieves support and service teams, such as IT support for sales and Human Resource positions that work with customers. No longer will they have to bog down their work day from answering the same questions over and over again. It is a benefit to the customer as well, since bots are available 24/7 to answer most questions they might have.
QnAMaker is a tool that also greatly improves the capabilities that bots have for businesses. It is a part of Microsoft’s Azure system, therefore it is a very secure system. It allows frequently asked questions to become accessible and easy to find. It can import any existing webpages or databases, and users can then add any additional questions that might pop up. Each organization in a department can also have access to its own FAQ from which AtBot retrieves information. Because of all of those features, AtBot easily becomes the best source of knowledge for any organization, limiting the amount of trouble tickets, phone calls, emails, etc. that employees would typically have to deal with.
With all of these great features, it would seem as if the bots would require extensive programming and custom-coding in order to accomplish all features. In fact, Atbot is built with tools that allow users to easily implement new skills and knowledge in hours. Users can add new content without having to take down the bot for updates or revisions. Not only does it help workers with frequently asked questions, it is programmed with tools that allow it to function better than most bots.
Clarus Communications has been serving the St. Louis area since 2001 and can assist your business in getting started with Microsoft AtBot or any of the suite of Microsoft products and services. We’ll work with you to assess your needs and recommend a solution that is custom tailored for your business. If you would like more information about Microsoft Office 365, call us at 855-801-6700.