For the modern world, Communication platform-as-a-service aka CPaaS has brought in a fresh scope of accessibility, convenience and opportunities to communicate. It provides a structure for seamless integration of real-time voice, video, messaging and other communication channels into any browser, software or app. With low cost and zero complexity of integration, CPaaS’s convenience to drag and drop tools have eliminated the need for heavy coding and is therefore, constantly setting a benchmark in the industry with its continuous transformation.
Upwards and Onwards
CPaaS has grown from the time when it was all about providing APIs for SMS and Voice primarily. Today’s CPaaS allows stitching together multiple channels like SMS, voice, video, chat and more, to provide the customer with an end-to-end omnichannel experience. We have also passed those days when companies required people with computer programming expertise to integrate and derive any value from CPaaS. During 2020, the availability of Low-Code/No-Code features by leading CPaaS brands have simplified the process to the extent that even non-developers can create communication solutions suitable for executing business-related tasks.
Given the tech enhancements in AI, ML and data analytics, many providers are also integrating these with CPaaS to better various aspects such as improving the call quality through adaptive background noise suppression, offering real-time translations at contact centres, introducing Conversational AI-chatbots to quicken response time etc. Moreover, in order to enhance the overall video meeting experience, providers are also looking for ways to loop augmented reality and virtual reality into their cloud-based offering.
Future Focus: Becoming Smarter with Emotion AI
While the ongoing advancements in CPaaS have improved much in the area of customer engagement and experience, we expect that the next frontier is to make CPaaS “smarter” by combining it with Emotional Artificial Intelligence. Emotion AI, aka Affective Computing, has the potential to change the way we operate across industries. Emotion AI attempts to quantifiably measure the cognitive and also emotive channels of human communication, which further enables users to accordingly detect, interpret and respond to both verbal and nonverbal signals. By pairing it with Live Video, businesses can leverage this “emotional data” to make the conversations “smarter” while delivering a better experience to customers.
Affective Computing redefines how people experience technology, in ways that are not confined to a particular industry. Here’s how:
- Retail: Retailers in the market are integrating AI-powered bots with their CRM systems to offer a more personalised and richer customer interaction.
- Recruitment: Recruiters have started using Emotion AI-enabled Video interviews to measure the emotional responses of candidates
- Education: Teachers and proctors are readily using the power of Emotion AI-enabled live video to be sure that students follow a proper protocol when appearing for an exam and maintain its integrity.
- Customer Service– Through the Live Video, the Emotion AI can detect an angry customer and the system can route the call to a well-trained agent or supervisor who will be able to offer a more personalised service.
- Employee care– Emotion AI can help analyse the stress and anxiety employees face at work. This can further help HR managers create a more employee-friendly environment at work.
So, the next time you walk in a store and an AI bot appears on the screen which recognises you and addresses you- know that the bot has been analysing you in the showroom and has identified clothes you might love, based on your mood and your purchasing history. In this moment, technology engages you as an individual, and therefore, you experience this showroom in a more unique and personalised way. This is the next level of human-machine interaction which has made way for Affective Computing.
Conclusion
Any business that deals with people, whether they are customers in the store, app users, or employees of the company, the use of Affective Computing paired with CPaaS can create a significant difference for them. Together, the powerful combination contributes to gaining a deeper understanding of customers, both existing and potential, and a more accurate definition of their needs. This allows businesses to improve the overall user experience with their offering and leave no scope for mistakes when making any enhancements.
