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Virtual Assistants to extend their role within Public Sector


Source: UN, 2 August 2008
Submitted by Joanna Bawa

EzGov Europe, the UK’s market leader in transformational solutions for the public sector, has just announced a partnership agreement with Creative Virtual, a provider of Virtual Assistants for the web. Creative Virtual’s Virtual Assistant technology provides virtual interactive assistance, capable of holding conversations with web users in real-time.

Virtual Assistants use sophisticated word and phrase pattern recognition to match pre-defined responses with natural language queries received from users. This gives users the experience of interacting with a live representative, one who can guide them in the completion of online forms or answer questions, at any time of day or night.

EzGov Europe sees Virtual Assistants, when coupled with the company’s transformative solutions, as enhancing the usability and uptake of public sector online channels. The partnership between EzGov Europe and Creative Virtual will help agencies to convert their online offering into the true ‘channel of choice’, and will reduce so-called ‘channel hopping’ by users who grow frustrated with the web offering and turn instead to the contact centre – a far more costly support option.

Steve Smith, VP of Sales and Marketing for EzGov Europe, explains that: “Large UK government departments can receive upwards of 5 million calls – per month. That’s an expensive proposition for the departments, and given wait times, too often a frustrating experience for citizens. We view the integration of Virtual Assistants within our bespoke solutions as an excellent way of helping clients achieve significant reductions in call centre volume by giving citizens a more satisfying and supportive experience via the web.”

 


External link to another web site Associated Link:
EzGov Europe


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