Microsoft and 24/7 team to power customer service with Big Data

Microsoft is planning a raft of applications and services that enable large businesses to anticipate consumer needs, simplify the consumer experience and learn from every consumer interaction.

The software giant has taken an equity stake in 24/7, and has an agreement for an R&D partnership and long-term IP licensing with the company.The agreement includes Microsoft merging its interactive self-service assets (clients, people and technologies) into 24/7 Inc.

As part of the deal, Microsoft and 24/7 are combining technologies that span interactive self-service across mobile, Web and voice channels, Big Data analytics, and speech and conversational interfaces to create a next-generation cloud platform for customer service.

24/7 Inc. provides software to harness the power of Big Data for customer service, using Internet-scale data and advanced analytics to help businesses predict customer preferences and deliver proactive, efficient and intuitive consumer experiences.  

Broad adoption of NUIs by consumers has changed the way people interact with technology, companies and one another. The combined Predictive Experience (PX) platform will manage more than 2.5 billion speech and online self-service interactions annually, enabling large businesses to derive and apply insight and intelligence across these customer service interactions and delivery channels, the companies say.

PV Kannan, CEO of 24/7 Inc said: “The ability to exceed customer service expectations through Big Data analytics across all service channels offers unique value for businesses. By bringing Microsoft’s interactive self-service technology together with 24/7 Inc.’s predictive consumer experience technology into one unified cloud platform, we will deliver solutions and services that truly enable businesses to differentiate through customer service.”

Daniel Hong, lead analyst of Customer Interaction at Ovum said customer service expectations were changing as consumers engage with businesses in more channels than ever: “Enterprises that embrace these trends will uncover opportunities to deepen their relationships with customers and optimize their investments in customer-enabling technologies (such as self-service) across channels.”