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Anytime, Anywhere Alternatives to Paid Cloud Storage!

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For the last five years, consumers across the globe, on any operating system, have relied on limited internal phone storage and the free cloud storage made available to them by the tech giants. It was an interesting proposition for Indian customers but only till it was free. But now as the cloud is not free anymore, users are looking out for alternatives to get rid of monthly subscriptions. Brands such as WD and SanDisk offer a wide range of storage solutions for the smartphone users. The one-time investment against monthly subscription helps users save on their recurring expenses and allows them to travel with their data wherever they like, without the internet constraints or stressing over exceeding the budgeted GBs on the cloud.

If you too are looking out for storage solutions to transfer those photos from the cloud, here are a few quick and solid recommendations:

SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive Luxe for Apple Devices

Smartphone users are in a constant conundrum when it comes to backing up their personal data. Given the number of high-quality videos and images captured, chances are high that your iPhone has reached its storage capacity in the first few months itself. A one-stop hassle free solution to this is the recently-launched SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive Luxe.

This is Western Digital’s first flash-drive with dual Lightning and USB Type-C connectors that allows users to save and back up their data without fuss. With an all-metal casing, it provides a sleek experience for users to seamlessly access and move files between iPhone, iPad and Mac. Furthermore, it works with USB Type-C devices, including Android smartphones. If you want to free up space and/or automatically back up your photographs, movies, documents, and contacts without the headache of a no or poor internet connection, this fresh new drive should be on your accessories list collection.

Price – The SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive Luxe is available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB storage variants at Rs 4,449, Rs 5,919 and Rs 8,999 respectively on Amazon India.

SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Luxe for Type C Android Smartphones

Like the iXpand Flash Drive, the SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Luxe USB is specifically built for Type-C Android smartphones. Content creators, especially those creating over their smartphones love to keep stock of the oldest of their pictures and videos. With premium type C smartphones floating in the market with high megapixel cameras and ultra-HD experience, the content created requires huge storage capacities. This device is a perfect fit for you if you own a Type-C device and love clicking and creating content.

Basis a CMR Report for Smartphone Import Tracking for Q1’21, almost 55% of smartphones feature a USB Type-C interface, which allows for quicker data transfer. The high-capacity storage solution enables content transfer between USB Type-C smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops quickly and easily. The high-performance USB 3.1 Gen 1 drive comes in a sleek all-metal casing and has a read speed of up to 150MB/s. You can now capture even more images and simply view them on all your devices.

Price – The device comes in 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB capacities, with an introductory price of Rs 856 for the 32GB version and Rs 11,813 for the 1TB version.

WD My Cloud Home for Shared Storage

Hundreds or thousands of images, documents, songs, and videos are scattered throughout our phones, several pen drives, computers, and various other storage devices. Consolidating and backing up everything is a nuisance, as things are frequently forgotten or lost. With Cloud solutions getting paid, users will look for a one stop shop for all their data and for that, WD My Cloud Home has got your back (UP)!

If you want to automate all the above while also providing home users with a central, always-on repository for all their data and gadgets, WD My Cloud Home is the closest thing you can get. It’s a great personal cloud storage device that automatically backs up data from all your devices – not just the ones wired onto your home network, but also over the Internet. You can additionally give access to your family members and use it as shared storage space while maintaining privacy at the same time. It’s like a cloud storage service, only it’s a physical box that lives in your house. You buy it once and keep it for as long as you want instead of paying a monthly membership price. You can access, upload, and share your content from anywhere with an internet connection with the My Cloud Home app. With storage capacities ranging from 2TB all the way up to 12TB, you can save all your photographs, videos and movie collections in one place, and yes don’t forget that you can access everything saved from anywhere at any point of time seamlessly using the My Cloud Home Mobile App.

Price – Starting from Rs 12,899 for the 2TB version and available up to 12TB.

SanDisk Extreme microSDXC UHS-I Card

Compact in size, yet massive in terms of benefits. SD cards are rather the underdogs among other storage solutions, which provide a huge storing space for both professional and personal consumption. And furthermore, the ease of transferability in different devices at much higher speed, surely makes MicroSD cards most apt in terms of choosing them as a preferred storage device within the affordable segment.

Such is the case with SanDisk Extreme microSD card series which ensures extreme speeds for fast transfer, app performance, and 4K UHD, ideal for your Android smartphone, action cameras or drones. This high-performance microSD from SanDisk is equipped to perform 4K UHD video recording, full HD video, and high-resolution photos. The super-fast SanDisk Extreme microSDXC memory card reads up to 160MB/s and writes up to 90MB/s. Plus, it’s A2-rated, so you can get fast application performance for exceptional smartphone experience.

Another interesting added benefit that is available to users of SanDisk storage devices (be it SanDisk iXpand, Dual Drives or MicroSD cards) is the SanDisk Memory Zone App. An easy and one-stop solution to file and manage storage that makes backups and freeing up space much easier for the customers.

Price – The SanDisk Extreme microSDXC card is available on Amazon.in at Rs 1,590 for 64GB and is available up to 1TB capacity at Rs 18,702.

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD Portfolio

SSDs are rapidly bringing about paradigm changes in the future of storage as they prove to be a better alternative storage solution for those who need data on the go. They’re taking the place of clunky hard disc drives (HDDs) and pricey cloud storage packages that we’ve grown accustomed to in recent years. Moreover, it’s important that your data is protected from all types of hacking, ransomware, and other threats, and it’s accessible to you always, irrespective of whether you have access to the internet or not. Specially-designed for travel enthusiasts and content creators such as photographers and videographers, the SanDisk Extreme Pro SSD is a must carry device for those who don’t like to slow down.

These SSDs come with enhanced performance of read/write speed up to 2000MB/sec allowing users to move files faster and edit right from the drive. The SanDisk Extreme SSDs have a tough rubberized coating that can withstand impacts, as well as an IP55 rating that protects it from water and dust along with added protection from shocks. This device is known for its lightspeed data transfer that comes in an extremely portable body. With high-end efficiency and a rugged weather-resistant build, these storage devices are your perfect companion for the hustlers.

Price – The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is available in 500GB for Rs 7,999, 1TB at Rs 12,999 and 2TB for Rs 27,499, with a 4TB model as well. Meanwhile, the Pro version is available in 1TB for Rs 19,999 and 2TB for Rs 34,999.

iGear introduces SenseLED, a rechargeable multi-coloured, gesture-controlled night lamp

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Domestic gadgets and smartphone accessories brand iGear has launched SenseLED, a touchless ambient light illumination solution for any room with nine different light colours and eye protection mode. The iGear SenseLED uses the latest technology for gesture control and a rechargeable battery makes it usable for 12 hours on a single charge.

Neha Sharma, Co-founder, iGear, said, “The iGear SenseLED is a superb and affordable ambient lighting solution for every household, it’s a great accessory for the bedroom, living area, study area and kids’ rooms. Integrated with today’s modern technology for gesture control and motion sensing, the SenseLED is a must-have accessory for every home.”

The iGear SenseLED is a simple and elegant, yet powerful 5W ambient lamp that’s integrated with a motion sensor for touchless operations. Sized no larger than a standard kid’s lunchbox, the SenseLED is equipped with multi-coloured LEDs that produces nine different colour variants of light with options to vary the intensity from dim to full bright.

Built with a touch of modern technology, the iGear SenseLED features a motion sensor that works with gestures or hand movements. Wave your hand a few inches over the lamp and take control of its illumination within seconds – no buttons, no touching needed. Simply wave to change colours or hold for intensity variations and to choose from nine different lighting options and brightness. You can also set it to automatic colour-cycling mode. The in-built LEDs are designed to produce a soothing dim illumination for sleeping, or an increased brightness good enough for reading at night. A great accessory for your bedside or study table. A great mood light accessory for any occasion too.

Lastly, the iGear SenseLED features a 1,500mAh in-built lithium-ion battery that can last a good 12 hours on a single charge or up to 350 hours on standby. Using a standard microUSB smartphone charger, you can top up the battery in just a few hours. The SenseLED is built using Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene which is strong, rugged and eco-friendly too. And being highly portable, you can easily use it outdoors during camping or alike.

A great gifting option too, the iGear SenseLED is available in White colour for an introductory price of Rs 1,950. It comes with a standard industry warranty of 1 year and can be purchased from Amazon.in and Flipkart.com.

Byju’s partners Google to offer learning solution for schools

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Edtech major Byju’s today announced a partnership with Google to aid continuity of online learning for both teachers and students. This integration of Google Workspace for Education with Byju’s will offer a collaborative and personalised digital platform for classroom organisation, available for free to participating educational institutions.

With a commitment to digital education, Google Workspace for Education will combine Byju’s’ unparalleled pedagogy to empower educators in their journey towards digital transformation. Built on the Vidyartha platform, this partnership will provide direct access to Byju’s’ extensive math and science pedagogy and visually-rich learning solutions, including chapter-wise slides, readymade assignments, data banks, summary docs, handouts, tests, and more.

Mrinal Mohit, Chief Operating Officer, Byju’s, said, “The significant rise and acceptance of online learning in the last one year has led to the swift digitisation of our education system. Teachers and students had to adapt to online learning overnight and are now rapidly discovering its potential. Through our partnership with Google, we are aiming to aid this digital revolution and equip our educators with the necessary technological and learning assets to ensure continuity of education. We are truly excited to collaborate with Google and believe that our partnership will be a key facilitator in the new wave of re-defining the future of learning.”

Designed to enable seamless and convenient learning, the platform also features Google Classroom, offering simplicity and flexibility, along with a security experience for all educators. Besides the Google Workspace for Education features that include Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms, teachers will get access to Google Meet – Google’s premium video conferencing solution – where up to 100 people can participate using Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals, for free.

Bani Dhawan, Head of Education – South Asia, Google, said, “This past year, we at Google have been especially vested in using our technology and platforms to help extend quality learning experiences to students everywhere. We are thrilled to partner with Byju’s in reaching out to schools across the country to bring rich and interactive English-based learning solutions that complement school curriculum, and look forward to working to make this offering available in Indian languages later. With the rapid move to online learning and teaching, educators today are increasingly looking for more meaningful ways to bring their lessons to life, and we hope this offering makes online classes that much more engaging and fulfilling.”

This solution aims at empowering educators to provide a comprehensive solution for their students including messaging, test conduction, daily classes and well-made pedagogical content from Byju’s. This digital ecosystem will empower educators to create engaging and personalized education that is well integrated with curriculum, based on Google’s world-class security.

Every school that signs up on the platform will get official email IDs for all faculty, students and admin staff, powered by Google Workspace for Education. To aid effective learning at school, this learning solution will facilitate end-to-end classroom management and will help organise, access, and track classroom learning.

iQOO gears up to launch Z3 on June 8, to be available on Amazon

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iQOO is coming up with yet another smartphone called Z3 in India. It is slated to be launched on June 8 and will come with Snapdragon 768G 5G SoC at the helm.

According to reports, the iQOO Z3 was supposed to arrive in India in early May but plans were changed due to the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

The event will be live-streamed on the company’s official YouTube channel. The iQOO Z3 is also said to be a 5G supported device, similar to other iQOO devices launched in India.

The handset is being teased via Amazon, which clearly indicates it will be exclusively available at Amazon. It is also confirmed that the phone will arrive with 55W fast-charging support and run Android 11-based Funtouch OS.

The iQOO Z3 was recently launched in China and it features a 6.58-inch Full HD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It comes with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

In terms of cameras, the iQOO Z3 features a total of four cameras – a 16MP selfie shooter inside the notch and a triple camera setup on the back consisting of 64MP primary, 8MP ultrawide, and 2MP macro units.

We can expect the same specs to arrive in India.

Mi India brings in Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon Edition at Rs 23,999

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Mi India has come up with Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon Edition in the country. Introducing a fresh look with premium metal bezel-less design, the 40-inch horizon display adds to the aesthetic of any room while taking the home entertainment experience a notch higher with impeccable detail and wider viewing angles.

The Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon Edition carries a bezel-less elegant design and an immersive viewing experience. It features a 93.7% screen to body ratio and 178 degree viewing angle, easily creating more room for entertainment. Following the impeccable details of the design, it brings in better and wider viewing angles.

It also features Mi’s proprietary Vivid Picture Engine (VPE) technology ensuring stunning visuals and true-to-life colours. The VPE technology is tuned to perfection over the years to provide an accurate screen calibration, deeper contrasts, and pinpoint precision in color reproduction.

Eshwar Nilakantan, Category lead – TVs, Mi India, said, “At Mi India, smart TVs are one of the biggest categories for us. We are always working towards bringing in specifications and features based on our customers’ feedback to best suit the market needs.”

“With people consuming more content lately, we are providing an immersive work of art in a different size and form factor with the launch of Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon Edition. Tuned to perfection with bright and vivid display and the most loved bezel-less design, we are confident that it is going to be an enticing option for our consumers and Mi fans,” adds Nilakantan.

This new entrant in the Mi TV Horizon series is powered with an enhanced version of PatchWall that allows users to navigate through the universe of varied content from more than 25 content partners such as Disney+ Hotstar, Prime Video, and many others. PatchWall is India’s most comprehensive content library specifically designed for Indian consumers. It works as a guiding light, helping consumers discover, manage, sort and experience content unlike any other experience, ever.

To further elevate the experience, the Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon comes with the Android TV 9.0 that packs quality enhancements in terms of navigation, a pleasing visual interface, and simplified controls. It brings access to over 5,000 apps with built-in Chromecast and Google Assistant.

It offers a truly cinematic experience with an immersive audio-visual experience. It supports 20W stereo speakers with DTS-HD and an array of ports available at the back including a 3.5mm audio out, SPDIF and three HDMI ports. This helps in connecting to multiple devices like soundbar, home theatre etc. easily.

Sporting Mi Quick Wake feature, it allows you to resume watching your favorite shows in just 5 seconds. It also comes with Mi Quick Mute feature that allows users to mute the TV by simply double tapping the volume down key button.

The Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon Edition is priced at Rs 23,999 and will be available on mi.com, Mi Home, Flipkart, Mi Studio and retail partner stores.

Poco M3 Pro 5G slated to be launched in India on June 8

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Xiaomi’s spin-off brand Poco is all set to unveil its M3 Pro 5G smartphone in India on June 8 via an online event. As the name sounds, it is said to be an upgraded version of Poco M3, launched in February this year.

It will be the company’s first 5G smartphone in the country and will be made available on Flipkart.

The Poco M3 Pro 5G smartphone made its debut globally last month. It was launched in the international market with a price tag of EUR 159 (roughly Rs 14,100) for the base 4GB + 64GB storage variant and EUR 179 (roughly Rs 15,900) for the 6GB + 128GB variant. Globally, the smartphone was launched in Cool Blue, Power Black, and Poco Yellow color options.

The global variant of Poco M3 Pro 5G comes with MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G and runs on MIUI 12 based on Android 11. It features a 6.5-inch FHD+ LCD Dot Display along with 1,080×2,400 pixels resolution and 1100 nits’ brightness and a 90Hz refresh rate. There’s an additional Dynamic Switch feature in the smartphone. For security, the company has given a side-mounted fingerprint sensor along with AI face unlock. To power Poco M3 Pro 5G, there’s a 5,000mAh battery which supports 18W fast charging.

The smartphone comes equipped with triple rear camera set up which includes 48-megapixel main camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. For selfies and video calling, there’s an 8-megapixel front camera.

Boult Audio AirBass Q10 with 24hrs battery life, low latency launched at Rs 1,299 on Amazon

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Premium audio brand Boult Audio has come up with a new low-profile and low-latency TWS earbuds, AirBass Q10, in India. Highly beneficial for smartphone gamers on the move, the new Q10 TWS earbuds offer lower latency for movies too.

The Boult Audio AirBass Q10 TWS earbuds are specially crafted with beautiful aesthetics a low profile that does not protrude from the ears like other TWS buds. The AirBass Q10 is pretty sleek and features a very sporty look with a dual-tone body and smooth textures. The ergonomic shape is carefully designed with lightweight materials to eliminate fatigue while offering superior wearing comfort with a snug fit. Additionally, the body is also IPX5 sweat, water and dust resistant to ensure durability. So, if you are caught in a mild shower on a rainy day, or simply working out a sweat, your AirBass Q10 will never let you down.

The all-new Boult Audio TWS earbuds are built using powerful dynamic drivers to tuned for extreme bass delivery for music and movies, with enhanced vocals and highs. Now enjoy rich audio performance while gaming and watching moves and experience great audio quality during those voice and video calls.

Built using Bluetooth v5.0, the AirBass Q10 can instantly pair with your smartphone or laptop the moment you open the case lid. The Q10 offers gamers an edge over opponents too – thanks to its ultra-low-Latency audio (<120ms), you can now enjoy gaming or movies without any noticeable audio lag. Lastly, the AirBass Q10 TWS offers up to 6 hours of battery life on a single charge, Additionally, the case can fast charge the buds up to four times, offering a total playback time of 24 hours.

The earbuds feature the hall switch technology that allows it to instantaneously pair with your smartphone or laptop when opening the case lid. The Q10 also can be used as mono buds – you can use each earbud independently as a mono option for a single ear to quickly take calls or listen to voice messages and videos. The monopod feature also saves on battery life and almost doubles the entire run time up to 48 hours. And finally, each earbud features touch controls, making it easier to control voice calls, music, audio volume and voice assistants with just a touch of your fingertip.

The AirBass Q10 TWS earbuds will be available in dual-tone Black or White colours, for an exclusive price of Rs 1,299 on Amazon.in with a 1-year standard industry warranty period.

Appy Pie buys design applications company Flyerly

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No-code app development company Appy Pie has acquired Flyerly, a pioneer in the creative design industry.

“Flyerly has a loyal user-base and quite a popular creative design application. The audience and the product fit perfectly well with Appy Pie Design?-?our wildly popular online graphic design software,” said Abhinav Girdhar, CEO, Appy Pie. “With our shared vision to empower everyone by giving them access to powerful design tools, we are thrilled to bring our teams together. The expanding Appy Pie product suite would provide users greater ways to create, design, and boost their business growth,” he added.

Following the acquisition, Flyerly will be integrated into the online graphic design product from Appy Pie?-?Appy Pie Design. This means the Appy Pie Design platform would gain from Flyer’s large base of loyal and further help businesses and individuals create high-quality digital products.

“Flyerly and Appy Pie have a common vision and goal to make technology accessible to businesses of all sizes,” said Preston Junger, Founder, Flyerly. “I am thrilled that Flyerly will live on by joining forces with Appy Pie to provide business owners with the very best creative design tools,” Junger added. Flyerly and Flyerly Biz, have been downloaded 400,000 times by business owners and professionals worldwide.

Vivo rolls out new “To Beautiful Moments” campaign for UEFA EURO 2020

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As the official smartphone of UEFA EURO 2020, Vivo wants football fans everywhere to enjoy every beautiful moment during the tournament. With a passion for providing incredible experiences to its users, the brand is channeling its sponsorship platform to help enrich the joys around the game, whether they take place on or off the phone. In its “To Beautiful Moments” campaign that debuted yesterday, Vivo encourages people to be in the moment, whether that means connecting virtually with friends, family and fellow fans or giving their full attention to the beautiful game, even if it means putting the phone down.

“People around the world have been eagerly awaiting this tournament. Now more than ever, we want to celebrate the spirit and sportsmanship of the game and help fans get the most out of the experience,” said Spark Ni, Senior Vice President and CMO of Vivo. “We strive not only to help people capture and share life’s magical moments, but to make every moment in life more magical,” Ni added.

The new advertising campaign rolled out yesterday, is airing on television in Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and China, and around the world on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. The creative shows fans enjoying, capturing and sharing beautiful moments before, after and in-between matches, while sending the message, “give your phone a break, and be there for life’s beautiful moments.”

Through its partnership with UEFA, the smartphone brand looks to connect with and expand its widening user-base of over 400 million people worldwide. “As we rapidly expand our global business, it is incredibly important for us to connect with people through the beautiful moments in life that they care about most,” said Spark Ni.

Vivo is the first-ever presenting partner of the opening and closing ceremonies taking place on June 11 and July 11 respectively.

To bring more fans’ applause and cheers back into the stadium, Vivo together with UEFA, will launch a #vivoSuperTime campaign where people around the world can channel their energy into the game by sharing their applause and cheers on social media for the chance to appear in the tournament’s closing ceremonies.

UEFA Marketing Director Guy-Laurent Epstein said, “The game of football brings joy to millions of football fans across the globe, and we are excited to partner with Vivo to bring dedicated fans even closer to the game. We look forward to creating more unforgettable memories for people all over the world together.”

Recently launched ahead of the tournament and featured in the new “To Beautiful Moments” campaign is the Vivo X60 series. As the first Vivo smartphone co-engineered with ZEISS, a global leader in optics and opto-electronics, the X60 series integrates the user-oriented innovation of Vivo and the superior expertise in mobile imaging of ZEISS to culminate in outstanding software and hardware capabilities.

Why chatbots are smarter than humans

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The 21st century is upon us and there was a pretence revolving around bots taking over the world. This assumption is far from reality, at least for now. In fact, Machine Learning has evolved so much that we humans can use them to aid our work and not against us. Chatbots are part of the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning revolution and they are bound to be a catalyst for brand engagement. It is estimated that 85% of consumer interactions will be handled by chatbots by the end of 2021. 50% of the businesses are also planning to invest in smart chatbots rather than mobile applications. Ever wondered why?

Chatbots are super quick!

It’s 11 pm, Chandu, a salaried man, faces an issue with his premium payments. The due date is just 1 hour from expiry. After his various attempts to pay and with a fear of penalties, he tweets “@XYZLifeInsurance I’m facing issues while paying the premium on your website, help!” Brand replied within a minute with a templated response of their website being under maintenance but immediately reassured him of extending his deadline for the next 36 hours. Chandu is relieved after hearing this and goes to sleep. Chatbot saves the day! (Well, Night)

Make them your advocates

In our years of working with some of the biggest brand names in India, we found that a positive share of voice improved promisingly when the turnaround time is on the lower side. It is an innate behaviour that getting a quick response from someone, be it brand or a person will increase your attention towards them and subsequently, thereby make them feel special.

Chatbots are available, always

Chatbots, unlike humans do not need to sleep, socialize, etc. They are available to help at any hour of the day. According to a research, 64% of internet users feel that 24/7 hour service is the best feature of the chatbots. Everyone loves a quick response, especially during any emergencies like our friend Chandu faced. Similarly, an IBM research suggests that about 80% of the queries are FAQs for which no human intervention is required. Chatbots are fully capable of handling them with ease.

Money saved is money earned

Quite literally, chatbots have the capability to handle about 80% of your overall responses, hence saving the money put in to hire a chat representative. In fact, a chatbot life report shows that they save an average 30% on operational costs just by deploying a chatbot towards an ecommerce business.

Automation is the future

Chatbots have been around since 1966. The very first one being “ELIZA” built at MIT, it was used to answer very simple decision tree questions. Fast forward to the 21st century, we can see chatbots being used from websites to apps to social networks, everywhere! Automation is the future, and it is being integrated into many business processes. The world is changing at an exponential rate. Another drift report tells us that chatbot use was increased by 92% since 2019 and is set to increase even more.

Future is now

Chatbots have a huge potential, and it is set to be a $1.3 billion market by 2024, according to Intellectyx. Brands need to actively seek a chatbot integration with their business processes, one of the very important one being Social Customer Service where a chatbot can effectively lower your first level turnaround time by a drastic percentage. It leads to an increase in positive share of voice because 82% of consumers claim that quick responses during first contacts are important to them and can impact their perception towards the brand, rendering it necessary. After all, a happy customer is all we want, right?

The author, Chaitra Kulkarni, is Customer Success Manager, Germin8, a social media intelligence company.