AI boosts online self-service

Co-operative Financial Services has rolled out an online 'ask-a-question' system for customers in a bid to improve service and sales, says Finextra.

The system, which covers the co-op's bank, insurance and investments units, uses artificial intelligence (AI) from Transversal to intuitively answer customer queries.

Users can find answers to specific questions and are then navigated to the correct Web page that contains further details. Around 500 frequently asked questions are currently covered.

AVGlobal Association has released a global advertising portal, www.adviewglobal.com, designed by Internet marketing professionals and industry experts, states PR Newswire.

It aims to connect Internet entrepreneurs and existing e-businesses with a suite of marketing and business building tools to introduce an online business, or take an existing e-business to the next level.

According to the company, knowing that Internet entrepreneurs and even established online enterprises struggle to introduce and monetise an online business, AVGlobal CEO Ismael Santiago brought together a group of best-of-class Internet marketing professionals. This with the aim of creating e-business building tools to monetise everything from a one person start-up, to an online global enterprise.

With the outbreak of the international financial crisis, many enterprises were in preparation for a 'winter economy', writes People's Daily Online.

However, in contrast, e-commerce is presenting a booming prospect: In 2008, the total amount of China's e-commerce transactions exceeded three trillion yuan (R3.5 trillion), increasing more than 40% year-on-year. In the third quarter of last year, buyers on the Alibaba's global platform increased 1.2 million, equalling the whole quantity for the previous year.

"The financial crisis provided a rare development opportunity for China's e-commerce industry", said Nie Linghai, deputy director of the information technology department in Ministry of Commerce.