Ignite 2023: Creating value with intelligent application solutions for B2C communications

Today at Microsoft Ignite we shared that Azure Communication Services will soon release new capabilities for developers to shape the workflows they need to deliver faster, personalized communication experiences to their customers.

Improve customer outcomes with intelligent workflows

Our goal is to help developers not only add programmable communication workflows into their applications, websites, and mobile platforms, but also enhance and improve the desired outcomes from those workflows. One way to improve outcomes is to enable more effective self-service experiences for inbound customer requests like receiving help or finding information. Helping customers start a conversation, rather than a task that feels transactional, through automated voice and speech capabilities can vastly improve a customer’s experience by creating a more natural, familiar experience. So, we are excited to share the upcoming general availability for developers to add speech capabilities into their Azure Communication Services Call Automation workflows using Azure AI Speech. Azure AI speech enables powerful conversational AI experiences for customers by recognizing specific phrases as well as free-form sentences spoken by a user like – “hey, my car broke down, I need help;”, enabling businesses to adapt to customer needs in real-time and shorten their time spent navigating Interactive Voice Response (IVR) menus.

Respond to customer needs rapidly and effectively

Every interaction presents an opportunity to create value for both a business and its customers. However, the communication pathways that dictate these interactions can be disconnected and dispersed, potentially eroding trust or causing missed opportunities for impact. When it comes to building the best “front door” experience for customers, Azure Communication Services Job Router, simplifies the routing of inbound customer communications and steers customers to the most suitable point of contact in a business. Whether it is a live agent in a contact center, or an automated service designed to manage routine inquiries, Job Router (coming soon in GA) ensures that every customer inquiry is seamlessly pointed to the most appropriate resource available.

“AudioCodes is on a mission to lead with innovative solutions that enable flexible, scalable AI-powered cloud communications for Microsoft Teams. Thanks to the Azure Communication Services Job Router, we have been able to minimize our development time. This routing managed service provides us with real-times integrated into our Voca Conversational Interaction Center, enabling us to accurately route CX and EX interactions with analytics to optimize customer experiences. This strategic capability, part of the wider Azure Communication Services ecosystem, allows us to continuously develop a modern, robust solution with Azure and continue to redefine the future of CX in the Microsoft Teams ecosystem.” - Elad Sananes, Head of Product, Voca Conversational Interaction Center, AudioCodes

Personalize service and communication at scale

Businesses today have the opportunity to help customers around the clock on their preferred device and through their preferred mode of communication. Using generative AI models, businesses can make these communication services hyper personalized as well as operationally efficient. For example, conversational bots can pull in contextual information to answer customer queries in real-time or an automated voice agent can automatically fill in a form during an inbound customer call. To see the possibilities of what can be unlocked with this next generation of intelligent B2C communications, check out our pre-recorded session* at Microsoft Ignite that highlights our latest releases as well as provides an in-depth demo on how developers can quickly build a personalized customer experience by using Azure Communication Services and Azure AI Services together.

OD28*: Transform customer experiences with AI-assisted voice, video and chat (microsoft.com)

Next Steps

Learn more about the releases we announced at Microsoft Ignite, explore our overviews, tutorials, and more below.

AI Speech capabilities for Azure Communication Services call automation overview

AI Speech capabilities for Azure Communication Services call automation QuickStart

Azure Communication Services Job Router overview

Azure Communication Services Job Router QuickStart & sample

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 *NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER:

The demo and use cases in this material may show a hypothetical scenario utilizing Azure Communication Services. Keep in mind that AI tools and technologies can make mistakes and do not always provide accurate or complete information. Customers/partners will need to thoroughly test and evaluate whether the AI tools and technologies are fit for their purpose and identify and mitigate any risks or harms to end users associated with its use. Microsoft products and services (1) are not designed, intended or made available as a medical device, and (2) are not designed or intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or judgment and should not be used to replace or as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or judgment. Customers/partners are responsible for ensuring solutions, such as Azure Communication Services, comply with applicable laws and regulations.