Why Bots are Going to be Next Big Thing Since iPhone

If there is one thing that every tech enthusiast is discussing about in 2016, with belief that it is genuine step forward in the technology industry, it is certainly about “bots” or “chatbots”

In the simplest terms, bot is a piece of software that you chat with to get things done or be entertained. Bots are powered by artificial intelligence therefore the name, as in “robot”
Eventually, a single chatbot could become your own personal assistant to take care of everything, whether it’s calling you an Uber or Lyft or setting up a meeting. Facebook Messenger or another platform might let a bunch of individual chatbots to talk to you about whatever is relevant — a chatbot from Southwest Airlines could tell you your flight’s delayed, another chatbot from FedEx could tell you your package is on the way, and so on.

This is what Technology leaders and experts have to say about bots:

Phil Libin founder of Evernote and now a venture capitalist said, “In 2007, I had this vision when I first touched my very first iPhone where I kind of understood what the next five years would bring, and I haven’t had that kind of clarity since. And now, I have the same kind of feeling about bots, about conversational UIs.”

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that chatbots, which he sees as the next big thing, will have “as profound an impact as previous shifts we’ve had”. He further elaborated that this will put chatbots – which he calls “conversations as a platform” – in the same category as past paradigm shifts like the graphical user interface, the web browser and the iPhone-driven adoption of the touchscreen.

Why bots Are Such A Big Opportunity?
After desktop in the mid-80s, browser & websites in the mid-90s, smartphones & apps in the mid-00s, it’s the turn of messaging & bots in the mid-10s. And there is reason behind it, Bots foster natural communication. They are a natural extension of how we communicate and use our mobile phones.

For the first time ever people are using messenger apps more than they are using social networks. See this data chart from Business Intelligence

Peter Rojas, Entrepreneur in Residence at Betaworks has this to say, “People are now spending more time in messaging apps than in social media and that is a huge turning point. Messaging apps are the platforms of the future and bots will be how their users access all sorts of services.”
Thinking logically, if you want to build a business online, you want to build where the majority of prospective users are. That place is now inside messenger apps.

According to Aaron Batalion, Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, “Major shifts on large platforms should be seen as an opportunities for distribution. That said, we need to be careful not to judge the very early prototypes too harshly as the platforms are far from complete. I believe Facebook’s recent launch is the beginning of a new application platform for micro application experiences. The fundamental idea is that customers will interact with just enough UI, whether conversational and/or widgets, to be delighted by a service/brand with immediate access to a rich profile and without the complexities of installing a native app, all fueled by mature advertising products. It’s potentially a massive opportunity.”

This is why bots are such a big deal. It is potentially a big business opportunity for anyone willing to jump headfirst and build something people want. At TechAhead, we can help you in grabbing this huge opportunity and assist you to be ready with your mobile app with bot integration. Get a Free Quote today.

Credit: https://chatbotsmagazine.com

If you’re looking forward to getting a custom chatbot integrated for your business, our Chatbot development company can help you with that.