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Since launching just six months ago, millions of customers and technicians have used TechSee’s Visual Intelligence’s (VI) AI to successfully set up their devices, visually troubleshoot issues, and confirm successful resolutions to all sorts of issues. The savings and CX impact has been incredible. Visual AI has dramatically improved everything from end-user self-service containment rates to NPS and first-time-fix rates in the field. Today we are proud to share the next evolution in this journey as we introduce the VI Mobile SDK for iOS and Android.
Making The Jump to Mobile-Native AI
For the first time, the VI Mobile SDK will allow VI’s visual AI models to run locally on the end user’s Android or iOS device, right inside the brand’s mobile app. By bringing VI’s analysis and insights to the mobile environment via a native SDK, enterprises can deliver a truly next-generation, immersive solution for consumers and field technicians.
Since its launch a few months ago, the Visual Intelligence Platform has delivered analysis and insights within both TechSee’s products and via API integrations into third-party solutions like chatbots or workflows. As several Fortune 500 enterprises began deploying VI and seeing the dramatic impact on their service and customer KPIs, they requested the ability to run these same VI models natively on their customer’s and field technicians’ mobile devices. The new VI Mobile SDK makes this possible.
The VI Mobile SDK Advantages
Whereas VI’s AI analysis and insights were initially designed to run on our specialized SaaS infrastructure from end-to-end, the VI Mobile SDK brings this same level of enterprise-grade accuracy to mobile devices like phones and tablets. Moving the AI analysis closer to the end user makes the AI more readily accessible. This shift would be an example of edge computing, moving the AI computation from a centralized cloud closer to the edge (the end user application), which is in this case the end user’s mobile device.
There are many advantages to running VI’s AI on mobile devices via the VI Mobile SDK:
Faster, Fluid User Experience (UX)
Today’s mobile devices, even budget devices, pack incredible processing power. Our engineers have designed the VI Mobile SDK to run remarkably quickly, providing near real-time analysis and insights to the end user. This delivers a superior UX to an API-based solution, as it avoids image upload and API response times – resulting in a more fluid UX.
Due to the faster processing, mobile applications are now able to analyze real-time video, providing augmented reality (AR) guidance in near real-time. Compared to the previous generation of AI that requires capturing an image, uploading to the cloud, and then downloading a response with AR guidance, the real-time overlays offer a generational leap forward in UX.
Offline Analysis and Insights
While internet connectivity has become nearly ubiquitous, there are many scenarios in which consumers or technicians may not have reliable internet access. The VI Mobile SDK allows brands to bundle their AI analysis within their mobile applications, allowing end-users and field technicians to utilize the brand’s AI models even when they don’t have an internet connection. This is particularly helpful for those serving remote locations or areas with weak mobile data coverage.
When an internet connection is available, the VI Mobile SDK can be configured to report on all relevant activity, ensuring the brand maintains full visibility into mobile app performance – even when the user isn’t online.
Privacy and Security
At TechSee, we pride ourselves on delivering best-in-class privacy and security across all of our solutions. Teams operating in particularly sensitive frameworks, such as with medical devices, may prefer not to have any user-submitted imagery uploaded to the cloud. The VI Mobile SDK offers a compelling alternative, allowing leadership to deliver exceptional next-generation support via VI’s visual AI, without collecting or processing any images in the cloud.
Putting the VI Mobile SDK To Use
The VI Mobile SDK opens up a number of new opportunities across the enterprise. Below are a few examples:
- Offline Troubleshooting
Every now and then the internet or wifi connection in a home or office goes down. Typically, you will call your internet service provider or IT speciality, who will walk you through restarting your equipment, checking that everything is correctly plugged in, etc. You can now avoid this costly, frustrating and repetitive call entirely by integrating the entire flow into your mobile app with the VI Mobile SDK. Even though the internet is down, the VI Mobile SDK can identify the specific model equipment, analyze if cables are plugged in correctly and which LEDs are lit up, visually guide the customer to full resolution, and finally confirm that the internet is now back up and running. This is all done without a single phone call or video support session. - Unboxing and Device Setup
A customer just purchased your new service, device, or appliance, but getting everything set up can be confusing. Avoid a frustrating customer experience and reduce returns and calls to your contact center by inviting customers to use your mobile app’s intuitive setup guide or virtual assistant, powered by the VI Mobile SDK. Behind the scenes, VI can analyze and identify each model, as well as every cable, screen, port, LED, and status. The AI model will enable your mobile application to visually guide the customer through their entire setup, using AR instructions displayed on top of their real-world images or video feed. Similarly, the AI insights can expedite the warranty and registration processes by syncing visually identified device information to the brand’s cloud or CRM software. - Field Service Knowledge Augmentation
Knowledge management is a critical element of field service. When a field technician or contractor cannot properly identify the make and model of a piece of hardware or effectively troubleshoot an issue, service resolution is delayed and costs rise dramatically. The VI Mobile SDK can automatically identify your specific hardware models and components. This allows a more experienced technician to visually and automatically guide or recommend the right documentation to junior field technicians or new contractors, improving your field performance KPIs. - Field Service Job Confirmation
When a field technician erroneously believes they have completed a job, the impact reverberates across the organization. A second technician must be dispatched, machine or service downtime increases, and customers grow increasingly irritated. The VI Mobile SDK can visually confirm that every job has been completed correctly through automation. For example, a technician running a fiber line to a customer’s home is often required to set up the wiring for a second technician who will be dispatched following the initial appointment. In this case, the VI Mobile SDK can confirm or reject the first technician’s wiring setup, and even signal where the setup is not properly installed. This confirmation happens before the technician leaves the work site, even if the technician doesn’t have a reliable internet connection.
More on automated job verification for field technicians in this brochure
These are just a few examples of how VI’s AI-powered automation continues to improve performance across the service organization and beyond. The VI Mobile SDK is another step forward in our efforts to make visual AI readily and practically accessible to the service industry. With faster AI insights, offline AI analysis and enhanced privacy and security, the VI Mobile SDK makes visual AI an unparalleled tool in your productivity and experience toolkit.
To learn more about the Visual Intelligence Platform and the VI Mobile SDK, please contact your TechSee representative for a free consultation today.
