NoHold's chatbot maker, Albert, gets a big update

Pro Version for commercial use also now available with additional features

It's crazy how quickly technology is advancing, rewind back to maybe 10 years ago and chatbots (like, actual helpful, intelligent chatbots) were pretty much only for major companies that had infinite money to sink into such projects. Now, fastforward to today, and companies like noHold are making it possible for anybody to utilize the power of machine learning, artificially intelligent bots.

Their service, Albert, powered by SICURA Quickstart, has been around for about a month and people loved how easily it was to set up an account and get a chatbot working for them. Today, noHold has released a big update for the service, as well as a new commercial pro version. With the original version, Albert was pretty cut and dry. Users asked questions and Albert responded to the best of its ability. This update brings in some features that will not only make Albert more helpful, but also add a bit of personality to the bot. 

One of the big new features is what noHold is calling "Phrases Digital Signature." Basically, before the update, Albert would only analyse headers to retrieve information, but now with PDS, the entire document will be scanned in order to provide the best answer. Dialogue configuration has also been updated to include changing greeting messages, escalation phrases, and escalation links. Escalation is involved when Albert is unsure of an answer, so this will help properly forward questions to the appropriate parties.

There is also a new synonym feature that will prove to be extremely helpful when dealing with the end user. No two people use the same terms for everything and this feature will help to alleviate some of the frustration that comes with chatbots when the end user is using a word or phrase that isn't familiar. Take phones for example, maybe the end user is asking a question about their Android device, but instead of saying "Android," they go with what they know and call it a "Droid" device. Being able to apply synonyms to different common phrases means Albert will be able to help more than before.

In addition to the new features of Albert, noHold is also releasing a commercial version of the product. Pro version features include key encrypted URLS (great for companies using Albert internally) and the ability to create and distribute business chatbots. Also included is the ability to customize the UI. The free version does not allow for customization, but this version allows for multiple things to be changed and for logos to be added, all without having to dip into the HTML.

Pricing for the Pro version is pretty reasonable, as well. Using a subscription based model, one Albert Pro runs $100 a month, with additional ones available for a discount. See here for full pricing.

In regards to how Albert is doing, Diego Ventura, CEO of noHold says, “Companies are surprising us every day in how they are using Albert. A dealership uses Albert to train and onboard new employees. A technology company is connecting Albert to Near Field Communication (NFC) tags to activate Albert when a user phone gets close to a specific device. A design agency uses Albert to rapidly prototype new bots. We would have never thought about these applications if it weren’t for our customers.”