Top 6 AI Chatbots that will Help your Business Needs

Is your business flooded with inquiries everyday? Are your employees overwhelmed? Do you want to provide an efficient and manageable workspace while also addressing your customers’ needs? 

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you’ve come to the right place. Let me introduce you to your own personal superhero: AI chatbots. More and more businesses are integrating AI chatbots to relieve their daily tasks.

There are plenty of developed chatbot frameworks to choose from, but with each being constantly updated and with each new release, it can be difficult to decide which one works best for your business. 

So, how do you decide which AI chatbot to use? 

When comparing, there are 2 main aspects that ultimately determine if the chatbot is worth taking on or not:

1. Will it increase efficiency for your business?

2. Does it save you time? 

As the AI market is continuously growing each day, we’ve narrowed down the top 6 chatbots in terms of the 2 factors listed above. 

To make it even easier for you, we also list the pros, cons, integration elements, and pricing plans for each chatbot framework- helping you make a decision for your business’ investment. 

6 Chatbots that will change your business for the better:

Microsoft Bot Framework 

Microsoft is one of the most well known brands within the technological world, so obviously, their progression within the AI realm has been phenomenal. 

Their bot framework is composed of a set of tools and SDKs which help connect bots to one another. These chatbots will provide your business with full ownership and control of your data so that you don’t have to worry about security!

The pros are:

• Machine learning for speech to text data

• Technical computer support to assist your business and customers

• Multilingual so your business is able to provide a global service

• SDKs for a vast number of computer languages

• Prebuilt entities 

The cons are few and limited to:

• Must be using either Node.js or C# platform for business development 

Integrate your chatbot with:

• Facebook Messenger

• Microsoft

• Skype  

• Slack

• Your business website

• Cortana 

Now.. What's the cost?

Microsoft Bot framework offers both free and paid versions. The free version is self-explanatory and the paid version functions as a ‘pay as you use’ structure. The charge is 50 cents for every 1,000 messages that are exchanged through the premium channel while using the chatbot. Microsoft also offers flexible plans which start at only $29/month! 

Rasa

Rasa is open-source and has 2 main components: Rasa Core and Rasa NLU. So, what’s the difference?

Rasa NLU is the natural language comprehension component, whereas Rasa Core assists in the creation of machine learning chatbots, making them intelligent and conversational on a human-level. 

Which is exactly how you want your bot to function!

Rasa is the leading framework within the open-source landscape for machine learning resources. These resources are beneficial for developers as they provide assistance with the improvement of AI chatbots, and the best part is it requires minimal training data! 

The pros are:

• Customization! Your developers are able to create a chatbot the way YOUR business wants. 

• It can be used on your server, allowing you to retain your in-house components. 

• Multiple landscapes for production, staging and development- again, flexibility. 

• Analytics that dive into your customers data, allowing you to understand and provide proper solutions. 

• Rasa is an interactive learner, meaning, the more it interacts with humans, the more human-like it becomes.

The cons:

• This AI chatbot is better suited for experienced developers. Those who are beginning their developing career may find it rather challenging and difficult to use when first starting out. 

Integrate your chatbot with:

• Slack

• Telegram

• Rocket.Chat

• Facebook Messenger

• Twilio 

Pricing: 

If the open-source version of Rasa doesn’t suit all your business needs, then consider their paid version: Rasa platform. If your business requires higher performances and more in-depth functionalities, then this may be the better option for you. Although pricing is not public through their website, you’re able to contact their customer service executives to learn more about Rasa platform. 

Wit.ai

This AI chatbot is owned by Facebook, with a NLP platform that allows developers to freely establish their own entities and intent. Wit.ai, similarly to Rasa, is an open-source framework with open resources to assist your business’ developers. Your developers don’t need to worry about teaching the bot the basic human conversation skills, as this framework comes equipped with that. 

The pros:

• As it is owned by Facebook, you can easily move it to work on Facebook Messenger; allowing you to create it for solely that platform- arguably the best AI chatbot framework.

• Open-source = large developer community 

• The NLP engine engraved into Wit.ai is one of the best in market and is able to compete against larger bot-building tools 

• Offers SDKs in Python, Ruby, Node.js, and iOS 

• Global reach abilities with access to 80+ languages worldwide; your developers can translate data without an additional stress factor. 

The cons:

• In the past, developers have said that it can be more difficult to retrieve missing criteria in Wit.ai in comparison to other AI chatbots. 

Integrate your chatbot with:

• Your business’ website

• Your business app

• Facebook Messenger

• Home automation

• Wearable devices 

• Slack 

The best thing about Wit.ai?

It’s completely free! Save time AND money. 

Dialogflow 

This AI chatbot is a subsidiary of Google, so your business would be gaining lots of great tools. Dialogflow comes with preinstalled machine learning capabilities, NLP features and an ability to integrate with a vast amount of communication platforms. Your customers will be happy to hear about that! 

Your developers would be able to create VERY intelligent bots that are able to not only understand multiple languages, but also consistently improve as time goes on. As this is a subsidiary of Google, it is supported by Google’s Cloud Natural Language. Meaning, it is easier to train your AI chatbot to adapt to human emotions. 

The pros:

• Easy for every level of developer to use 

• Supports both text-based and voice-based assistants 

• SDKs for over 14 platforms 

• High quality conversations using natural language

• Support for over 20 global languages

• Ability to complete tasks such as: payment handling, event searches and even comes equipped with an understanding for jokes! (We all need a little humour in our lives). 

• In-line editor to efficiently and quickly process coding 

• Sentiment analysis for each inquiry 

• Access to IoT for even more intelligence towards home automation

The cons:

• Unfortunately, fine control over how the dialogue is processed is not available to the programmer. 

Integrate your chatbot with:

• Google Assistant

• Slack

• Facebook Messenger

• Cortana

• Alexa 

• Skype

• Line

• Twilio

• Telegram

• Viber 

Pricing: 

Like most AI frameworks, you have an option to use the standard free edition or choose to use the paid version- especially if you find your business receives lots of inquiries on a daily basis. 

The paid version starts at $0.002 for each text request and can increase to $0.075 per minute for each phone call being processed. 

IBM Watson 

Watson has gained a lot of media attention (amongst developers) within the recent years as the platform has been growing on a wider scale. It offers resources to build your personal bot, with pre-installed machine learning capabilities. In contrast to many of the big-time AI chatbots, IBM Watson has its own features, flexibility and integration. 

Many large companies have switched over to IBM Watson in order to build highly intelligent AI chatbots.

It is amongst the community of AI, one of the greatest in its field, especially in terms of: machine learning, reasoning and natural language processing. Not only that, but it also gives developers advanced cognitive abilities! 

The pros:

• Advanced machine learning engine

• Watson Assistant GUI for non-technical business users

• Automated predictive analysis

• Visual recognition security to make sure your data is truly SECURE

• IBM allows you to store your data on a private cloud instead of collecting it externally 

• Support for 10+ languages worldwide with a pre-installed translator 

• One of the more unique features offered is a tone analyzer; helping your business distinguish differences in negative and positive responses from your customers 

The cons:

• Some developers are concerned with how many tools are available through IBM Watson. This can cause confusion when building a simpler non-AI chatbot, however, if you’re looking for one of the better AI options, Watson is the way to go! 

Integrate your chatbot with:

• Intercom

• Slack

• Facebook Messenger

• WordPress 

Pricing:

There are 4 different pricing plan options for you to choose from. The Lite version is free and allows up to 10,000 messages each month. If you find you’re needing more than that, consider some of the paid versions. 

These include: Standard, Plus, Premium and Deploy Anywhere. Standard pricing is $0.0025 per message and gives you access to unlimited messages each month. Plus pricing is not public information and requires you to contact IBM, but the plus side is you get a free 30-day trial!

Premium and Deploy Anywhere plans are based on custom pricing. 

Amazon Lex

A diverse AI framework that comes ready with cultivated bot-building tools and super easy to use for beginners. As per the name, Amazon Lex is part of the Amazon Web Services family and is one of the most powerful and all-round chatbots available on today’s market. 

It comes with pre-installed machine learning and natural language capabilities thanks to Amazon Web Services (AWS). It definitely is one of the better AI chatbot options that is available for use! 

The pros:

• Integrated with AWS → large network

• Automated speech recognition and speech-to-text capabilities 

• SDKS for varying platforms

• Completely free with an AWS account! 

The cons:

• There can be a language barrier when developing AI chatbot using Amazon Lex as the framework was only available in American English as of early 2019. 

Integrate your chatbot with:

• Slack

• Twilio SMS

• Facebook Messenger 

Pricing: 

Amazon Lex works on a ‘pay as you use’ structure. The charge is $0.004 for every voice request and $0.00075 for every text request. It is however, very flexible! The framework allows users a free trial for the first year.

The free trial includes: up to 10,000 text requests and 5,000 speech requests per month for the first 12 months. 

And there you have it! The top 6 AI chatbot frameworks available on today’s market. So, which one will it be?

For Information or inquiries on custom software solutions feel free to reach out and we will get back to you shortly.

All About Software Development Models and Which Projects They're Useful For

Let’s Get Right Into It!

Software development life cycle (SDLC) models illustrate ways to steer through the demanding and intricate process of software building. When choosing a model, you must consider the ability to meet the stakeholder’s expectations, timeframe, budget available, and the project’s quality.

More than 50 recognized SDLC models are in use today. Each having its benefits and drawbacks. Keeping in mind that not all are perfect, we will discuss 8 popular models in this blog. After reading you should have a better understanding of their core features and essence.

The outline

SDLC models can be organized into groups. This is reliant on what kind of bonds are established between the development team and the client, and how they manage workflow in the organization.

Types of SDLC models and what projects each supports best

Waterfall

This process moves in a cataract mode through all development stages (analysis, design, coding, testing, deployment). Each stage is stringently recorded and has distinct deliverables.

This is a continuous process, so the previous stage has to be fully completed before the next stage starts. For example, there is no skill to evaluate software until the last development stage is finished which results in high project risks and unpredictable project results.

Project examples:

• Projects with the need for conventional budget and timelines, and sterner control.

• Projects where infamous technology stack and tools are used.

• Projects that you must abide by several rules and regulations.

• Small or mid-sized projects with unchanging and lucidly outlined requirements 

• Projects where a well-known technology stack and tools are used.

Validation and Verification model

The Validation and Verification model is also known as the V-model. This model involves each stage having a corresponding testing activity. The V-model is considered as one of the most expensive and onerous models because its workflow organization involves extraordinary quality control.

Furthermore, changes during development are still difficult and expensive to implement, even though mistakes in requirements specifications, code, and architecture inaccuracies can be discovered early.

Project example:

• Projects where failures and downtimes are deplorable.

Incremental and Iterative model

In the Incremental model, the development process is divided into several iterations. New software modules are attached with no or little change in earlier modules. The development process can either be parallel or sequential. Sequential development involves reiterated cycles which can make the project long and costly while parallel development enhances the speed of delivery.

With Iterative development, software increasingly gains more intricacy and comprehensive features set up until the final system is complete. Software design remains consistent as each iteration builds on the prior one.

From the start of the project, there is no need for a full specification and small changes to prerequisites are possible during the development process because the software is delivered in parts.

Since further integration of the delivered software part can become an issue, major requirements must be defined in the beginning as they cannot be changed completely.

This model is concerned with customer involvement because of the possible need for small requirements adjustments during the development process.

Project example:

• Large, mission-critical enterprise applications that rather consist of loosely coupled parts, such as microservices or web services.

Spiral model

The Spiral model puts much emphasis on comprehensive risk appraisal. Therefore, you’ll need to involve people with a strong background in risk assessment, to enable you to garner the benefits of the model to the fullest.

A typical Spiral reiteration starts with 4 principal activities - thorough planning, risk analysis, prototypes creation, and evaluation of the previously delivered part. Repeated spiral cycles tend to extend project timeframes and can last around 6 months.

This model demands intensive client involvement. The client can be involved in the examination and review stages of each cycle. The client’s adjustments are not acceptable at the development stage.

Project examples:

• Research and development activity.

• Introduction of a new product or service.

• Projects with ambiguous business needs or large-scale innovation requirements.

• Projects that are large and complicated.

The Rational Unified Process (RUP)

The Rational Unified Process (RUP) is a combination of linear and iterative frameworks. It divides the development process into 4 phases – inception, elaboration, construction, and transition. Except for Inception, each phase is commonly done in several iterations. All basic activities; design, requirement, and so forth, of the development process are done in correspondence across these 4 phases, though with distinctive force.

RUP helps to build stable and flexible solutions. Depending on the project needs, the degree of client involvement, documentation intensity, and iteration length may vary.

Project example:

• High-risk and large projects, especially, the fast development of high-quality software.

The Agile group

The rest of the SDLC models we will be discussing falls under the parasol of the Agile group. Recently, organizations employ the models under the Agile group or Agile approach in their IT projects. At the center of Agile are reiterative development, early customer feedback, and intensive communication.

To deliver a complete working software version, every Agile iteration typically takes several weeks. The models of this group pay less attention to detailed software documentation and instead put more focus on testing activities and delivering a functioning part of the application quickly.

This model fosters quick development, however, it prolongs the transfer to the support team. Along with making its maintenance more complex as more time is spent to find the problem when there is no specified software description.

Agile is focused on close cooperation both across the team and with the clients. Stakeholders assess the development progress and ensure alignment with user needs and business goals at the end of each iteration. This allows stakeholders to re-evaluate the priority of tasks for the future iteration to ultimately increase the return on investment (ROI).

As one of its characteristics is frequent releases, Agile models include continuous software improvements with easy fixes and changes. It also allows quick updates,feature addition, and helps to deliver applications that satisfy users’ needs better. However, it is difficult to accurately quote the budget, time, and resources required for the project due to the lack of detailed planning and openness.

Project examples:

• Large projects that are easy to split into small functional parts and can be developed increasingly over each iteration.

• Mid-sized projects in custom software development where business prerequisites cannot be confidently converted to detailed software requirements.

• Startup initiatives where end-users’ early feedback is required.

Agile comes with varying aspects and we will showcase three: Scrum, Extreme Programming, and Kanban.

Scrum

With Scrum, the sprints (reiterations) are preceded with comprehensive planning and previous sprint evaluation. They are usually 2-4 weeks long. After the sprint activities have been defined, no changes are allowed. It is probably the most popular one from the Agile group.

Extreme Programming (XP)

As for Extreme Programming (XP), a standard iteration usually lasts 1-2 weeks. If the team has not started to work with the relevant software yet the model allows changes to be introduced even after the iteration’s launch. The delivery of quality software can be complicated with such flexibility. To mitigate the problem, XP involves the use of pair programming, test-driven development and test automation, continuous integration (CI), small releases, simple software design, and recommendations to follow the coding standards.

Kanban

With Kanban, its key feature is the absence of prominent iterations and they are kept quite short (‘daily sprints’) if used at all. As an alternative, the emphasis is positioned on plan visualization. The team provides a clear illustration of all project activities, their number, responsible persons, and progress through the Kanban Board tool.

This intensifies transparency to help estimate the most vital tasks more accurately. Also, a new change request can be initiated at any time because the model has no separate planning stage. Clients can verify the work results whenever they like because communication with the clients is a continuous process. Also, the meetings with the project team can occur on a daily basis. The model is frequently used in projects on software support and evolution due to its nature.

Are you ready to start?

Before choosing a Software Development Life Cycle SDLC model you must consider the type of project, the resources available, and the circumstances surrounding the project. Then you are able to compare the models in terms of core features – time, cost, and quality. This will allow you to make a better decision in choosing the appropriate model.

If you’re interested, please contact us and we will get back to you with more information on software development!

10 Reasons Why You Should Outsource Your Software Development

Software development has become an integral part of almost every business, making it important to recognize the benefits that outsourcing can bring for your business. Here are the top 10 benefits that come with outsourcing software development.

Time Savings

Outsourcing can create major time savings as the outsourcing team will be dedicated fully to finishing the specified project. Outsourced teams won’t have to deal with other IT issues in the company, meaning all their time and focus will be on your project, ensuring speedy finish times. 

Cost Savings

Having an in-house development team can prove to be costly. In-house development teams require big upfront investments (office, equipment and furniture) and tend to cost 70% more than an outsourced team. With an outsourced team, you only pay for the time that the developers spend working on your project. 

Experience

Different software projects will need different talents and outsourcing a team can ensure that those working on your project have the experience to complete it properly. Software outsourcing companies employ different software developers who specialize in many different software languages, making it much easier to find the right developers. 

Ease of Hiring

When outsourcing development teams, the hiring process is extremely easy. The outsourcing company has already gone through the entire hiring process to make sure they have highly skilled employees ready to help service your business. This eliminates the time it takes to recruit, hire, train and house employees for projects. As well, scaling up or down is fairly easy as outsourcing companies allow you to change your labour size from project to project. 

International Talent

Outsourcing can give you access to talent from all over the world that would've been hard to find on your own. As well, outsourcing companies take care of the hiring process, meaning they can take care of all the long legal paperwork when it comes to international employees. 

Risk Mitigation

Choosing an outsourcing company that is highly rated and has extensive experience in your field can help you mitigate the risks that come with software development. You can sit back and be confident that your project will be completed on time and by the most experienced individuals.

Technological Advancements

Tech is ever-changing and by outsourcing your team, you can work with people who have increased knowledge on what is trending in the tech world and those with innovative and new ideas.

Large Talent Pool

Outsourcing gives you access to a large talent pool of software developers that you may have never seen before. Since outsourcing companies tend to work internationally, there will be many people from all over the world. This gives your business a wide selection to choose from when deciding who to hire for software development. 

Focused Strategy

Outsourcing firms can streamline your project by providing a detailed strategy/timeline of deadlines and processes to finish your project. This takes away the worry of having to plan the project in-house.

Team Chemistry

Most outsourcing companies have entire teams ranging from designers all the way to project managers. These teams have most likely worked together before and are comfortable with each other. This helps alleviate the pain of team building and collaboration as the team will already be familiar with each other. 

After reading this article you should now be able to recognize the different benefits that an outsourced team can bring to your business. For more information on outsourcing or if you are ready to outsource your software needs, Contact Us and we will get back to you shortly.