User Client Technology news

Spike is more than a mascot, he’s an expert. Mobile enhancement puts Gonzaga University’s Bulldog on the cutting edge of customer self-service. Gonzaga University and software company Next IT announced the launch of a Virtual Agent capable of responding to questions over the mobile phone via SMS Text, allowing students to get the answers they need anytime, anywhere.

Gonzaga University’s mascot, Spike, is an online Virtual Agent that answers questions about campus life. And now, thanks to an enhancement in his core technology, he will respond to questions about the university via text message as well.

On the Web or via mobile phone, “Ask Spike” allows users to type-in any questions they have about Gonzaga, just as though they were having a chat with an actual person. Text your questions from your mobile phone to 699247 (MYZAGS) to try it. Spike quickly returns the answer they’re looking for, along with additional links to information that may be of use. He’s knowledgeable about a wide variety of topics, easily answering questions about everything from where to find a bite to eat, how to get in-touch with a community service organization, what time different facilities such as the library open, and more.

Kate is a virtual customer-service representative created to help people visiting the AT&T Premier Store. The Premier Store is where AT&T Business Customers and Individual Responsibility Users can manager their accounts and shop online for great deals on the latest wireless devices, plans and accessories.

The future of chatbots is just starting to unfold. Numerous applications are developed and one of Chatbots.org objectives is to find and test new chatbots and their capabilities.
For example, I have tested every chatbot compatible to America Online’s Instant Messenger which are displayed at AIM’s online gallery.

GG Pro, the professional version of the IM client Gadu Gadu,  is a feature packed, multi protocol instant messenger (ICQ, MSN, Skype, Gadu-Gadu and Jabber ready) for enterprises. It offers shared contact list and chat history, SSL encrypted communication and chat statistics. It enables fast and intuitive IM contact between all the employees, allows creating secure (encrypted with SSL) private and business chats and conferences using one of many protocols.

Yahoo Messenger Blog: Have you tried out Yahoo!‘s new home page yet? This latest version gives you even more ways to customize the page with your favorite news, sites and services.

For the new Beta page, we worked with the team behind yahoo.com to create a new Yahoo! Messenger module. This new version provides a quick view of which friends are online, plus you can easily IM them right from the page. Here’s a quick look at the features of the new Yahoo! Messenger on yahoo.com:

This patent for automatically sending an audio or video reply to an iChat call is only useful for computer to computer calling, but also for iPhone to computer calling, or computer to iPhone calling.

The server could additionally be set to store video responses, such that when a person comes back online, they could view one or more clips recorded by their peers. To facilitate this, Apple proposes creating a generic video mailbox which could be accessed from iPhones or a website.

Wave is a new communication platform by Google. It’s a Frothy Collaborative Mix of Chat, Instant Messaging, Twitter and Google Docs in Real-Time:. A “wave” is equal parts conversation and document, where people can communicate and work together with richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more..

Gizmodo Australia:

idea is to drag email and IM into real-time-so it’s free-wheeling mesh of Twitter, IM, Friendfeed really, any other kind of service presenting semi-real-time stuff in a stream. But in Google Wave, you can share and collaborate on projects, and all of this is mashed together at once, so it might be the ultimate service for people with ADD, or enterprise looking to simulate the feeling of 10 people standing around a desk scattered with a bunch of projects, but you’re all able to work on any of them simultaneously while you’re also whispering to the cute girl across the table about the new sushi place around the corner. You start a wave with any message or photo or whatever, and you bring people into the discussion, and then they can bring other people in as well (unless you block it or start kicking people out) so it’s as public or private as you want it to be.

More screenshots and video after the break.. We can wait for the first chatbots demonstrated on this platform!

Chattie is a new service that acts as your replacement on MSN. As soon as you go offline, your Chattie takes over. Since Chattie is your personal chatbot, you can define what he says.