Focus Softnet launches AIFA, AI enabled business platform

Focus Softnet launched its artificial intelligence platform called AIFA, Artificially Intelligent Futuristic Applications, on the sidelines of Gitex 2019. AIFA is an advanced, automated platform meant to enhance business, increase productivity, and reduce investment in human training. The announcement and launch was made at an event that also witnessed the participation of Tata Communication.

Focus Softnet had previously announced its partnership with Tata Communications to host its cloud-based ERP solutions on the IZO Private Cloud platform. Tata Communications’ IZO Private Cloud platform helps Focus Softnet to offer its cloud-based ERP solutions either as public cloud SaaS or as a private cloud option.

“With today’s launch, AIFA is meant to help businesses automate their processes and also build dashboards for analytics. As an advanced AI chatbot that uses machine learning, AIFA can understand queries and respond intelligently,” said Ali Hyder, Group CEO of Focus Softnet.

Businesses can get insights and predictive analysis to lower their operational costs and improve services. The Robotic Process Automation, feature in AIFA allows organisations to automate routine tasks that can be integrated with business application. Further, the face recognition feature also helps in contributing to the increase in sales by getting maximum information of walk-in customers in retail sales.

AIFA also helps in marking automatic attendance of employees using AI face recognition feature and gets integrated with any payroll and attendance system. Unlike humans who cannot be available during holidays or during the night, AIFA can work 24 hours, 365 days of the year.

According to a recent PwC report, analysis conducted by IDC estimates that spending on cognitive and artificial intelligence systems in the Middle East and Africa region will grow from $37.5 million in 2017 to over $100 million by 2021, representing a growth rate of 32%. The UAE and Saudi Arabia, in particular, have demonstrated strong commitment towards the development and implementation of artificial intelligence technologies.

AIFA can be used in most popular languages. There is no need to employ customer service personnel, specifically for any language. It can provide analytics for questions asked. The end user company can use this to identify areas that need improvement. Focus AIFA can be reached through a phone call, mobile app, website, Alexa, Google Home, Facebook, WhatsApp and other such platforms and devices.

The most defining capability of AIFA is that it is not just a work assistant but can work as a customer service executive as well. By interacting with AIFA, customers can access their data, and get answers to basic questions such as balance, limit, due date of bills, last payment, service request, location request.

Businesses can deploy this advanced AI assistant, that has inbuilt accelerated computing for extreme performance and big data workloads. End-users can use AIFA to get information about product, bills, statements, services, status of service requests and other such information. Top executives can use AIFA as a data mining tool to get quick access to information they need, in any format such as voice, text and reports.

Prior to the migrating to Tata Communications’ IZO Private Cloud platform, Focus Softnet was offering customers onsite perpetual licensing and was looking for a suitable partner for global hosting of its cloud-based Focus 9 application. With Tata Communications’ IZO Private Cloud platform, Focus Softnet is able to offer customers scalability and agility with its cloud software licensing, which is a flexible pay as you go model, and can deliver anytime, anywhere.

Focus Softnet can now provide end to end solution and round-the-clock support for its global customers. When new customers are onboarded, Tata Communications’ engineers work closely to understand their needs and size the IZO Private Cloud offering accordingly. Depending on the customer requirements, Tata Communications can offer either a dedicated virtual machine or shared cloud model.