Virtual Agent Technology to Make Mainstream Media Debut in the Form of an IBM Supercomputer

While the traditional use of Virtual Agent technology lies in customer support, IBM is bringing the scientific know-how to prime time on America’s Favorite Quiz Show©, Jeopardy.

IBM has developed and engineered a supercomputer capable of answering such a wide array of questions that the company has challenged two of the all-time Jeopardy champions to a match. The supercomputer, known as Watson, has a 15 TB knowledge base to draw from and uses complex algorithms to interpret questions.

Watson’s debut marks a coming of age for Virtual Agent technology, and for Artificial Intelligence in general. Although mainstream culture has long been aware of Artificial Intelligence, the acceptance for practical usage has been slow. Watson’s television debut will assist in increasing awareness of the progress Artificial Intelligence has made over the years, and its potential for further development in practical settings such as customer support, healthcare, tourism, and more.

While IBM’s development of Watson is the latest instance of a large company investing in Artificial Intelligence, it is certainly not the only recent case. In April of 2010, Apple acquired Siri, a virtual personal assistant for the iPhone.

Artificial Intelligence is the engine behind a Virtual Agent, and since 1999, has been at the core of products made by noHold. As a leader in Virtual Agent technology, noHold looks forward to the continued use, development, and adaption of Artificial Intelligence.

“AI is the next logical evolution of man – machine interface. In a market crowded by vendors who focus on the most superficial aspects of Virtual Agents (Avatars, Voice Synthesis, etc.), we will continue to distinguish ourselves as the one providing the smartest ‘brain’. We are proud to have been there from the very beginning.

-Diego Ventura, Founder and CEO, noHold Inc.

About noHold, Inc.

noHold is a privately held company established in 1999 and is headquartered in Milpitas, CA, USA (Silicon Valley). noHold is the acknowledged leader in Web based Self-service solutions with a mission to deliver real answers to real questions - real fast. noHold customers include Comcast, Cisco, Dell, and a host of industry leaders. www.nohold.com

InstantSupport™ is a trademark of noHold, Inc. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.