Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1461072
5 NEWS 17.3.2022 How would you simplify the concept of 'conversational AI' ? rough AI technology, which allows customers to connect with businesses at any time, with zero effort and in a natural language, we are transforming customer service by providing the right tools to improve efficiency whilst driv- ing down costs. Basically, we collect, in- terpret, and use conversational big data to personalise dialogues that business- es have with their customers. rough the use of AI, this transforms the cost model behind customer conversations. Workflows which were previously man- ual and riddled with bias and human error, now become smart automations. Our goal therefore is to offer an AI ser- vice that is indistinguishable from hu- man experience. We strive to deliver technology that understands sentiment, context and demonstrates empathy. is is the next frontier of human-AI collaboration. Your service has managed to link technology with the health sector. We all know that today, every aspect of modern life has been radically reshaped by innovation and technology – and healthcare is no exception. Sustained advances brought about by technology have driven choice and control for pa- tients and healthcare providers. In turn, this has opened new possibilities for us. We saw potential in the UK given that the NHS is the fifth largest employer in the world, and we wanted to focus deeply on solving issues around elective care recovery – which relates to the way patients manage their appointments with hospitals. In less than two years, EBO is now serving six of the UK's largest public hospitals. How did this come about? In 2020 we partnered with UK health informatics firm Servelec who became our major AI partners. Together with Servelec, we are today delivering inno- vative self-managed services to millions of patients within the UK's National Health Service. is was possible af- ter we integrated technology into their electronic patient record (EPR) system to give NHS patients access to their data in their channel of choice. Now UK na- tionals can set hospital appointments, reschedule, or cancel them in real time, using their favourite communications app, instantly and 24/7. Our growth in the UK means that today, we run a fully owned UK subsidiary and have made multiple appointments including of a Senior Healthcare Consultant, a Healthcare Director, and Senior Clini- cal Consultant, specifically for the UK market. This must be a very important phase for EBO as a company. We are very happy to watch our solu- tion fit so perfectly into the NHS's five- year plan to place data, information, and technologies at the heart of its strategy – a strategy aimed to make the UK a global leader in the development and use of digital health solutions. Our partnership with Servelec also mean- ingful because it shows a major interna- tional player teaming up with a Maltese company to serve the NHS in the UK better. It is also an important step in our journey to become a European leader in conversational AI. e healthcare sector is ready for this change as it is going through a radical transformation as institutions move towards smart ser- vices using technologies that augment the patient experience while improv- ing cost-efficiency and performance for health systems. What is contributing to EBO's business growth? EBO is backed by venture capital in- vestment and one of Malta's leading technology providers: BMIT Tech- nologies plc. We have an experienced leadership team that brings together decades of experience in technology, communication, and business-process reengineering. I would also credit our growth to the fact that our solutions are being acknowledged for the way they are transforming the way businesses in- novate and manage their customer en- gagement channels. Your operations seem to be gaining a lot of traction also in Cyprus. Cyprus and Greece are fast becoming go-to countries for forward-facing AI and IT companies looking to increase their influence in Eastern Europe and the MENA region where the advance- ments in fintech are significant. We opened an EBO office in Cyprus in 2021 because we want to aggressively target the financial services sector – which has been showing an increased interest in the application of our technology to achieve more meaningful communica- tion with customers. In fact, we have al- ready achieved two important successes here. What future are you seeing for EBO? e future will be even more data-driv- en than today and AI will focus on pre- dictive assistance rather than real-time reactions. As society changes the way in which it communicates and works, our AI solution will become a mainstay for enterprises who need to manage – at scale – millions of customer engage- ments per hour. In turn, this helps them decrease costs, increase employee pro- ductivity, and optimise the customer journey. EBO is constantly expanding its HR pool. is remains a priority in parallel with our geographic expansion. We do not merely hire skilled people and then motivate them; we hire already motivated people and inspire them with our mission. Indeed, a great company is a conspiracy to change the world and we are constantly on the lookout for smart individuals with perspective to join on this mission. More information available at www.ebo.ai AI company EBO now serving six NHS hospitals in UK AI Virtual Agent company EBO continues to sustain its fast business growth with further success in the UK Healthcare Market as it announced the addition of the sixth NHS hospital in its portfolio. "Penetrating the UK's NHS in 2020 was a major breakthrough for our company and an important step in our journey to become a European leader in conversational AI," says Dr GEGE GATT, CEO of EBO