Author: BWild

Macy’s has partnered with IBM Watson to enhance consumer shopping experience.

An AI mobile shopping assistant tool has been launched by Macy’s at 10 of its stores nationwide. The famous and popular American department store chain developed its shopping assistant called “Macy’s on Call” with IBM Watson. The mobile companion is a cognitive mobile web tool designed to help shoppers as they navigate through Macy’s stores.

Customers can use their smartphone assistant to answer their questions.

This is the pilot stage for Macy’s mobile shopping assistant. The mobile tool, which was created in partnership with IMB Watson through intelligent engagement platform Satisfi, will be tested throughout the pilot stage at the 10 stores.

Via the mobile browser on the consumer’s personal device, they can ask questions related to the Macy’s store. For instance, a mobile customer could ask where a particular brand, department or service is located in the participating store. The assistant, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) essentially acts like a sales associate, answering their questions. It uses natural language and provides feedback within a matter of seconds.

A Spanish language feature will eventually be added to broaden its user base.

The mobile shopping assistant is part of Macy’s strategy to reinvent its business and improve sales.

Macy’s Group Vice President of Digital Media Strategy Serena Potter told the Associated Press that “We want to improve the shopping experience. We want the customers to shop at Macy’s and come back.”

The goal of the retail giant is to boost sales while freeing up employees so they can cater to more complicated customer requests.

According to the vice president of IBM Watson, Stephen Gold, once trained, the technology can register if customers become frustrated based on their answers and it can alert a sales associate. This technology is similar to AI the company is working on with other brands like North Face and 1-800 Flowers. In these cases, however, the AI tech answers questions on their websites.

Macy’s is working hard to improve its sales, which have plummeted. The company has cut its full-year profit and revenue outlook for the year and has slashed thousands of jobs. Implementing its new mobile shopping assistant, Macy’s on Call, is part of its business reinvention strategy.

The Nokia brand is being revived under a new licensing agreement.

The Finish-based multinational communications and information technology company has announced that it will be making a comeback in the mobile industry and will be licensing its brand and intellectual property to HMD global, a newly established company that will produce and sell a portfolio of Andoird-powered Nokia smartphones, feature-phones and tablets.

Feature-phones will be one of the main focuses.

HMD Global – also a company based out of Finland and led by ex-Nokia veteran Arto Nummela – made a conditional agreement with Microsoft to acquire the rights to make and sell Nokia branded mobile devices.

The major focus of HMD Global will be on feature-phones; the mobile device with which Nokia Technologies has had the greatest amount of success. The agreement that Nokia has made with HMD will give the company all of Nokia’s branding and cellular patents and, in return, Nokia will receive royalty payments from HMD for the sales of the devices, which will cover both brand and intellectual property rights. This agreement will last for ten years.

Once the transaction is completed, which is expected to occur in late June, Nummela will become the CEO.

HMD plans to invest over $500 million to support the global marketing of Nokia smartphones and other mobile devices.

This large investment, which is planned to take place over the next three years, will be paid for by the new business’s investors and profits.

Commenting on the new agreement, Nokia Technologies President Ramzi Haidamus said that it marks the start “of an exciting new chapter for the Nokia brand in an industry where Nokia remains a truly iconic name.” He added that “Instead of Nokia returning to manufacturing mobile phones itself, HMD plans to produce mobile phones and tablets that can leverage and grow the value of the Nokia brand in global markets.”

In addition to its new deal with HMD Global, the remainder of Nokia’s business has been purchased by FIH Mobile ltd., a subsidiary of Foxconn Technology Group. FIH reportedly purchased Nokia’s former feature-phone business from Microsoft for $350 million and will take over its manufacturing facility in Vietnam.

FIH and HMD have already formed a collaborative agreement designed “to support the building of a global business for Nokia-branded mobile phones and tablets,” reported The Verge.

Presently, no information has been released in regard to when consumers can expect the new Nokia smartphones, feature-phones and tablets to hit the market.