When you hear the term “artificial intelligence,” what do you think of? Robots? Science fiction? A generation of machines that might take over the world some day?
In reality, artificial intelligence (or AI for short) has a much simpler definition: it involves processes that learn from data, rather than the instructions of a programmer. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary formally describes it as “a branch of computer science dealing with the simulation of intelligent behavior in computers.” Artificial intelligence is a fact of life nowadays, with applications ranging from consumer fields like healthcare and finance to cybersecurity.
AI is also part of Service Objects operations as well, with real benefits for you as a customer. So let’s take a look at what a little AI can do for you.
Using AI in contact data validation
Validating contact data might seem simple to the untrained eye. But it involves much more than, say, simply checking an address against a USPS database. We have a network of over 300 data sources, plus proprietary algorithms such as fuzzy matching logic, cross-checking, correction procedures and much more to ensure the most accurate results.
Where AI comes in is improving the performance and accuracy of these results, by learning from the massive amounts of data we process every day – nearly half a billion transactions per year, to be exact. Every time we process contact information that is incorrect or fraudulent, our systems learn from it and become more intelligent in detecting similar patterns in the future, improving speed and accuracy for future transactions.
This kind of adaptive machine learning is important for a high transaction volume applications such as our contact data validation products, because it enhances our human efforts. Of course we still look at current trends in our data flow, and develop new logic to address them. What AI adds to this is a framework for letting the transactions themselves improve our capabilities in a way that no human could, keeping us one step ahead of new patterns of bad data.
Working in partnership with AI specialists, these capabilities allow us to produce superior-quality results that improve with user experience, integrated with services that can verify a contacts’ name, global address, phone, email address and device in less than a second. The result is cost reduction, less waste, increased customer satisfaction, and improved fraud detection and prevention.
An integrated approach to data quality
These artificial intelligence capabilities are part of a process of continual product improvement, together with Service Objects’ focus on quality service and reliability – a reputation that includes 24/7/365 support, industry-leading technical expertise, bank-grade security and guaranteed 99.9999% uptime. Plus an API architecture that integrates with leading CRM, sales and marketing automation platforms to provide seamless capabilities within your business environment.
If you work with business contact data, and particularly if you have mission-critical applications where accuracy and performance are important, a little artificial intelligence can translate into some very real benefits. To learn more about any of our global contact validation services, please contact us.
