Frequently Asked Questions

What software do I need to install on my servers?: All software is run either on our servers or those of our technology partners. Other thank links of simple lines of HTML or javascript code there is no need to load new code onto your servers.
What software do my customers need to install on their PCs?: Our textbot needs no extra software. Our avatar based chatbots only need clients PCs to be able to run the standard Macromedia Flash plug-in. Most customers will already have that installed. If not they can download and install it in minutes.
Can chatbots be accessed when mobile?: It is feasible to run an avatar chatbot over a GPRS or dial-up GSM link, but not advisable. For this reason we suggest making a textbot available for mobile users. Avatars should run OK over 3G networks. We currently only support avatars on Microsoft based PDA, not Palm or mobile phones. We can recommend other technology solutions for these devices.
How well does a chatbot work over a dial-up connection?: Avatar chatbots need decent bandwidth to download the speech component. Whilst they will work over dial-up performance will not be ideal. Clients should consider offering text chatbots to supplement avatar chatbots for low bandwidth clients.
What speed of broadband connection is required?: Avatar chatbots work fine on anything over 128 kbps.
Do chatbots work through firewalls?: Because our chatbot use Flash rather than streaming audio or video they will work fine through almost all corporate firewalls.
How do you use cookies?: We only use cookies to stop pagebots repeating the same thing when a customer returns to the same page in the same session.
What browsers do chatbots support?: Since the chatbots place no special demands on the browser beyond the use of Flash they will work on most browsers. We have tested them on IE5/6, Mozilla, Firefox and Opera, and on PCs and Macs.
Can you turn the sound off?: If you want to let customers turn the sound off then this can be done through some simple javascript - with their preferences being saved by a cookie.
Do chatbots work over the phone?: No, chatbots can currently only be accessed through a graphical web terminal. However we do have a product which we will be laucnhing shortly which gives you phone access to chatbot content.
Will the chatbots work on standalone computers?: No. our chatbots are web-native applications designed to work over the Internet. We do have access to standalone chatbot solutions which may suit some applications.
Will the chatbots work on Apple Mac computers?: Yes. Sine they only need a standard browser and Flash support there is no problem in running them on Macs.

Product Questions

What types of avatars are available?: We provide a range of basic avatars, which you can then tailor by changing clothing, colour, hairstyles etc. Adult and child avatars are available.
Can I have a custom avatar designed?: We can provide a custom avatar design service, starting at $5000.
Do avatars have to be human?: No. With our customer avatars they can be anything you like, animals,aliens, shapes, or even talking products.
What voices are available?: You can try our voice samples out for yourself. We offer UK and US English, male and female, as well as German, French and Spanish.
Can I have a custom voice recorded?: Custom voices are only feasible on FAQBots and PageBots. Whilst you will get a completely human voice, you will also lose the flexibility of using Text-to-Speech. And our TTS voices are very good.
Can I record my own speech?: Whilst you will get a completely human voice, you will also lose the flexibility of using Text-to-Speech. And our TTS voices are very good.
Why not use video or recorded speech instead of a pagebot or sitebot?: Flexibility. By using text-to-speech and animated avatars you can instantly change the responses or speech without having to re-record anything. This also means that the responses can be totally dynamic, driven by current stock or pricing levels, or just what's on the news.
Why not use another chatbot like ALICE or Sourceforge?: Whilst these chatbots may be great at chatting, they are significantly lacking in interfacing or commercial focus. Our chatbots are designed to be able to interface with a wide varity of information sources, and to be able to conduct business orientated tasks, such as seeking particular pieces of information or conducting survey. Leave Alice to the laboratories.
How do you capture data to program a chatbot?: We can capture data in a wide variety of ways. We have a simple data format for bulk import, and can provide tools to help import data from any standard data exchange format such as CSV, or Excel. We are also developing "harvester" tools which let the chatbot learn from existing pages of text.
Can a chatbot interface with an existing IT system, eg stock control, pricing etc?: If a system is available through a web interface then we can probably interface our chatbots to it. Our ideal approah is to use an XML based interface, such as an RSS feed or a SOAP interface. If this is not available we can simulate an HHTP GET or POST call and then "screen scrape" the data.
What types of chatbot can you provide?: Read our product pages for full details. Our main "packaged" bots are the FAQBot, PageBot, TextBot, SpeechBot and AIBot.
What languages do you support?: We currently support english, french, german and spanish. Of course you need to programme questions and answers in each language.
What modules are available?: Read our module pages for a full list. Modules let us significantly add to the chatbots functionality - and are what let our chatbots really differentiate themselves from Alice type chatbots.
How many cases do I need to fully programme a chatbot?: This is only an issue for the true chatbots - our TextBot, SpeechBot and AIBot. We think that 100 - 200 cases will cover most of the basic needs. If you have a large product range then we would look to develop a generic interface so that the chatbot can answer questions (e.g on pricing, availability, colours, dimensions etc) without needing to be explicitly programmed on every product.
Should I put a PageBot on every page of my web site?: It's up to you. We normally suggest starting with just the top level pages unless the site is very small. You can then decide where else you want to put PageBots to add emphasis.

Commercial Questions

How much does a chatbot cost?: Visit our product pages for outline pricing. Chatbots are highly affordable, starting at only £499, a fraction of the cost of a new web site. Full pricing details are available on request.
How long does an installation take?: Assuming you have the data readily available there is no reason why a PageBot or FAQBot shouldn't be live within 4 - 6 weeks. We could probably even do it in a week if you're up against a deadline. The proper chatbots take longer as their is more data to laod, and more cases to be considered. Reckon on 8 - 12 weeks for a typical project.
What support do you offer?: We offer a variety of support options following a typical Bronze/Silver/Gold scale, and ranging from 5 day, working hours email support to 24 x 7 options telephone and on-site options. Call us for details.

Accessibility Questions

Are chatbots useful for visually impaired users?: We think that chatbots can offer significant benefits to blind and visually impaired users. Whilst the graphic avatar is of little use, the speech and chat interaction can provide a far more usable interface to yur web site for many users than using a full-blown screen reader such as JAWS, or a simple etxt-to-speech application such as Dragon Naturally Speaking. Indeed even learning impaired users may find the chat interface an easier way to work their way around your site.
Can a chatbot be lip-read by a deaf user?: No, or at least we don't think so. Whilst the mouth moves in sync to the speech we don't beleive its good enough for lip-reading.
Can I talk to a chatbot using speech-recognition software - such as ViaVoice or Dragon Naturally Speaking?: Yes. We have tested Dragon out in our lab and it works suprisingly well. We are adding extra commands to the chatbot to make life easier for speech-rec users. The only downside at present is you need to use a headset to stop the speech-rec trying to read what the chatbot is saying.
Does putting a chatbot on a site fulfil my accessibility requirements?: No. Chatbots are an extra feature on your site. You should also be aiming to make the whole of your site accessible by following the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative guidelines.

Chatbots General Questions

Is a chatbot a real artificial intelligence?: No. Whilst the Turing Test is always talked about as the measure of artificial intelligence it is really just a measure of a good chatbot, not a true AI. And even Alice and other academic chatbots are still far short of winning the Turing Test. Download our white paper for more information.

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