How Atlanta-based MacStadium is using AI to improve its customer service

Founded in 2011, Atlanta-based MacStadium has become a key DevOps and cloud computing platform for enterprise customers on Mac devices. In fact, its Orka® (Orchestration with Kubernetes on Apple) platform is the only native Kubernetes virtualization layer available for Mac build infrastructure.

And like any SaaS business, finding the best way to provide customers with ongoing support is a top priority. It’s all about meeting their customers’ demands for self-service options and immediate response times, CTO Chris Chapman told Hypepotamus.

Previously, the team had a chat app that simply sent a notification to their data center technician on call at that time. The problem was that the context around the answers varied widely and technicians were often bogged down by questions that were easily answered from existing documentation.

So, right now, MacStadium is building and testing a new virtual assistant powered by IBM Watsonx Assistant and Amazon Bedrock to meet these demands.

Driven by conversational AI, the new partnership gives MacStadium a “way to quickly connect with deep expertise in the AI ​​space around tools and strategy,” Chapman said. “This gave us the confidence to explore solutions for our business that would provide the right capability and value to solve real problems.” »

Chapman added that leveraging this type of technology also helps reduce the cognitive load on MacStadium team members.

According to a case study published by IBM, the partnership helped MacStadium see a 25% reduction in customer support queries during a three-week study. This could indicate that more customer questions are answered the first time they contact and are assisted by virtual AI.

Since generative and conversational AI became a daily topic of conversation in 2022, companies across industries have been scrambling to implement AI solutions quickly and at scale.

Rick Bjorck, vice president of ecosystem sales for IBM, said working with an established technology provider like IBM can be a significant value-add for startups and established companies.

“IBM has spent years developing AI designed for business, and we are ensuring our partners and customers have access to the right tools, technologies and skills to integrate responsible AI into their business. This concerns all businesses, regardless of size or industry,” he told Hypepotamus. “We believe generative AI is a game-changer for businesses, from startups to large enterprises, looking to improve their operations in areas like code modernization, customer service, and digital working.”