Behavioral analytics tracking company Amplitude Inc. is planning to add a dose of artificial intelligence to its platform after acquiring a startup called Command AI for an undisclosed sum.
Command AI, officially named Foobar Inc., is the creator of AI-powered tools that help to streamline software experiences by making digital applications and services easier to use. By accusing the company, Amplitude says it will be able to provide personalized user assistance within its customers’ software and applications, extending to product tours and nudges, onboarding guides and surveys to gather feedback from users.
In turn, Amplitude’s customers will be able to deliver superior user experiences, hopefully boosting user satisfaction and retention, the company said.
Command AI’s AI tool seems perfectly suited to Amplitude, which sells a software suite for enterprises to track and analyze customer interactions with digital products and services. For example, a company that creates a new application for online shopping can use Amplitude’s platform to obtain insights about how that app is being used, what problems users experience and so on. This information can then be used to guide new updates and features within that app.
The software goes even further, tapping AI to provide recommendations on what new features companies might consider adding to their digital products and services, as well as tools for experimenting with such additions.
Given Amplitude’s focus on helping companies understand what their users are doing and when they’re getting stuck, the integration of Command AI’s user assistance functionality makes a lot of sense. Not only will Amplitude be able to recognize where users are having problems with an app, but it will also be able to guide those users around those problems. As the company puts it, the insights it delivers will become “more actionable.”
Command AI’s software infuses AI into other applications, and has the ability to proactively “nudge” users or respond to them. With Amplitude behind it, Command AI will be better able to identify the best times to intervene.
Co-founder and Chief Executive James Evans said his company’s AI guides can become much more powerful when paired with Amplitude’s analytics and insights. Moreover, he believes there’s an urgent need for greater customer assistance in digital products.
“While software has become ubiquitous, most of it is still based on a one-size-fits-all approach that can make it hard to use,” Evans said. “And a lot of the things that purport to help users actually end up just annoying them.”
Amplitude said it’s already getting busy with the task of integrating Command AI’s capabilities within its platform, adding that they will power a number of new features expected to launch early next year. The new features include step-by-step guides and product tours that can be customized for each new application and service, and smart triggers that can share product updates, event invites and special offers at the most appropriate times for users.
Other capabilities will include in-app surveys that can help companies obtain deeper feedback on their products, and checklists to help new users get up and running with more complex apps and services.
Command AI said its entire team will join Amplitude once the acquisition closes, and that it will continue to serve its current customers while it works to integrate its software with the Amplitude platform.