Founded in 2011, Atlanta-based MacStadium has grown as 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 Kubernetes-native virtualization layer available for Mac build infrastructure.
And like any SaaS company, figuring out the best way to provide customers with ongoing support is top priority. It is all about keeping up with their customers’ demands for self-service options and immediate response times, CTO Chris Chapman told Hypepotamus.
Previously, the team had a chat application that simply sent a notification to their data center technician on call at the time. The problem was that the context around answers varied greatly and technicians were often bogged down with questions that could be easily answered from existing documentation.
So right now, MacStadium is building and testing out a new virtual assistant enabled by IBM watsonx Assistant and Amazon Bedrock in order to meet those demands.
Driven by conversational AI, the new partnership gives MacStadium a “way to quickly connect with deep expertise in the AI space around both tools and strategy,” Chapman said. “It 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’s team members.
According to a case study released by IBM, the partnership has helped MacStadium see a 25% reduction in customer support queries over the course of a three-week study. This could be an indicator that more customer questions are getting answered the first time they reach out and are assisted by the virtual AI.
Since generative and conversational AI became a daily topic of conversation in 2022, businesses across industries have been working to implement AI solutions fast and at scale.
Rick Bjorck, VP of Ecosystem Sales For IBM, said working with an established technology provider like IBM can be an important value add for startups and established companies alike.
“IBM has spent years developing AI built for business, and we ensure our partners and clients have access to the right tools, technology, and skills to integrate responsible AI into their business. This is relevant for all businesses, no matter their size or industry,” he told Hypepotamus. “We believe Generative AI is a game-changer for businesses, from startups through the enterprise, looking to improve operations in areas such as code modernization, customer service, and digital labor.”
