Introduction to Microsoft Azure Bot Service
What is Azure Bot Service?
Azure Bot Service is Microsoft’s artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot offered as a service on the Azure cloud service marketplace. It offers the ability to add intelligent agents that are capable of conversation without having to commit the resources to develop one’s own AI. The service can be added to websites, apps, email, GroupMe, Facebook Messenger, Kik, Skype, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Telegram, SMS, Twilio, Cortana and Skype for Business.
Azure Bot Service enables developers to create conversational interfaces on multiple channels while Language Understanding (LUIS) helps developers create customized natural interactions on any platform for any type of application, including bots. Making these two services generally available on Azure simultaneously extends the capabilities of developers to build custom models that can naturally interpret the intentions of people conversing with bots.
Read more: Introduction to Microsoft Azure Bot Service
Advanced features through Cognitive Services
Azure Bot Service also offers more advanced features through Cognitive Services, such as:
- Scaling to support growth
- Ability to make smart recommendations
- Language translation
- Use of machine visionto recognize users from pictures and to moderate content.
Basically, Azure Bot Service provides a set of templates to get started with the creation of Bots and accelerate the development since it provides an integrated environment. The templates that it creates are based on the Bot Framework. With Azure Bot Service, you can even code your bot directly from the Azure Portal Editor, from the comfort of your browser.
Azure Bot Service allows you to select various templates from simple form, questions and answers, in either C# or node.js.
Following are some of the benefits of bots:
- Connecting with cross-platform services.
- Your customer is your business.
- Go serverless.
The best example of a bot service is Uber.
Why are they using Bot Service?
To enhance security, Uber uses Bot Service to deliver a real-time ID check. Drivers need to authenticate their individuality using selfies before they are able to agree to take the rides.
