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The Road Towards Successful Conversational AI Capabilities

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Conversational AI technologies are transforming into hyper-personalized, multimodal assistants that are inclusive and immersive. Businesses should gradually approach conversational AI, increasingly moving toward complex features with continuous development.

Rapid Development of AI Assistants 

infosys infographics

Source: Infosys

According to Infosys’ Digital Radar 2022, roughly 56 percent of organizations worldwide have already embraced scalable AI. On the other hand, another 32 percent are experimenting with it in specific business units. Gartner management consulting company estimates global AI software market revenue to reach $62.5 billion by the end of 2022.

Conversational AI has been present in the enterprise landscape since 2016 and suddenly became popular during the pandemic. It has supported customer service and other aspects to help businesses cope with the present challenges. Statista reported that as of 2021, over 300 million households globally use intelligent speakers. Currently, conversational AI is one of the top five expenditures in AI software with virtual assistants accounting for almost $7 billion virtual assistants this year.

Seven Major Trends That Shape the Conversational AI Landscape

smart visual assistant

1. Conversational experiences to become hyper-personalized

Standardized conversations based on predetermined rules show behaviors seen in robots. During early developments, such conversations seemed amusing. But, with smart technology, it isn’t as surprising now. But investments in chatbots can make or break the customer experience. 

Today, organizations are building bots that can mimic human responses with empathy and contextualization. These bots can analyze historical data to create context and understand the users’ likes, dislikes, personalities, and moods to respond accordingly. 

Infosys has launched a hyper-personalized learning assistant called “Zoiee” for its workers. Zoiee is an avatar-based assistant that utilizes users’ inputs, previous conversations, and other relevant data to suggest certifications and courses and help them achieve career growth and meet learning targets.

2. Voice-enabled conversations to penetrate deeper into enterprises and consumers’ reach

Every smartphone now has voice AI, and smart speakers are available in more than 300 million households worldwide. Voice search and assistance features increasingly integrate with interactive voice response (IVR). IVR is used for customer support and other digital devices and services such as smart TVs, online streaming, and drive-through food ordering. 

3. Immersive conversational assistants proliferate.

woman wearing a vr headset

With the introduction of the metaverse ecosystem, immersive technologies will become the norm for people, businesses, and machines to communicate. AR and VR elements will enhance all significant spaces, from workplaces and factories to gaming, entertainment, and social media. 

Digital assistants are one of the early applications of immersive technologies as businesses work toward improving customer experience simultaneously with automation initiatives. These assistants will soon become avatar-based audio-visual chatbots with gesturing capabilities to make the experience as humanly possible. But, AI has a long way to go to reach that track. 

4. Context persistence to gain attention for seamless conversations across devices

Context Users expect a seamless experience while switching between multiple devices (phone, laptop, tablet, smart speakers, etc.) throughout the day. Companies try to add context persistence capabilities that seamlessly enable customers to switch from social media to web or phone conversations. Also, they use the technology for smoother payment transactions. Such AI solutions will transform call centers in the future. 

For example, Infosys Cortex, an AI-based contact center solution, enables context persistence across platforms. It is aimed at enhancing agents’ experiences by helping them with relevant information and suggestions in real-time to support customers effectively.

5. Multimodal conversations for seamless interactions

Multimodal AI solutions can collect information from multiple sources, including text, visual, and audio, to allow more precise “conversations.” Big players such as Google, Meta, and OpenAI are quickly adopting these multimodal AI developments. 

6. Increased adoption of LCNC platforms to boost productivity

AI solutions require data selection and preparation, feature extraction, model selection, fine-tuning, and training. These technologies need testing and debugging and, most importantly, time. Meanwhile, Low-Code/No-Code Development (LCNC) tools can enable non-technical people to develop solutions through intuitive interfaces that use everyday interactions such as clicking, dragging, or dropping without the skill to write code. 

7. Local language and domain-specific AI models have become popular

Streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hotstar were integrated into regional language content. In India, restricted content is expected to claim a 54 percent share on streaming platforms by 2024. However, most other companies are yet to incorporate customer experiences in local languages. Perhaps, we’ll be seeing more conversational AI applications soon.

Conclusion

Many businesses cannot maximize their AI initiatives because they are immersed in too much change at once. Around 80 percent of business transformation programs can’t deliver their true potential for the same reason. They should design a gradual and appropriate approach to implementing conversational AI. That said, Infosys recommends the maturity model approach for maximum adoption among target segments and higher accuracy of AI responses. 

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Technology

10 Social Media Marketing Tools to Check Out in 2025

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The social media landscape is changing, and in a few short years, new tools will enter the market. While many of these tools have been used for marketing your business successfully in recent years, only a handful are worth investing in as they will become popular. Here are our best bets for social media marketing tools:

1. Sprout Social

Social Media Marketing Tools sprout social

An all-in-one social media marketing tool, Sprout Social enables businesses to effectively manage their online presence and engage with their customers across all social networks. It allows businesses to monitor conversations, publish content, and track performance across their social media accounts. 

Additionally, it offers advanced analytics and insights to help businesses understand their audience and optimize their content strategy. Sprout Social has a free trial, which you can upgrade to any of its paid plans with prices starting at $199 per month.

2. Hootsuite

Social Media Marketing Tools hootsuite

Another popular social media marketing tool, Hootsuite helps businesses efficiently manage their presence across multiple social networks. It provides features such as scheduling and publishing content, monitoring conversations, and tracking performance metrics. Furthermore, it offers advanced analytics to help businesses gain insights into their audience and optimize their content strategy. 

Hootsuite also offers a variety of integrations with popular third-party services such as Mailchimp and Salesforce that allow businesses to extend the tool’s capabilities further. Start using this social media marketing tool for as low as $99 per month.

3. AgoraPulse

Agorapulse website screenshot Social Media Marketing Tools

AgoraPulse is a powerful social media management tool that helps you stay on top of your social media activity. You can use it to monitor conversations about your brand, respond to comments and messages, and analyze the performance of your content. It also provides detailed insights on how to improve your results. 

AgoraPulse is excellent for larger teams, as it allows you to assign tasks to different team members and keep track of the progress. Its pricing stats at $79 per month.

4. Buzzsumo

Social Media Marketing Tools buzzsumo

Want to know the most popular content in your niche? Buzzsumo is the social media marketing software you need. It is a powerful content marketing tool that allows you to see the engagement and shares of each post, giving you insight into what is working and what isn’t. 

With the help of Buzzsumo, you can quickly identify the top influencers in your industry and target them for collaboration. It offers a free but limited plan. If you need more features, you can choose from its paid plans with prices starting at $199 per month.

5. Later

Social Media Marketing Tools later

Later is a popular social media management platform best known for its visual content calendar. It’s an ideal tool for scheduling posts on the best social media platforms for ecommerce, including  Instagram and Facebook. With its drag-and-drop interface, you can plan posts visually and preview your feed before publishing.

It also features Smart Scheduling, a Hashtag Suggestion tool, Linkin.bio for Instagram traffic tracking, and AI-powered post-writing assistance to streamline your workflow.

If you’re looking for social media marketing tools free of charge, Later offers a free plan with basic tools, while paid plans start at $16.67 per month depending on the number of social profiles and users.

6. Semrush Social

Social Media Marketing Tools semrush

Next on our social media marketing tools list is Semrush Social, which gives marketers the power to schedule, draft, and analyze social media posts across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and X. 

The platform allows AI-generated captions, built-in image editors, and easy performance tracking, making it among the best social media marketing tools for many users.

Semrush Social is included in Semrush’s Pro, Guru, and Business plans, starting at $139.95 per month. A free trial is available for first-time users.

7. Iconosquare

Social Media Marketing Tools iconosquare

Also included in our  top 10 social media marketing tools is Iconosquare is a powerful analytics and scheduling tool made for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok. It offers in-depth performance tracking, content planning, and industry benchmarking to help businesses on top of their accounts on social media marketing platforms.

Iconosquare offers a free trial, with paid plans starting at $33 per month for individuals.

8. Buffer

Social Media Marketing Tools buffer

Buffer remains one of the most reliable social media management tools in 2025, offering simple post scheduling, team collaboration, and basic analytics. It supports Facebook, Instagram, X, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Mastodon.

Its clean dashboard is easy to navigate, making it perfect for small business owners and solo marketers. Buffer also features an AI Assistant to generate post ideas and captions, plus a start page feature to build basic landing pages linked to social bios.

Buffer offers a free plan with limited scheduling, and paid plans start at $6 per month per social channel.

9. Adobe Express

Social Media Marketing Tools adobe expresss

Adobe Express combines graphic design and social media marketing in one tool. It allows users to create scroll-stopping posts, videos, and stories using its vast template library and AI-powered tools. You can then schedule and publish directly to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter without leaving the app.

Adobe Express offers a free plan with basic tools, while the Premium version costs $9.99 per month with added social scheduling and branding features.

10. Canva

Social Media Marketing Tools canva

Last but not least in our featured social media marketing tools is Canva, which has become more than a design tool and is now a full-fledged social media management platform. With Canva, you can design graphics, edit videos, and publish posts to multiple platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, and X.

The Content Planner lets you schedule posts directly, while AI-powered features like Magic Write help you draft captions. Canva also provides brand kits, design resizing, and collaboration tools—perfect for teams working remotely.

Canva offers a free plan with generous features, while Canva Pro starts at $14.99 per month.

Final Thoughts

Social media marketing tools are an essential part of any successful business strategy. The tools mentioned in this article provide a great starting point for any business looking to engage its audience on social media and grow its reach. By leveraging these tools, companies can create content, measure performance, and increase their reach on social media in 2025.

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Technology

The 10 Best Small Business Budgeting Software for 2025

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Managing a business means careful planning, from product development to budgeting finances. More so if you’re a small business. This is the reason you need a budgeting software made specifically for you. Here are ten of the best small business budgeting software programs to try out in 2025:

1. Google Sheets

Small Business Budgeting Software google sheets

Track and monitor your spending habits with Google Sheets. It is a favorite of many small business owners, as you can use it completely free! It is flexible, robust, and has collaborative features that larger businesses can also appreciate. It has various templates and lets you link it to third-party applications to import your bank transactions automatically.

Google Sheets is free to use; all you need is to create a Gmail account. However, you can purchase Google Workspace if you need more features and larger storage space.

2. Float

Small Business Budgeting Software float

Float is a powerful cash flow forecasting and budgeting tool, making it a practical small business budgeting software. It connects directly with your accounting software (Xero, QuickBooks, or FreeAgent) and pulls real-time data to help you track your finances effortlessly. 

With Float, you can visualize your cash flow, set budgets, and plan for different financial scenarios without getting lost in spreadsheets. In addition, it offers an intuitive dashboard, giving business owners clear visibility over short- and long-term finances.

Float offers a 14-day free trial. After that, pricing starts at £40 per month, depending on your accounting software and the number of users.

3. Xero

Small Business Budgeting Software xero

Working mainly as a cloud accounting software, Xero has built-in budgeting features that are useful for small businesses. It can help you generate and track budget and accounting reports. Xero can also manage fixed assets, which many budgeting and accounting software lack.

This small business budgeting software has three subscription plans. Its pricing starts at $29 per month, but they offer discounts that could go as low as $2.90 per month. Each plan lets you get add-ons depending on the features you need. You can get its 30-day free trial to see if it would be an excellent fit for your business.

4. Freshbooks

Small Business Budgeting Software Freshbooks

Create and view estimates and manage your budget easily with FreshBooks. Not only will it help you with budgeting, but it will also help you track income statements, expenses, balance sheets, and other financial statements. Its efficient expense tracking system lets you create and view estimates and manage your budget.

One of the more affordable budgeting apps, you can get Freshbooks for as low as $2.10 per month.

5. QuickBooks

Small Business Budgeting Software Quickbooks

Cloud accounting software Quickbooks is one of the most popular budgeting software for accountants the world over. It is filled with useful features such as expense tracking, budget planning, and custom reporting, among many others. Simply put, it is an all-in-one budgeting and accounting app.

Quickbooks offers a free 30-day trial, but if you want to go ahead and use it, you can choose from its three cost-effective plans. Pricing starts at $3.50 per month.

6. LiveFlow

Small Business Budgeting Software Liveflow

If you love Google Sheets but want more automation, LiveFlow could be one of the most practical small business organization tools for you. It syncs your accounting data (from QuickBooks Online and others) with your spreadsheets, giving you real-time visibility into your finances without needing to manually update your budget. You can also build custom dashboards and reports right within Google Sheets.

LiveFlow offers custom pricing depending on your business needs.

7. Zoho Books

Small Business Budgeting Software Zoho Books

Zoho Books is a cloud-based accounting software that comes with built-in budgeting tools perfect for small businesses. It lets you create and manage budgets, automate banking tasks, and generate real-time reports. Zoho Books integrates seamlessly with other Zoho apps, such as Zoho Invoice, which is one of the most popular invoicing software for small business ventures.

If you’re looking for budget management software free of charge, Zoho Books offers a free plan for businesses with revenue under a certain threshold, and paid plans start at $15 per organization per month.

8. Relay

Small Business Budgeting Software Relay

A business banking platform, Relay is a budgeting software with small businesses in mind. It allows you to create up to 20 free, no-fee checking accounts to help you organize your money into different categories. It gives you a glimpse of how much money you have in every expense category, among many other helpful features.

Relay offers two pricing plans that will suit any type and size of business. It has a free plan and the Relay Pro that will cost you $30 per business per month. Check out each to know what would suit your small business the best.

9. PocketSmith

Small Business Budgeting Software PocketSmith

Next on our list of small business budgeting software options is PocketSmith, which takes a unique approach to budgeting by letting you view your finances on a calendar. If you’re a small business owner who wants to see the big picture when it comes to forecasting income, expenses, and savings, this could be the best small business budgeting software for you.

Though originally built for personal finance, its flexible features and multi-currency support make it a strong contender for solopreneurs and small business use.

PocketSmith offers a free plan with limited features. Paid plans start at $9.95 per month, with a 14-day free trial of its Premium tier.

10. Finmark

Small Business Budgeting Software Finmark

If your small business is ready for growth, Finmark offers robust budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling features without the need for spreadsheets. You can manage runway, expenses, revenue, and headcount planning, all in one platform. It’s tailored for startups and small teams who need to make data-driven decisions without hiring a full-time CFO.

Pricing starts at $25 per month for one user, with custom pricing for larger teams. A free trial is available to test its core features.

Final Thoughts

Small business owners have a lot on their plate, and having software to make business management easier is always welcome. This list of budgeting software is explicitly designed with limited budgets in mind. They have already been filtered, and it’s up to you to choose the most suitable for your company. 

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BeReal App: Will It Ever Survive Its Instagram Clone?

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bereal vs ig

Social media trends come and go, everyone’s well aware of this by now. And currently, the app at the center stage is TikTok, the short-video hosting app. However, a new kid on the block is making waves, the BeReal app. Looking at the feedback from TikTok users, it seems that BeReal appears to have exploded so quickly.

What is BeReal App? 

what is the bereal app

Source: Android Police

BeReal app is a new social media phenomenon that operates under a simple premise at works this way: 

  • Once a day, the app will alert you to take a photo. It will take one from your rear camera and one from your front camera a few seconds later. 
  • You will have a two-minute interval to take this photo to capture candid images. 
  • Then, the BeReal app will lay your front photo over your rear photo. 
  • You can share it with your friends. However, you won’t be able to see their posts until the next day. And if you missed the two-hour window, you’ll have to wait until the next day. 
  • You can also react to your friend’s posts by sharing a quick selfie attached to their post.

The premise behind these weird shooting windows is to encourage people to share snippets from their lives that aren’t just hand picked from parties or any planned events. But, it’s not the first app to go for the candid angle. Back in 2016, Casey Neistat of YouTube developed an app called Beme. The app encouraged users to take videos with their phones clasped to their chest so that, allegedly, they could stay focused on the moment. Later that year, CNN bought the app but ultimately shut it down in 2018.

BeReal vs Beme

What BeReal had that Beme didn’t was the ability to operate for two years with the increasing number of users showing for it. Based on a BeReal app job posting, the app has more than 10 million daiily users. It also says the company’s goal is to increase this number to over 100 million. Quite an ambitious goal but recent reports project the mid-size social media network Snapchat at about 350 million daily active users.

As Snapchat popularized the concept of communication through disappearing messages, BeReal may be relying on its own style to continue and encourage future partnerships with other businesses. Clubhouse, an audio-based social app that went live around the same time as BeReal, had plenty of activities to back it up, but things have quickly cooled down. It is recently experimenting with new features to make the app nteresting enough to attract more users.  Meanwhile, the novelty of BeReal is still fresh, but once the surge of interest from TikTok has mellowed down, it will need to learn to be independent and beat the competitors.

What is an Instagram Candid?

Meta seems to be working on a feature called “Candid Challenges” for Instagram. Discovered by self-described reverse engineer Allessandro Palluzzi, users would be notified once a day to take and share a “candid.” It also copies BeReal right down to the last detail, giving users just two minutes to take the candid.

An Instagram spokesperson told Engadget that the feature was an “internal prototype” and with no users testing the feature. Still,  we are yet to see this announced soon in an Instagram update.

While Meta has been the only company confirmed to be working on a BeReal clone, it wouldn’t be surprising if Twitter or TikTok followed suit as well. Twitter, specifically, might see BeReal candid shots a fit for the microblogging platform, but considering its brave attempt at copying Snapchat’s stories and the on-going buyout buzz with Elon Musk, it’ll need to stride carefully.

While BeReal is becoming popular, it faces an uncertain future. Will it end up being defeated by Meta as have many other successful startups that even vaguely have a conflicting interest with its existing properties? Or will it fail to innovate like Clubhouse did and die off after its 15 minutes in the spotlight? It might be a welcome change to the airbrushed faces and saturated filters from Instagram, but BeReal might just end up being a little too real for its own good.
If you’re interested in trying out the BeReal App, download it from the Play Store. Just remember you know how to take a selfie before you start aad that you’ll only get one shot daily.

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