Mista

Revolutionizing Customer Support: Mista’s Innovative Use of GPT Technology in Chatbots

Joella Keza — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 15:08:05 +0000

Chatbots have become an increasingly popular tool for businesses to provide fast and efficient customer support. By using GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) technology, chatbots can be trained to understand natural language and provide accurate and helpful responses to customer queries. In this blog post, we will discuss how the communication platform Mista (www.mista.io) is building a global company solution that leverages GPT technology to train chatbots with company-specific data. By doing so, Mista aims to create chatbots that can handle customer queries and create tickets or CRM records as needed, ultimately streamlining the support process and improving customer satisfaction for businesses worldwide.

Gathering Company-Specific Data: To train a GPT model with company-specific data, businesses need to gather relevant data such as customer support tickets, chat logs, and other relevant data. This data should be cleaned and pre-processed to ensure that the model can understand it.

Training the GPT Model: Once the data has been gathered and pre-processed, businesses can begin training the GPT model. This involves selecting a suitable model architecture, defining the training process, and tuning the model hyperparameters. During training, the model learns to understand the patterns in the data and generate accurate responses to customer queries.

Integrating the Chatbot with Various Channels: Once the GPT model has been trained, businesses can integrate the chatbot with various channels such as Facebook Messenger, Twitter, WhatsApp, Telegram, and phone calls. This ensures that customers can reach out to the chatbot through their preferred channel, and receive a fast and accurate response.

Creating Tickets or CRM Records: In addition to handling customer queries, chatbots powered by GPT technology can also create tickets or CRM records as needed. This is particularly useful for businesses that receive a high volume of customer queries, as it helps to automate record creation and streamline the support process. By creating records automatically, businesses can ensure that customer queries are tracked and resolved in a timely manner.

In conclusion, GPT technology has the potential to revolutionize the way businesses provide customer support. By training a GPT model with company-specific data, businesses can create chatbots that can handle customer queries and create tickets or CRM records as needed. This helps to streamline the support process, improve customer satisfaction, and ultimately boost business performance. If you’re interested in implementing a chatbot for your own customer support needs, be sure to consider the benefits of using GPT technology.

Scaling Communication Platforms with Microservices Architecture: Lessons Learned from Mista’s Experience

Joella Keza — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 03:57:09 +0000

As technology evolves, so do the needs of businesses. In today’s fast-paced environment, communication is crucial for the success of any enterprise. Mista is a communication platform as a service that has been serving customers in Rwanda, DRC, and Uganda for the past 4 years. However, as the platform grows and expands to new markets, scalability and high availability become a challenge.

To address these challenges, Mista has decided to rewrite the entire application using microservices architecture. This blog post will explore the benefits of microservices architecture, the process of transitioning from a monolithic to a microservices architecture, and the best practices to follow during the migration.

What is Microservices Architecture?

Microservices architecture is an approach to building applications by breaking them down into smaller, independent services that can be deployed and scaled independently. Each service is responsible for a specific business capability and can communicate with other services using APIs.

Benefits of Microservices Architecture

Scalability: With microservices architecture, services can be scaled independently, allowing the application to handle increased traffic and demand.

High Availability: Since each service is independent, a failure in one service does not affect the entire application. This makes the application more resilient and reduces the risk of downtime.

Flexibility: Microservices architecture allows for more flexibility in technology stack and deployment options. This means that new services can be added or updated without affecting the entire application.

Faster Development: Each service can be developed and deployed independently, allowing for faster development cycles.

Transitioning to Microservices Architecture

The transition from a monolithic architecture to a microservices architecture can be a complex process, requiring careful planning and execution. Here are some steps to follow during the transition:

Identify Business Capabilities: Identify the business capabilities that the application provides and break them down into smaller, independent services.

Define Service Boundaries: Define the boundaries between services and establish clear APIs for communication.

Choose Technology Stack: Choose the technology stack for each service and ensure that they can communicate with each other using the established APIs.

Test and Deploy: Test each service individually and deploy them to a staging environment before deploying to production.

Best Practices for Microservices Architecture

Use Containerization: Containerization allows for easy deployment and scaling of services.

Use Orchestration: Orchestration tools such as Kubernetes or Docker Swarm can help manage and scale containers.

Implement Monitoring: Monitoring tools can help identify performance issues and potential failures in the application.

Ensure Data Consistency: With microservices architecture, data is distributed across multiple services. Ensure that data is consistent across services using tools such as event sourcing or distributed transactions.

Use API Gateway: An API gateway acts as a central entry point for all requests coming into the system. It helps to manage API traffic and provides an additional layer of security, by authenticating and authorizing all incoming requests.

Implement Authentication Service: An authentication service can help manage user authentication and authorization across multiple microservices.

Use Load Balancing: Load balancing can help distribute traffic evenly across multiple instances of the same microservice, reducing the risk of overloading any single instance. This ensures that the application remains highly available and responsive, even during peak periods of traffic.

Concluding

Microservices architecture offers numerous benefits for applications that require scalability and high availability. The transition from a monolithic architecture to a microservices architecture can be complex, requiring careful planning and execution. However, by following best practices, businesses can ensure a successful migration that positions them for continued success in the future. As Mista continues to grow and expand to new markets, the move to microservices architecture will provide the platform with the scalability and high availability necessary to meet the needs of its customers. Mista believes that sharing its experience may help other startups that are facing similar changes, and encourage them to explore microservices architecture as a viable solution for their own applications.

Why businesses should choose A2P aggregators for SMS, USSD, and voice messaging over telecoms

Joella Keza — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 11:12:11 +0000

Businesses rely on messaging services like SMS, USSD, and voice to communicate with their customers, employees, and partners. These services are critical for delivering important notifications, marketing messages, and customer support, among other use cases. However, businesses have a choice when it comes to selecting a messaging provider: they can either go direct to network operators or use A2P aggregators. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of choosing A2P aggregators for SMS, USSD, and voice messaging.

Cost savings

One of the main advantages of using A2P aggregators is cost savings. A2P aggregators can offer lower rates for messaging services than going direct to network operators. This is because A2P aggregators work with multiple network operators to provide coverage and can negotiate better rates based on their volume of traffic. Additionally, A2P aggregators can provide volume discounts, flexible pricing plans, and customized packages that can help businesses save money on their messaging costs.

Global reach

Another benefit of using A2P aggregators is global reach. A2P aggregators can provide wider global coverage than individual network operators. This is because A2P aggregators can establish partnerships with multiple network operators and provide a single point of contact for businesses to access messaging services in different countries and regions. This can be especially beneficial for businesses with international customers or operations that need to send messages across different networks and geographies.

Better delivery

Better delivery rates and quality of service A2P aggregators can also provide better delivery rates and quality of service than individual network operators. A2P aggregators use advanced routing algorithms to optimize message delivery and ensure that messages are delivered quickly and reliably. A2P aggregators can also monitor message delivery in real-time and provide analytics and reporting tools to help businesses track their messaging performance. Additionally, A2P aggregators can provide technical support and troubleshooting services to ensure that messaging services are working properly.

Additional features

Additional features and services A2P aggregators can offer additional features and services that individual network operators may not provide. For example, A2P aggregators can provide analytics and reporting tools that can help businesses track their messaging performance, such as delivery rates, open rates, and click-through rates. A2P aggregators can also provide integration with other communication channels, such as email, social media, and chatbots, to create a more seamless and integrated customer experience. A2P aggregators can also support different messaging formats, such as MMS, RCS, and WhatsApp, to provide a wider range of messaging options.

User friendly

Ease of use and flexibility , A2P aggregators can be easier to use and more flexible than individual network operators. A2P aggregators can provide user-friendly interfaces and APIs that can simplify the messaging process and make it easier for businesses to manage their messaging services. A2P aggregators can also provide more flexible pricing and contract options that can be tailored to the needs of different businesses. This can include pay-as-you-go pricing, monthly subscriptions, and customized pricing plans based on usage and volume.

In conclusion, businesses that are looking for reliable, cost-effective, and flexible messaging services should consider using A2P aggregators. A2P aggregators can offer cost savings, global reach, better delivery rates and quality of service, additional features and services, and ease of use and flexibility. By partnering with A2P aggregators, businesses can access a wide range of messaging services in a unified powerful platform.

Transitioning to Cloud and Managed VoIP Infrastructure: Why Businesses Should Stop Investing in Traditional Voice Equipment

Joella Keza — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 14:16:44 +0000

The way businesses communicate has evolved, and traditional voice equipment such as PBX, switch, and physical cable termination are becoming outdated. Cloud and managed VoIP infrastructure is gaining popularity and providing cost-effective communication solutions for businesses.

Cloud and managed VoIP infrastructure offer many benefits, including cost savings, scalability, flexibility, integration with other systems, and enhanced features. Traditional voice equipment is becoming outdated due to high maintenance costs, limited features, inflexibility, and lack of mobility.

Companies like MISTA provide unified communication solutions for businesses by offering a cloud-based platform that eliminates the need for physical cables,expensive VOIP hardwares such PBX , switch and security devices . By leveraging MISTA’s platform, businesses can connect their offices and remote workers to the internet and other cloud-based services, reducing installation and maintenance costs, while also providing greater flexibility and scalability.

Businesses should consider solutions like MISTA as they transition to cloud and managed VoIP infrastructure to stay up-to-date with communication technology while saving costs and improving communication and collaboration within their organization.

Sending Plain and Unicode SMS Messages with Python and PHP

Joella Keza — Sun, 19 Feb 2023 07:40:02 +0000

SMS messaging is a popular way to send short text messages to mobile devices. Many businesses use SMS messaging to communicate with customers, send notifications, and more. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to use an SMS API to send both plain and Unicode SMS messages using Python and PHP.

We’ll be using the following API endpoint to send SMS messages:

				
					https://api.mista.io/sms

To send SMS messages, you’ll need to set up an account with the SMS provider and get an API key. Once you have your API key, you can use it to authenticate your requests to the API endpoint.

Sending Plain SMS Messages

To send a plain SMS message, you’ll need to make a POST request to the API endpoint with the following parameters:

to: The phone number of the recipient, including the country code. For example, +14155552671.
from: The sender ID or short code that you want to use as the sender of the message.
unicode: A flag indicating whether the message is Unicode (1) or not (0). For plain SMS messages, set this to 0.
sms: The text of the SMS message you want to send.
action: The action you want to take with the API. In this case, set it to "send-sms".

Here’s an example of how you could send a plain SMS message using Python’s requests library:

				
					import requests

url = "https://api.mista.io/sms"
headers = {"x-api-key": "your-api-key-here"}
data = {
    "to": "+14155552671",
    "from": "SenderID",
    "unicode": "0",
    "sms": "Hello, world!",
    "action": "send-sms"
}

response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, data=data)
print(response.text)

And here’s an example of how you could send a plain SMS message using PHP’s curl function:

				
					<?php 
$url = "https://api.mista.io/sms";
$headers = array("x-api-key: your-api-key-here");
$data = array(
    "to" => "+14155552671",
    "from" => "SenderID",
    "unicode" => "0",
    "sms" => "Hello, world!",
    "action" => "send-sms"
);

$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, 1);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, http_build_query($data));
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, $headers);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);

$response = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);

echo $response;

Note that in both examples, you would need to replace the your-api-key-here value with your own API key.

Sending Unicode SMS Messages

To send a Unicode SMS message, you’ll need to make a POST request to the API endpoint with the following parameters:

to: The phone number of the recipient, including the country code. For example, +14155552671.
from: The sender ID or short code that you want to use as the sender of the message.
unicode: A flag indicating whether the message is Unicode (1) or not (0). For Unicode SMS messages, set this to 1.
action: The action you want to take with the API. In this case, set it to "send-sms"
sms: The text of the SMS message you want to send.

The Potential of Definition-Based Chatbots in African Languages: Improving Access to Information and Services

Joella Keza — Sat, 18 Feb 2023 16:02:36 +0000

A chatbot is a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users, often through messaging or voice interfaces. Chatbots have become increasingly popular in recent years as a means of automating customer service, sales, and support interactions. However, most chatbots are built to communicate in major languages like English, Spanish, French, and others, leaving out the potential of African languages.

In this blog post, we will discuss what a definition-based chatbot is and explore the potential of using such chatbots in African languages.

What is a Definition-Based Chatbot?

A definition-based chatbot is a chatbot that has been programmed to respond to specific questions or statements with pre-defined answers or actions. These chatbots work by analyzing the user’s input, matching it to a set of pre-defined rules, and then generating a response based on those rules. This type of chatbot is often used in situations where the range of possible inputs is limited and well-defined, such as providing answers to frequently asked questions or delivering specific types of content.

Definition-based chatbots can be created using a range of tools and programming languages, including natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) frameworks.

Potential of Definition-Based Chatbots in African Languages

There are over 2,000 languages spoken in Africa, with a significant number of them having fewer resources dedicated to their preservation and development. Definition-based chatbots can be a cost-effective and efficient way of delivering information and services in African languages, especially to people who are not fluent in official languages.

For example, a definition-based chatbot in Swahili can provide information on healthcare services, job opportunities, and other relevant information to people in Tanzania, Kenya, and other Swahili-speaking countries. Similarly, a definition-based chatbot in Yoruba can provide news updates, weather forecasts, and other services to people in Nigeria and other Yoruba-speaking countries.

Challenges of Developing Definition-Based Chatbots in African Languages

There are several challenges to developing definition-based chatbots in African languages, including:

Lack of resources: Many African languages have limited resources, including grammars, dictionaries, and other language resources, making it challenging to build language models.
Limited availability of NLP and ML tools: Many NLP and ML tools are optimized for major languages and are not readily available for African languages.
Dialectical differences: Some African languages have significant dialectical differences, which can make it challenging to create a unified set of rules for a definition-based chatbot.

Conclusion

Definition-based chatbots offer a promising way to deliver information and services to people in African languages, potentially improving access to important resources for those who are not fluent in official languages. However, developing such chatbots comes with significant challenges that must be addressed, including a lack of language resources and limited availability of NLP and ML tools.

While there are several challenges to developing definition-based chatbots in African languages, there are also a growing number of tools and platforms that can make the process easier. One such tool is Mista chatbot flow builder (https://flowartisan.com), a platform designed to help businesses and organizations create chatbots using a simple drag-and-drop interface. With its support for multiple languages and integrations with popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, Mista chatbot flow builder can be a valuable tool for creating definition-based chatbots in African languages. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more innovative solutions that help bridge the language gap and improve access to information and services in Africa.

How Agricultural Organizations Can Engage Farmers Using Mista’s Communications Platform

Joella Keza — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 14:06:37 +0000

In an ever-changing agricultural landscape, it is crucial for agricultural organizations and stakeholders in the agricultural sector to keep farmers engaged and informed. Mista’s cloud-based communications platform provides a unique opportunity for these organizations to reach out to farmers with timely, relevant, and personalized messages. It can help them foster a sense of community among their stakeholders by providing an interactive platform that allows for two-way communication. Additionally, the platform can be used to provide educational resources such as videos and articles on farming practices and crop management. By leveraging Mista’s cloud-based communications platform, agricultural organizations can ensure that their farmers are well-informed and engaged in their operations.

This platform offers a wide range of features such as SMS, voice, and more. It also allows organizations to create personalized messages for each farmer based on their individual needs. With this platform, agricultural organizations can easily communicate with farmers in an efficient and cost-effective manner.