logo
AI set to disrupt pricing models for business communication services

AI set to disrupt pricing models for business communication services

Economic Times06-05-2025
Live Events
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
Mumbai: Companies that provide call-centre and business messaging services are expecting a shift in the way they charge customers to a more outcome-based and bundled pricing structure from the traditional pay-per-message or pay-per-seat models, as artificial intelligence takes over voice and text conversations and reduces manpower costs, executives said.'Call centres are still charging pay-per-seat...although there is a huge risk that that will be disrupted as AI reduces that cost significantly,' said Ivan Ostojic, chief business officer at London-based Infobip, which offers cloud-based communications tools for marketing, sales and support.'We expect to see a telco-type model where I have some predicted consumption per user and then I can create a bundle for you — from SaaS or AI, down to the channel. It'll be like interaction, consumption conversation. And then there'll be bundles that secure you from price hikes or drops,' he said.Communication-platform-as-a-service (CPaaS) companies like Infobip are now experimenting with unlocking use cases where the cost of implementation justifies the benefit incurred. Going forward, multi-channel conversations across SMS, voice, WhatsApp, RCS and in-app notifications could well be priced in bundles as AI agents automate workflows, industry executives said.'Our pricing models vary depending on several factors, including the complexity of the use case, the extent of AI integration and backend systems involved,' said Deepak Goyal, chief business officer at Tanla Platforms , a Hyderabad-based company providing tools to help businesses communicate with their customers.Although AI use cases are costlier than structured, rule-based conversational offerings, customers are willing to pay a premium as value created outweighs the incremental cost, he said.For instance, Tanla ran a campaign for a retail brand where users were prompted to upload images of broken appliances via WhatsApp in exchange for an exclusive coupon. Although multimodal AI image recognition is expensive to deploy, this campaign achieved redemption rates as high as 30 times, Goyal said.'GenAI based use cases are at an early stage of their journey and are yet to find a right pricing fit,' said Gautam Badalia, CEO of Route Mobile , another CPaaS company. 'There is a significant cost involved in GenAI interactions based on the various engines available today.'As AI agents unlock new use-uses in customer services, the pricing models will also evolve to be more outcome based, he said. 'Currently, pay-per-message is the most prominent pricing model with AI agents.'Route Mobile enabled an insurance company to use an AI agent which converses with users on WhatsApp to understand their profile and needs and suggests the most relevant policy. 'This solution is targeted to overcome any human errors in policy suggestions and avoid potential mis-selling,' Badalia said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

This tech giant to sack 24000 employees, halt work on…, not Ratan Tata's TCS or Narayana Murthy's Infosys, it is…
This tech giant to sack 24000 employees, halt work on…, not Ratan Tata's TCS or Narayana Murthy's Infosys, it is…

India.com

time15 minutes ago

  • India.com

This tech giant to sack 24000 employees, halt work on…, not Ratan Tata's TCS or Narayana Murthy's Infosys, it is…

Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and late Ratan Tata- File image Intel is undergoing major and challenging restructuring, announcing plans to lay off around 24,000 employees this year, nearly one in four of its workforce as of the end of 2024. The announcement was made during the company's Q2 2025 earnings report. Intel Corp. is shedding thousands of workers and cutting expenses as its new CEO works to revive the fortunes of the struggling chipmaker that helped launch Silicon Valley but has fallen behind rivals like Nvidia Corp. Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan's Memo To Employees In a memo to employees, CEO Lip-Bu Tan said Intel plans to end the year with 75,000 workers, down 31% from 108,900 employees at the end of last year, through layoffs and attrition. The company previously announced a 15% workforce reduction. 'I know the past few months have not been easy. We are making hard but necessary decisions to streamline the organization, drive greater efficiency and increase accountability at every level of the company,' Tan wrote. In addition, Intel will scrap previously planned projects in Germany and Poland and also move assembly and test operations in Costa Rica to larger sites in Vietnam and Malaysia. Costa Rica will remain a 'home to key engineering teams and corporate functions,' Tan said in the memo. In the U.S., the company said it will 'further' slow construction of a semiconductor plant in Ohio. What Was Missed By Intel? Founded in 1968 at the start of the PC revolution, Intel missed the technological shift to mobile computing triggered by Apple's 2007 release of the iPhone, and it's lagged more nimble chipmakers. Intel's troubles have been magnified since the advent of artificial intelligence, a booming field where the chips made by once-smaller rival Nvidia have become tech's hottest commodity. The Santa Clara, California-based company's market cap was $98.71 billion as of the market close on Thursday, compared with Nvidia's $4.24 trillion. (With Input From Agencies)

MF assets in Gujarat cross Rs 5L cr in June, biggest monthly rise on record
MF assets in Gujarat cross Rs 5L cr in June, biggest monthly rise on record

Time of India

time29 minutes ago

  • Time of India

MF assets in Gujarat cross Rs 5L cr in June, biggest monthly rise on record

Ahmedabad: Mutual fund assets under management (AUM) in Gujarat crossed the Rs 5 lakh crore mark in June, with the state recording its highest-ever monthly increase in AUM. According to data by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), overall, AUM in Gujarat rose to Rs 5.27 lakh crore — up by Rs 29,884 crore from Rs 4.97 lakh crore in May. This is the sharpest ever growth in MF AUMs in a month, according to AMFI. It was led by equity-oriented schemes, which accounted for Rs 3.36 lakh crore of the total. Debt funds contributed Rs 81,182 crore, while liquid funds stood at Rs 63,886 crore. Gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) also comprised Rs 931 crore in the overall corpus. Experts attribute the rise in MF assets to improved investor sentiment, strong stock market performance, and a favourable near-term outlook. "While SIPs continue to bring in steady contributions, many investors are also booking profits in the direct equity market and reallocating to mutual funds for better diversification," said Jayesh Vithalani, an Ahmedabad-based financial consultant. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad According to industry players, the MF industry also saw broad-based growth in June across investor accounts, SIP contributions, new folios, and product offerings. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Eine zielgerichtete Strategie für Ihre finanzielle Zukunft eToro Click Here Undo "Nationally, the sector added several new investors and opened lakhs of fresh folios, an indication of rising financial awareness and trust in mutual fund products across urban and semi-urban markets," said a source privy to the development. NFO activity picked up momentum in June, indicating healthy demand for new themes and strategies. Sector-specific and passive investment products continued to draw interest, as did hybrid and multi-asset funds. With Gujarat among the top contributors to mutual fund growth, market participants expect the trend to remain strong in the coming quarters — supported by sustained retail participation, SIP inflows, and the ongoing shift towards financial assets. Overall inflows in Q1 in Gujarat | Month | MF AUM (Rs Lakh Cr) | Difference (Rs Cr) | |-------|---------------------|--------------------| | June | 5.27 | 29,884.27 | | May | 4.97 | 17,208.30 | | April | 4.80 | 16,605.97 | Source: AMFI

India eases Maldives' debt, pledges approximately Rs 4,850 crore credit line
India eases Maldives' debt, pledges approximately Rs 4,850 crore credit line

Time of India

time44 minutes ago

  • Time of India

India eases Maldives' debt, pledges approximately Rs 4,850 crore credit line

Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel India on Friday announced a Line of Credit (LoC) of $565 million (approximately ₹4,850 crore) to the Maldives, along with a reduction in the country's annual debt repayment obligations on existing Government of India-funded LoCs. The move provides further financial relief to the island nation during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to announcement came after wide-ranging talks between PM Modi and Maldives President Mohamed a joint press conference, Modi said, "India is the closest neighbour to Maldives. Maldives holds a unique place in India's Neighbourhood First policy and Vision MAHASAGAR. India is proud to be Maldives' most trusted friend. Be it disaster or pandemic, India always stands as a first responder.""We have decided to provide a Line of Credit of $565 million to Maldives," he said, adding, "Talks on a Free Trade Agreement between India and Maldives have started." "India will always support Maldives to strengthen its defence capabilities," Modi further stated, as the Muizzu government appeared to have moved past earlier concerns regarding India's defence support to Male. The two leaders also jointly inaugurated the new building of the Maldives Ministry of Muizzu said the LoC would be used for priority infrastructure and social sector projects of his government."This visit coincides with two cherished occasions," Muizzu said, referring to the dual celebration of Maldivian independence and 60 years of diplomatic ties with India. The visit marks a turnaround in bilateral relations since early Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed to expand cooperation across various sectors. These included agreements on fisheries and aquaculture, meteorological collaboration between India's Institute of Tropical Meteorology and the Maldives Meteorological Services, and sharing scalable digital governance solutions to promote digital a key financial connectivity step, a network-level agreement was also concluded between NPCI International Payments Limited and the Maldives Monetary Authority to bring India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to the Maldives.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store