While it’s safe to say that no one saw this pandemic coming, it’s also safe to say that some businesses have been better prepared than others. Companies that survive every great recession, calamity or pandemic all have one thing in common: They are focused on innovation and preparing for the future — always.

Technology is already at the forefront of helping businesses to manage disruptions — video conferencing applications like Skype and collaborative tools like Trello are allowing people to work together while physically being apart. But, for smart businesses, technology is doing much more than that.

Newsclip has always been one step ahead of the rest, and thanks to that, it is now reaping the rewards of many years of hard work. Having spent over 10 years researching, testing and developing advanced AI-powered systems, it is finally getting a chance to really see what its systems are capable of.

Big problems, better technology

Newsclip’s brand tracking systems process hundreds of thousands of media clips every day, across platforms including print, broadcast, online and social media. Since media monitoring isn’t considered an essential service, how is the company managing to keep the business going?

This is where the AI-powered tech comes in!

“People’s expectations have become ‘now’. If they don’t get a quick response from a company on social media, or if the load time of a website is longer than three seconds, they move on,” MD Simon Dabbs explains.

“It’s our responsibility to provide our clients with cutting-edge, modern ways of managing vast arrays of information. Clients need to make informed decisions as quickly as possible and Newsclip provides them with the intelligence to do so.”

The company’s AI technology combines natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning into its ‘Data Engine’. NLP allows the system to interpret human language, while machine learning enables it to recognise patterns within data.

The fact that all of the brand’s systems are AI-integrated means that it can still continue to offer clients the same level of service, even though all of its staff is now working from home.

All of the client login portals have been developed as Progressive Web Applications (PWAs), meaning that they can be accessed from any device with the exact same navigation. There’s no limited-functionality on the mobile or tablet versions — they are just as responsive as the full, desktop versions.

It’s likely that the business landscape across the world will never be the same again, but those brands that have made innovation a part of their day-to-day will be the ones leading the way forward.

“In-house technology development has huge financial and administrative overheads,” says Dabbs. “However, the long-term business stability and cutting-edge development that comes with this is not only rewarding, but invaluable.”

For more information, visit www.newsclip.co.za. You can also follow Newsclip on Facebook, LinkedIn or on Twitter.