Cornerstone set to help businesses navigate the brave ( and scary ) new world of AI
I . T .
AI investors – members of the Cornerstone team who attended the artificial intelligence exhibition .
Vorsprung durch technik
Cornerstone set to help businesses navigate the brave ( and scary ) new world of AI
WORDS : GRAEME ANDERSON PICTURE : CHRIS BOOTH
In the business world , if you stand still , you fall behind . That ’ s why Cornerstone Business Solutions - one of the North- East ’ s most successful IT and support service providers – recently sent a team out to Berlin to attend one of the world ’ s major artificial intelligence ( AI ) exhibitions .
The three-strong delegation came back from Germany with the very latest intel on AI and the incredible opportunities and challenges the new technology brings for individuals and businesses .
They have also set aside £ 500,000 to invest in the best new AI products on the market which will make them pacesetters in the growing sector .
Chris Petty , managing director of Cornerstone Group , believes the company is now well-placed both to alert businesses to what AI might do for them , but also to offer better cybersecurity in an increasingly risky online world .
And it is that balance between adopting the benefits of next-generation technology while also being conscious of new risks that he sees as the sweet spot for business success .
“ AI is changing everything ,” said Chris , who has been following the rise of artificial intelligence from the start and was predicting in Tees Business pages years ago it would be life-changing for all of us . “ It ’ s transformative and we ’ ve only scratched the surface ,” he said .
“ So , it was great for our team to be in Germany to really get to grips with the business opportunities while discovering new strategies for keeping businesses safe .”
The half-a-million-pound investment Cornerstone plans to make in AI shows that the company , which has made a habit of constantly evolving to make the most of new opportunities , is determined to stay ahead of the game .
That will be of value to Cornerstone ’ s growing client base who can consult on how AI might benefit their companies while at the same time reviewing their protections .
“ It ’ s very exciting for businesses in terms of what some of this technology can do , and the burdens it can remove ,” said Chris . “ Our team is unashamedly ‘ geeky ’ when it comes to these developments . We love to play with these things , try them out and see what they can do and use that knowledge to support our clients .
“ There ’ s a huge amount it can contribute in terms of analysis , marketing , SEO , input spreadsheets , forecasting , producing PowerPoint presentations , taking over certain telesales functions .
“ If you take just one example - telesales and direct sales bots - there ’ s now automated capacity to have AI bots working as telesales , ringing prospects , making a pitch and developing potential sales .
“ They ’ re not perfect , but they ’ re good and improving all the time , and for many businesses , they already work well .
“ You can choose different modes for your bot ’ s tone - professional , or friendly , for instance - and you set them away and they ’ ll just crack on continually and work around the clock .
“ In direct sales you can again select your tone , give the bot a list of companies to contact and it will read everything about that company online and offer a suggested pitch based on what it has found .
“ You can also email in any language you want because the bots are capable of that - It can prospect in China and speak or email in Chinese !”
Chris and the team are now offering these cutting-edge AI solutions and enhanced cybersecurity packages to customers to help them get ahead of the game .
“ We are putting together an enhanced cybersecurity stack for clients because hacks , scams , fake invoices , etcetera , especially from abroad , are a rising challenge , and AI only helps them get more sophisticated ,” the MD said .
“ Cornerstone ’ s task is simple in that regard - show customers how to protect themselves from the dangers of these technologies while also showing them the fantastic opportunities to make the most of it .
“ That ’ s where the Berlin conference really helped us because it allowed us to identify and buy the best and the right products for businesses in our region .”
It ’ s ‘ vorsprung durch technik ’ ( progress through technology ), as the Germans might say .
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