8x8 Launches AI-Powered Solution for Councils to Help Increase Electoral Engagement and Reduce Local Authorities’ Election Workloads

Rhea-AI Summary

8x8 (NASDAQ: EGHT) has launched 8x8 Ballot It!, an AI-powered solution designed to enhance electoral engagement and reduce workloads for UK local authorities. This new service integrates with public sector contact centers and websites, offering real-time election information to citizens. It aims to increase voter turnout in regional and national elections by providing relevant data on candidates and polling stations. The solution also aims to relieve local government staff from election-related tasks, thus boosting productivity. 8x8 Ballot It! leverages the conversational AI of 8x8 Intelligent Customer Assistant to deliver customized information through voice and digital channels.

Positive

• 8x8 Ballot It! aims to increase voter turnout in UK elections.
• The AI solution provides real-time election information to citizens.
• Reduces election-related workload for local government staff.
• Integrates seamlessly with existing contact centers and websites.
• Leverages conversational AI for customized voter information.
• Supports councils like City of Westminster and Liverpool City Council.

Negative

• The impact on revenue from this new service is not mentioned.
• There is no data provided on the effectiveness of similar solutions.
• Potential risks of system downtime or AI malfunctions affecting elections.
• Initial deployment costs and integration challenges not discussed.

New 8x8 Ballot It! Self-Service Offering Empowers Citizens with Election Information Aiming to Boost Turnout for Regional and National Elections in the UK

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- 8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT), a leading integrated cloud contact centre and unified communications platform provider, today announced the availability of 8x8 Ballot It!, an AI-powered self-service solution that aims to empower UK citizens with the latest and most relevant election information and help boost voter turnout in regional and national elections.

A voice and digital chat service for public sector organisations that seamlessly integrates into their contact centre and embeds into existing websites, Ballot It! is powered by the conversational AI capabilities of 8x8 Intelligent Customer Assistant. The new solution is intentionally engineered to ensure the electorate in each region has real-time access to relevant up-to-date information around candidates and polling stations, while also relieving local government staff and volunteers of a number of election-related tasks, easing their workloads.

“From the moment an election campaign begins—regardless of it being a general election or local election—there’s a lot of extra pressures, requests, and demands placed on councils,” said Darren Davies, IT User Support Manager and Technology Adoption Manager at London Borough of Harrow Council. “So anything that helps with that while also helping the electorate is to be welcomed.”

“In many parts of England in the recent elections, turnout was lower than previous years. With the UK general election coming up very soon, and Scottish and Welsh elections in around two years, vendors, like 8x8, have a role to make sure technology is being seen as a helper and not a hindrance,” said Jamie Snaddon, EMEA Managing Director at 8x8, Inc. “We developed Ballot It! to support local government efforts to encourage voting, as we believe it’s important to ensure that every citizen is given the resources they need to make informed choices and exercise their right to vote on election days.”

The top value of deploying AI is to enable organizations to provide customers with quick responses to inquiries while at the same time increasing employee productivity.

The benefits of Ballot It! include:

• Empowered Citizens: 24/7 access to accurate information and resources about upcoming elections to enhance knowledge and manage voting preferences.
• Streamlined Resources: single access point for publicly-available information.
• Instant Self-Service with Customised Information: provides voters with links to specific local projects and candidate information via voice and digital channels.
• Enhanced Productivity: Reduces contact centre and staff workloads for councils and local governments with automated messages directing citizens to the relevant online resources.

Delivering Ballot It! reinforces 8x8’s understanding of the needs and pain points of the local government sector in the UK. The 8x8 cloud contact centre and unified communications platform supports the constituent and employee experience requirements of some of the best known councils in the UK, including City of Westminster Council, Liverpool City Council, Sefton Council, and London Borough of Hounslow.

For more information about 8x8 Ballot It!, visit 8x8 for Local Government, download the guide Ways Conversational AI Can Support Local Government or contact 8x8.

About 8x8, Inc.

8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT) is transforming the future of business communications as a leading Software as a Service provider of 8x8 XCaaS™ (Experience Communications as a Service™), an integrated contact center, voice communications, video, chat, and SMS solution built on one global cloud communications platform. 8x8 uniquely eliminates the silos between Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) and Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) to power the communications requirements of all employees globally as they work together to deliver differentiated customer experiences. For additional information, visit www.8x8.com, or follow 8x8 on LinkedIn, X, and Facebook.

8x8^®, 8x8 XCaaS™, Experience Communications as a Service™, Experience Communications Platform™ are trademarks of 8x8, Inc.

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Source: 8x8, Inc.

FAQ

What is 8x8 Ballot It!?

8x8 Ballot It! is an AI-powered self-service solution providing real-time election information to UK citizens.

How does 8x8 Ballot It! aim to increase voter turnout?

The solution offers 24/7 access to accurate election information, helping citizens make informed voting decisions.

What benefits does 8x8 Ballot It! offer to local governments?

It reduces election-related workloads for staff and provides a streamlined access point for public information.

Which councils are supported by 8x8 Ballot It!?

The solution supports councils including City of Westminster, Liverpool City Council, Sefton Council, and London Borough of Hounslow.

What are the key features of 8x8 Ballot It!?

Key features include real-time access to election information, voice and digital channels, and reduced workloads for local government staff.