SMB SaaS innovator vcita this week launched a new agentic AI function. Housed in its flagship BizAI software for SMB marketing, it offers an additional layer of automation for agent-like features such as responding to customers, booking appointments, and generating estimates or job quotes.
One of the goals of the new agentic AI feature according to vcita is a “semi-automated approach.” This is to balance the benefits of automation with SMBs’ need to feel in control. To that end, AI features can be tuned to various levels of automating customer interactions, while requiring human sign-off.
SMBs can adjust this balance over time as they get more comfortable. That will be a feedback loop that develops as SMBs see the tangible benefits that agentic AI can bring. Mileage will vary, with some SMBs activating greater levels of automation than others – as it goes in the widely varied SMB universe.
“At vcita we’ve been deeply engaged in bringing AI-driven solutions to SMBs for over a year now, and we’re excited about the transformative potential of agentic AI for small businesses,” vcita CEO & Founder Itzik Levy told Localogy Insider. “This technology has the power to streamline their operations, enhance their customer engagement, unlock new growth opportunities for them, and so much more.”
Collective Wisdom
Like most AI that functions the way it should, vcita’s agentic AI will learn and improve itself as time goes on. This will occur through SMB inputs, guidelines they set, and the collective wisdom of the tool’s operation across vcita’s 150,000 SMB customers. But the main point is that SMBs stay in control.
“This is the approach we are taking … which empowers SMBs to enjoy the benefits of automation without losing the driver’s seat,” said Levy. “Based on our experience in the SMB tech space, we believe that AI-driven automation needs to be introduced gradually, in order to build trust and confidence.”
That last part is critical for SMBs that are still wary of AI. The benefits of automation resonate with them according to our data, but “AI” is a loaded term with some negative connotations. Though tech & media worlds are enamored by AI, SMBs largely sit outside of tech-world culture.
“I’m looking forward to joining the conversation at Localogy next week to explore real-world use cases and discuss how AI can empower entrepreneurs in meaningful ways.” – Itzik Levy, founder and CEO, vcita.
So the semi-automated approach is a smart move to let SMBs adopt AI at their own pace. They need to feel like they’re in the driver’s seat… and they don’t yet fully trust AI enough to hand over the keys. All the above is validated in new Localogy data that will be revealed at next week’s L25 conference.
Hit the Mark
Meanwhile, vcita’s agentic AI seems to hit the mark in terms of the things SMBs want. AI continues to be thrown at everything to see where it sticks, while only some of those integrations have staying power. When it comes to SMBs, time-saving and headache-reducing functions are where AI will win.
As for the rollout, the new agentic AI function is available immediately to SMBs that use vcita. It’s also available via API to vcita’s partners and channels that want to incorporate the functionality into their platforms. The latter is one way that vcita scales in terms of reaching all those SMBs noted above.
Back to L25, in addition to fresh Localogy data produced in collaboration with Duda, vcita founder & CEO Itzik Levy will be on stage to discuss this very topic of agentic AI. So we’ll get to hear a lot more color on the new tool, its inner workings, and where things could go next for vcita’s AI endeavors.
“I’m looking forward to joining the conversation at Localogy’s L25 next week, said Levy, “to explore real-world use cases and discuss how AI can empower entrepreneurs in meaningful ways.”
Header image credit: Christophe Hautier on Unsplash
