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Customer expectations and needs are on the rise, compounding the challenge for businesses facing increased volume of customer requests during the pandemic. The problem is severe in field service work, where employees have to work on equipment with varying technical specifications, often in confined spaces, with limited bandwidth and difficult to access. In a recent survey by The Service Council, more than 90% of field workers said that more knowledge is required to service modern products, while nearly 70% said that products are more complex today. Additionally, more than 80% said their current field service responsibilities require “more knowledge of technology” compared to when they started working.
In this context, Xerox today Announced that CareAR, a platform that combines the Xerox DocuShare content management system and the XMPie multi-channel marketing service with augmented reality tools for field service workers, has raised $ 10 million. The funding, which came from ServiceNow, values CareAR at $ 700 million after the money, came from ServiceNow, and John Ball of ServiceNow says it will be used to expand the company’s operations and support future product development.
“Our customers have never so badly needed workflows that deliver greater operational efficiency, better customer and environmental outcomes, and improved safety,” Ball said in a press release. “Our investment reflects our belief that CareAR has the potential to deliver world-class, enterprise-grade augmented reality (AR). Customers using CareAR’s RA to route work through ServiceNow’s leading workflow platform are better able to resolve issues remotely, speeding up resolution times and reducing the need for costly on-site visits. Together, we are bringing powerful business service experiences to the new world of work. “
Above: CareAR field service platform.
CareAR was founded in 2018 as an AR company focused on field service work. Xerox acquired it in January and, at the time, said it planned to combine “care experience change” start-up software with DocuShare and XMPie to form a new business unit.
AR-based customer service
The CareAR platform, which has more than 10,000 customers, including Allstate, Nordstrom, Staples and Verizon, allows agents to see what users are seeing for real-time problem resolution. Technicians get AI-powered augmented reality visual assistance and guidance tools, while IT service personnel get a portal from where they can resolve incidents remotely. Businesses can use CareAR to create AR-based instructions for self-guided, animated turn-by-turn flows. Additionally, they can leverage the platform to obtain information on specific assets, issues, and resolutions.
CareAR competes with TechSee, which also offers a platform that guides agents and customers through product configuration and troubleshooting steps. Other rivals include Aquant and Neuron7, which leverage artificial intelligence tools to automate field service on several different types of devices. Even tech giant Salesforce offers a competing product in Field Service Lightning, which organizes technicians’ work with automated sorting and remediation tools.
But Xerox believes that CareAR, which sells Xerox directly and through channel partners like Accenture, Deloitte, HCL and Tata, sets itself apart by its integration with ServiceNow, which provides RA guidance for customers, employees and field workers.
Xerox Vice President and CEO John Visentin estimates the total addressable market for service experience management to be about $ 80 billion.
“Xerox has positioned CareAR to provide the capabilities that service-intensive industries need, with real-time instruction, visual tools and data access at the fingertips of any user, all powered by predictive artificial intelligence,” said Visentin. “By creating a platform that is intuitive for a digital native workforce, and with investment from ServiceNow, we believe that CareAR will define and grow the Service Experience Management category, revolutionizing industries at a time when more needed”.
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