The fixed-fee software system integrates with existing customer relationship management platforms to process inbound inquiries while hosting data locally for regulatory compliance
Cloud ComputingSecondary HeroTechnologyBusiness InnovationCloud ComputingAfricaTechAfricanBusinessBusinessManagement
Redação Portal ERP
Aug 31, 2026
T|Fonte:18px
3min read
Telviva, a South African provider of cloud-based unified communications operating for two decades, released an artificial intelligence digital agent named Viva. The voice and text-based system processes inbound customer interactions by connecting to corporate knowledge bases and enterprise software platforms. The application targets the South African enterprise market by hosting data in local facilities to comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act.
The software replaces static chatbot frameworks with an autonomous agent designed to escalate specific queries to human operators.
“A chatbot operates mostly in a rigid, predefined structure that mostly results in a poor customer experience; a digital agent is dynamic and easier to manage and makes the transition to a human when needed easier,” says Telviva CEO David Meintjes. “It was vital for us to develop an agent that understands natural language while connecting deeply to real business knowledge sources. This enables Viva to resolve customer queries end-to-end, without human intervention, while ensuring a seamless handoff to a human agent the moment a query requires it.”
The vendor structures the software deployment across four capability levels. The baseline tier functions as a voice-only receptionist that routes calls based on employee presence data. A subsequent tier manages text traffic across web chat interfaces and WhatsApp for Business using localized website content and uploaded documentation. Higher adoption levels plug the digital agent directly into a company’s customer relationship management and enterprise resource planning systems. At the highest integration tier, the agent executes real-time queries to retrieve account balances, order statuses or contract dates for end users.
As the software processes repetitive routing and baseline queries, frontline personnel transition into oversight roles.
“Not only do they handle complex human interactions that require deep empathy and judgement, but they also act as the quality controller of the digital agent itself,” says Meintjes. “They review and assess the context of engagements, optimising the customer experience and ensuring the AI continuously aligns with the company’s service standards. Our philosophy is digital when you want it, human when you need it. We are layering intelligence onto a reliable infrastructure that we have spent two decades building, giving businesses a practical and scalable approach to enterprise-grade AI.”
Telviva evaluates the system’s performance using intent accuracy, task success ratios, semantic error rates measured by an independent language model judge, and millisecond turn-taking latency for voice interactions. The developer charges a fixed monthly fee for unlimited simultaneous interactions rather than utilizing consumption-based pricing models.
“Popia compliance is built into the architecture,” says Meintjes. “All our infrastructure is hosted in local data centres, ensuring personally identifiable customer data never leaves South Africa. Enhanced private cloud deployment options are also available for highly regulated sectors such as financial services, healthcare and legal.”
Early implementations resolved a portion of inbound contact center volume, resulting in reduced average handle times and higher first-contact resolution for organizations operating on the integrated tiers.
Redação Portal ERP
Portal ERP’s editorial team brings the latest news and analysis on technology and business management.
