Winter ’18 Release Available Now: Get Early Access to the Yext Knowledge Assistant

Yext, the leader in Digital Knowledge Management, today announced early access for its Winter '18 Product Release. Packed with powerful, next-generation updates, the Winter '18 Release offers Yext users an entirely new way to update their digital knowledge, deep insights to help them make informed decisions, and more.

With the new Yext Knowledge Assistant, updating Yext is now as easy as texting your friends. First unveiled onstage at ONWARD 17, the Knowledge Assistant is a breakthrough conversational UI that allows Yext users to update the public data about their businesses. Use Facebook Messenger or SMS text messaging to make crucial updates to the Yext Knowledge Manager — like uploading a photo, changing store hours, or responding to reviews — in real time, without needing to log in or install an app. The Knowledge Assistant is smart and can even text the user to remind them of an upcoming holiday that might warrant a change in store hours, so customers don't show up to a closed storefront.

"Digital knowledge is changing constantly, so to unlock its full power, businesses need a way for their teams to easily and conveniently update their knowledge," said Marc Ferrentino, Chief Strategy Officer at Yext. "The Knowledge Assistant lets you simply text Yext updates using a smart, conversational interface and will fundamentally improve a business's ability to manage its digital knowledge."

The Winter '18 Release also includes:

• Sentiment Analysis: Your customers have already told you how to improve their experience — all you need to do is listen. Customers with Yext Reviews can now gain deep insights from their reviews via natural language processing. Sentiment Analysis helps identify trending keywords and see how those keywords correlate with positive or negative sentiment, so Yext customers can better inform their business decisions.
  Available with the Ultimate package.

• Competitive Intelligence: You'll never know if you're winning if you can't see the scoreboard. See how your ratings and search performance stack up against the competitors of your choice. Use this information to make more informed marketing decisions, like adjusting search marketing strategies or deciding where to invest in paid advertising.
  Available with the Ultimate package.

• New platform support for ATMs, drop boxes, charging stations, and retail kiosks: Control and manage key information about these entities with a new, tailored experience. Banks can leverage this update to ensure consumers see accurate information about their ATMs, including the branches or offices in which those ATMs are located. Automotive companies can now highlight vehicle charging stations. Delivery and logistics companies can help customers find drop boxes and self-service locations. Retailers can now control data about coin-counting machines, self-serve rental stations, electronics trade-in stations, or other in-store kiosks. Available for Enterprise customers.

• WeChat Location Mini Programs: Customers with locations in Mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau can now use Yext to reach consumers in China on their platform of choice. With this new integration, businesses can manage and push out digital knowledge about their Chinese stores in Mandarin on WeChat via Yext, ensuring WeChat users in China can find their business locations. Available for eligible customers. Contact your Yext representative to get started.

• Refreshed Help Site: It's now even easier to learn how to use the Yext Knowledge Engine. Visit help.yext.com to see our fully revamped Help site, complete with an all-new design and refreshed content.

"We are committed to innovating on behalf of our customers, and the new features in the Winter '18 Release represent a major step forward," Ferrentino said. "Today's release offers businesses more control of their brands across the intelligent services of the future, and more insights to inform their business decisions."

The features listed above are now available to eligible Yext customers for early access. Visit the Winter '18 Release Notes to learn more about all the features in this release and how to turn on early access.To see firsthand how the Yext Knowledge Engine can help your business, request a demohere.