Phased rollout This version is currently available to SaaS customers only. It will be available to on-premises customers soon.

21.05 enhancements


 BMC Helix Virtual Agent provides a self-service solution for users to resolve their issues. The chatbot provides support by interacting with users through natural language, understanding the conversation context, and performing tasks on behalf of the user.

Review the BMC Helix Virtual Agent 21.05 enhancements for features that will benefit your organization and to understand changes that might impact your users.

Related topics

Known-and-corrected-issues

Release-notes-and-notices21.02 enhancements

The following video (1:31) provides a summary of some of the new features and enhancements in BMC Helix Virtual Agent version 21.05:

video icon play.png https://youtu.be/a85myLov4kk


View notifications and broadcasts from BMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced in chatbot web UI

End users can easily view and dismiss notifications and broadcasts from chatbot without navigating to BMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced. As an administrator or business analyst, enable or disable notifications from chatbot. This capability can be leveraged only in the chatbot web UI. 

To learn how to enable notifications in chatbot, see Enabling-notifications-and-broadcasts-in-chatbot.

The following image shows a sample broadcast and notification in chatbot:

Notifications and broadcasts.png


Post comments or attach files to an open service request from the chatbot web UI

The following image shows how you can post comments or attach files to an open service request: 

Add comments attachments from chatbot.png

End users can add comments and attachments from chatbot to their open service requests without navigating to BMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced. This capability can be leveraged only in the chatbot web UI. 

For more information, see Submitting-service-requests-or-searching-knowledge-articles.


Configure Google Firebase Dynamic Links to send short URLs to end users

As an administrator or application business analyst, configure Google Firebase Dynamic Links to send these shortened URLs  for service requests and knowledge articles through WhatsApp and SMS channels.

To learn how to configure Google Firebase Dynamic Links, see Integrating-with-Google-Firebase-Dynamic-Links-to-display-short-URLs-in-conversations.


The following image shows how short URLs for knowledge articles are displayed in WhatsApp:

Short URL in WhatsApp.png


What else changed in this release

From version 21.05, note the following significant changes in the product behavior:

Update

Product behavior in versions earlier than 21.05

Product behavior from version 21.05

IBM Watson API endpoint URLs are changed.

BMC applications integrated with IBM Watson API endpoint URLs at watsonplatform.net.

IBM announced the change in its API endpoint URLs from watsonplatform.net to api.{location}.{offering}.watson.cloud.ibm.com from May 26, 2021. For BMC applications, IBM has extended the deadline for this change to July 30, 2021.  

  • From version 21.05, BMC has modified the IBM Watson API endpoints in BMC Helix Innovation Studio applications that are integrated with IBM Watson services. No other action is required. 

For more information, see Technical bulletin.