Phocuswright Europe: SDL to launch ‘Content as a Service’ to power instant personalisation

Translation software and content management specialist SDL has built new natural language technology that automatically personalises websites in real-time.

Translation software and content management specialist SDL has built new natural language technology that automatically personalises websites in real-time.

Dubbed ‘Content as a Service’, the firm hopes to launch the functionality in partnership with a travel client later this year having developed a working prototype.

The technology intelligently changes product descriptions within the body of the page as the user clicks filters and inputs desired attributes.

Should the user select they are travelling for business rather than leisure, or if they are travelling with children or stipulate their gender the copy automatically updates to take account of this.

As well as generating descriptions of product, like hotels in travel, which are personalised to the user the technology will also proactively update the list of facilities that the property offers, placing those most relevant to use traveller at the top.

These attributes are matched against the data the site has on the user and what users in their profile are known to look for.

For instance, a lone female traveller travelling for business will be served copy stressing the security aspects of the hotel and if it has a spa or other facilities they are more likely to value.

A family user will be served descriptions of the childcare and family-friendly services and features the property provides.

Demonstrating the technology to Travolution at last week’s Phocuswright Europe conference in Dublin, Kevin Ashbridge, SDL account director, said:

“We’re no longer caught in the trap of having pre-written, one-size-fits-all descriptions for travel inventory.

“With this technology, the descriptions are written and translated on-the-fly, adapting itself to the person who is viewing it.”

Content as a Service makes possible a future where businesses can serve an SEO version of their descriptive content dynamically to the search engines, yet have their customers see relevant content created just for them on their personal devices.