Alibaba pushes new AI software tool to help merchants on its wholesale platform manage overseas clients, polish business emails

An AI-upgraded version of OKKI, a software-as-a-service offering under Alibaba Cloud, will be available to foreign trade merchants from December 1

The AI tool is expected to help Alibaba.com merchants automate their client-facing operations to entice more customers overseas

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Alibaba.com, the international business-to-business wholesale platform of Alibaba Group Holding, has more than 200,000 merchants offering made-in-China products to markets around the world. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 8:00pm, 30 Nov 2023

Alibaba.com, the international business-to-business wholesale marketplace of Alibaba Group Holding, expects the roll-out of a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool to help the platform’s merchants automate their client-facing operations, including writing emails, to entice more customers overseas.

An AI-upgraded version of OKKI, the customer relationship management software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering under Alibaba Cloud, will be available to foreign trade merchants from Friday, according to Alibaba.com.

It said the response rate of these merchants’ overseas clients improved by 32 per cent when their business correspondence was polished by OKKI.

Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology unit of South China Morning Post owner Alibaba, distributes over the internet a range of software and other digital resources as an on-demand service, just like electricity from a power grid. This Alibaba unit is leading the e-commerce giant’s AI development efforts.