Amazon Lex launches progress updates for fulfillment

Starting today, you can configure your [Amazon Lex](/lex/) bots to provide periodic updates to users while their requests are processed. Customer support conversations often require execution of business logic that can take some time to complete. For example, updating an itinerary on an airline reservation system may take a couple of minutes during peak hours. Typically, support agents put the call on hold and provide periodic updates (e.g., “We are still processing your request; thank you for your patience”) until the request is fulfilled. Now, you can easily configure your bot to automatically provide such periodic updates in a conversation. With progress updates capability, bot builders can quickly enhance the ability of virtual contact center agents and smart assistants. Previously, you had to manage attributes and implement Lambda code to handle fulfillment of tasks that took longer than 30 seconds. You can now directly configure the bot to inform the user about the progress with messages such as “We are working on your request. Thank you for your patience.” In addition, you can configure messages to indicate the fulfillment start (e.g., “We have issued the itinerary update; It may take a couple of minutes to process”) and the fulfillment completion (e.g., “The itinerary is now updated. Your new confirmation code is ABC123”). Native support for fulfillment progress updates enables a simplified bot design and an improved conversational experience. You can use the fulfillment progress updates in all the [AWS regions](/about-aws/global-infrastructure/regions%5Faz/) where Amazon Lex operates. To learn more, visit the Amazon Lex [documentation](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lexv2/latest/dg/streaming-progress.html) page.