CIMB Bank Bhd and CIMB Islamic Bank Bhd launched its CIMB EVA chatbot for small and medium enterprise (SME) customers to better support their banking needs in a fast and secure manner.

CIMB said on Thursday CIMB EVA is the first conversational style and real-time commercial banking chatbot in Malaysia.

EVA was developed in collaboration with Pand.ai, a Singapore-based AI financial technology company.

“Designed to simplify banking processes for SME customers, the EVA chatbot is effectively an electronic relationship manager.

“It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can handle a large number of simultaneous queries from SMEs, with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP),” the bank said.

It also said customers can expect instant and consistent answers to their questions on all SME products as well as Covid-19 relief programmes.

The chatbot offers the eligibility check feature to suggest the most suitable products, efficiently substituting lengthy communications and correspondences with the bank’s representatives.

Customers also benefit from one contact point internally when they leave queries and their contact details. This will enable a CIMB representative to contact them directly.

Victor Lee Meng Teck, CEO, group commercial banking, CIMB Group said the EVA chatbot for commercial banking customers was timely given the critical need for customers to bank safely during the pandemic.

“We hope this latest innovation will provide convenience to our SME customers as it acts as first-hand support in answering their queries without having to wait to speak to a relationship manager, thereby reducing turnaround time and providing a smoother experience for them.

“EVA will also support SMEs in their queries on selecting the most suitable financial relief assistance for their business needs. CIMB remains committed to continuously innovate and deliver the best digital solutions for our customers,” Lee said.

Leveraging on the bank’s Asean network, the EVA chatbot is an extension of CIMB Bank Singapore’s chatbot for SME customers which may be introduced to other regions in the future.

When it was launched in Singapore in May 2020, CIMB was the first bank there to develop a chatbot specifically for business owners seeking financial assistance during the pandemic.

The digital service provides critical information and useful tools through an interactive interface on all available schemes effectively.

The EVA chatbot is available to serve all customers on CIMB’s business website. Click here bizsupport.cimb.com.my