Adaptive Cards

Adaptive Cards show dynamic information with your MS Teams channels to inform about pending interactions. As the name implies their content can be dynamically adapted (updated) as the task status - or other customer information - changes.

There are two different types of cards: 

Card Interaction

Adaptive Cards provide your team or individual users with the possibility to directly inspect incoming caller information and – optionally configured via Workflow Activities – to "Pickup" a call directly via the card. If available, voice messages 

An example card with call interactions

PRECONDITIONS

Audio / Video This applies for Audio / Video call type Workflows only. Adaptive Cards are automatically-generated messages posted by a bot within your Nimbus enabled Teams. To use this feature it must be enabled in your Workflows as part of a "Queue" Activity.

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💡 Adaptive Cards are only available when a Pickup distribution type was selected.

💡 Within your Modality Service Settings you can also specify a channel for your Adaptive Cards, or go with the default.

 
 
 

Notes

☝ Once enabled Adaptive Cards and their functions are visible to all team members and potential guests, depending on your MS Teams internal channel settings (default: visible to anyone ).

🔍 Using service-related functionality in Adaptive Cards such as downloading voice messages requires a Nimbus login. Unauthenticated users will get a warning message instead when trying to use the Adaptive Card functions in your MS Teams channel.

 

Call Pickup via the Adaptive Card

The first team member to click "Pickup" will receive a call from the Nimbus bot, establishing a conference with the incoming caller.

→ Reasons and / or updated states are added at the bottom of the card and controls disappear as the task is not ongoing anymore. ⮑ The Adaptive Card will be updated, then remain in chat as a chat history entry.

💡 Note that only the controls and buttons within an Adaptive Card start an interaction with the calling customer. Replies to the card will not result in any effect, but you can of course still reply to a card as means to discuss the case with your service team colleagues. Customers will not see these messages or otherwise interact with Adaptive Cards.

Voice Messages in Adaptive Cards

✅ Precondition: When your service is using a workflow with "Voice MessageWorkflow Activity a "Download Voice Message" button is shown in your Adaptive Cards. 

From here on out you can perform the following actions

  • Download the voice message and play it back locally. Then:
    • Click Listen to the voice message as → The "Listened to" status will be updated with your name to inform other team members.
    • Click Solve / Reopen the status → The "Solved by" status of the card will be updated with your name to inform other team members. 

Clicking "Download Voice Message" should open Nimbus and attempt to verify your user credentials and permissions.

→ On sucess a message will be shown and the message will be downloaded.

 

 

GOOD TO KNOW

  • If a workflow has multiple " Voice Message " activities, each recording will get its own Adaptive Card and treated as individual task to be handled, including individual download / listen / solve controls.
  • The "Solved / Reopened" state on a voice message is just used for informing the rest of your team about the call status. The buttons do not have any systemic effects, consequences or impacts on your team's Reporting KPI.
  • Downloads on a voice message are allowed only to Nimbus users. Non-Nimbus users attempting to access a voice message will be redirected to the Nimbus portal for login and authentication.
 

Adaptive Cards in Chats

Preconditions

 

Step 1: Session Invite

An example of a chat interaction
  • IM sessions are distributed you either via service Workflows or directly via Interact. In the following we assume distribution via Service workflow.
  • A Nimbus bot will sent you an Adaptive Card 

Step 2: Accepting / Declining Chats

  • Within an Adaptive Card you can either Accept or Decline the invitation. 💡 Note that not accepting a session (in time) can flag you with RONA status which can be reset using Assistant.
  • Clicking "Accept" on the card will establish a separate chat session between you and the outside customer.

Step 3: Session Creation

  • You can chat normally with the customer using your Teams Client.
  • A session will last until you click "Terminate".

Step 4: Session Result / Status Update

  • After a chat has been terminated, session results and status updates are reflected on the the Adaptive Card.
  • The chat session has now concluded with a Reporting result. 

Known Issues

Issue Workarounds
Adaptive Cards are not showing in your Teams channel and/or are not functioning properly anymore.

Due to a known MSFT issue the bot may not function properly, resulting in missing Voice Message or Call Pickup Adaptive Cards.

 

There are two possible workarounds: 


Workaround A: @Mention the Nimbus bot in the Adaptive Card channel, e.g. by typing @Luware Nimbus

 


Workaround B: re-add the Nimbus App as a Team Owner: 

  1. Within MS Teams, right click the Team where the bot is not working anymore, then select "Manage Team"
  2. Click on the Apps Tab.
  3. Remove the Nimbus App, then immediately re-add it as described in Service Provisioning → This should re-instate the Bot permissions to post Adaptive Cards.

    Note: As long as you don't flag a Nimbus tab or team for removal (as described in Uninstalling Nimbus) the team remains operable during this procedure. Service settings remain unaffected and incoming calls will still be handled.

     

 

Adaptive Cards show a "Terminated" task resolution but with an cryptic error message.

This problem occurs, when during an active IM Session the ACS Connection String configured in the Tenant Administration for IM has been changed. 
 

🔎 Analysis: As the resource referenced in the Adaptive card was created in an old instance, Nimbus retrieves an error. There is no impact besides the error message. The Adaptive Card will not work anymore and just "stick around". 

There is no fix on development side for this, so we recommend to change the ACS Connection string for IM while there are no ongoing IM session (e.g. outside your Service operating hours or during maintenance periods.

INC Instant Messaging Limitations

KNOWN INSTANT MESSAGING LIMITATIONS

  • Engaging in Instant Messaging with Nimbus Services currently requires Interact and its SDK. Native support for IM via MS Teams will be implemented when Microsoft releases the according functionality for public use.
  • Supervision is currently not supported for Instant Messaging interactions.
 

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