Founded in 1937, Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) is the largest university-based financial credit union in the world. With over 246,000 members around the globe, customer service is a high priority for MSUFCU.

Our Digital Assistant and Personal Financial Coach expands the capabilities of MSUFCU‘s existing apps for Apple and Android devices. In addition, it offers services through a web app, an Amazon Alexa app, Facebook Messenger and iMessage.

Using a chatbot interface, MSUFCU members can get answers to questions to everything from “What’s my account balance?” to “Can I afford to buy a laptop?” Our bot also offers financial planning services. If a member cannot afford a laptop, for example, our Digital Assistant and Personal Financial Coach will suggest a plan for a member on how to save for one.

For MSUFCU members who prefer a hands-free approach to banking, our Alexa skill can respond to the same voice commands as the chatbot interface. Our Apple and Android apps, as well as Facebook Messenger and iMessage, all accept the same voice commands.

Our Digital Assistant and Personal Financial Coach Apple iOS app is written in Swift, and the Google Android app in Java. Our Alexa skill is written in JavaScript. The natural language processing is handled using DialogFlow. All six of the available apps contact a SQLite database hosted on a server.