Specifications include, but are not limited to: DLT utilized cloud-based solutions to help accommodate this surge in services. Using support from the federal CARES Act unemployment assistance programming, DLT has been implementing innovative technologies to enhance and modernize systems in response to significantly increased demand for services resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. DLT has: • Initiated planning for a modernization road map for system enhancements and improvements. • Responded to changing federal and state requirements throughout the pandemic. For example, United States Department of Labor (“USDOL”) UI policy guidance notices. • Launched a cloud-based Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (“PUA”) application, becoming the first state in the country to make PUA available. • Dramatically increased incoming call capacity through Amazon Connect to allow for tens of thousands of claimants to simultaneously Certify (“Certify/ Certification” is the claimant attesting to employment status) for weekly benefits. Averaging 70,000 claimants calling in weekly. This is variable and increased and decreases with the number of claimants. All calls to the IVR route through Amazon Connect. • Upgraded its IVR (Interactive Voice Response) to support weekly Certification. The average weekly usage is approximately 11,000 claimants using the IVR to Certify. Approximately 15% of claimants use the IVR service. Use is variable it increases and decreases with the number of claimants certifying for benefits each week. • Created a new AWS cloud-based IWR (“Interactive Web Response”) portal to support weekly certification. The AWS IWR portal will be integrated into the forthcoming new UI Online application in summer 2021. The average weekly usage is approximately 60,000 claimants using the IWR to Certify. Approximately 85% of claimants use the IWR service. Use is variable - it increases and decreases with the number of claimants certifying for benefits each week. • Created a new UI Help Bots named “Hope” and “Skipper” using Amazon Lex and a Google based bot “Skipper” for the Virtual Career Center (“VCC”). Integration between the two Bots is to be included in the late July beta release of UI Online+. Current usage is approximately 5,000 interactions per week accessing the bots. This is expected to increase with UI Online +. • Launched the first-in-the-nation, AI-powered Google Cloud-based Virtual Career Center (“VCC”) to connect jobseekers with opportunities in a post-COVID world. • Implemented components to provide fraud mitigation, identity verification, and enhanced security. These components continue to evolve to address emerging threats or apply additional enhancements. • Began development of “UI Online +”, also known as “Pizza Tracker” Scheduled for beta release in late July 2021. This critical system provides for: o An AWS based front-end user interface modernization that will provide customer transparency into the application, processing, certification, and payment for claimants.
