A bot, also known as a chat bot is a software program (code) that allows developers to add a chat like a human conversation functionality in their apps. Bots use text, speech, or cards for their conversation and also can implement artificial intelligence to get involved in complex and deep conversations with human.
Microsoft Bot Framework is a set of APIs for building intelligent bots using .NET/C#, Node.js, and REST. If you want to learn Bot Framework, I recommend reading these two articles:
Earlier this week, at the #MSBuild, Microsoft announced a new improved version of the Bot Framework with several new features.
- Cortana channel – Bot will show up as a Cortana skill
- Skype for Business channel for business conversations
- Bing channel allows your bots to show up in Bing search results
- Bot analytics
- Payment service through your bot
- Adaptive cards
- SSML support
Microsoft Bot Framework team is working on some new features. The roadmap of the Bot Framework includes
- Integration across the Azure ecosystem
- Platform as a service for bots
- Azure Bot Service V2 announced
Watch this video to learn more about new features announced in the Bot Framework.
References:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/bot-framework/overview-introduction-bot-framework