The way customers find businesses is changing fast — and many companies are not prepared for it.
More people are no longer typing keywords into Google. They are asking AI tools like ChatGPT and receiving a single, synthesized answer. For companies that are not structured to be understood by these systems, the risk is simple: They stop being found.
This is the problem Mercury Technology Solutions is built to solve.
“We started Mercury nearly 10 years ago in Hong Kong with a very practical goal: help large, established companies use modern technology without breaking the systems they already relied on,” said James Huang, Mercury’s chief executive officer.
Rather than replacing legacy systems, Mercury connects them to modern infrastructure.
“Instead of replacing old systems, we learned to connect them to new ones. We built ‘bridges’ that let legacy software talk to modern cloud services and, more recently, to artificial intelligence.”
“The big turning point came when we developed our own core platform,” Huang said. “It was designed so that both human employees and AI assistants could work on the same system, sharing information and making decisions together.”
That approach has become more relevant as businesses adapt to AI-driven discovery.
“The way people find information is changing fundamentally,” Huang said. “They ask an AI assistant and receive a single answer. If your expertise is buried in PDFs or unstructured web pages, AI assistants will skip over it.”
“The way people find information is changing fundamentally. They ask an AI assistant and receive a single answer. If your expertise is buried in PDFs or unstructured web pages, AI assistants will skip over it.”
James Huang, Mercury’s Chief Executive Officer
Mercury brings together three elements: the cloud, AI and digital visibility.
“The cloud is your kitchen and supply chain. AI is your staff handling repetitive tasks. Digital visibility is your signage, menu and reputation — how customers find you,” Huang said.
When combined, these systems allow companies to operate more efficiently while ensuring they remain visible in both traditional and AI-driven searches.
This shift is particularly relevant in Japan, where labor shortages are accelerating AI’s adoption across hospitality, tourism, financial services and telecommunications — sectors that depend on service quality and operational efficiency.
“The biggest opportunity is augmentation — using technology to make existing workers more capable, not to eliminate jobs,” Huang said.
For businesses, the message is clear: Adapting to AI is no longer optional. It determines whether a company is discovered or overlooked.
