Amazon at the ongoing AWS re: Invent has announced Alexa for business to provide voice-enabled assistant to simplify interactions with the technology around them at work. Alexa can help in automating conference calls, scheduling meetings, controlling conference room equipment, and more.
Alexa for business is also capable of handling your daily office tasks like scheduling meetings, keeping track of tasks, or reordering supplies. It also supports large and growing list of new skills and integrations from companies like Salesforce, Concur, and Polycom that extend Alexa for Business’s functionality into the popular applications and devices that customers use in the workplace.
Companies can also build their own custom “private” skills that integrate with a customer’s IT applications and office systems. You can use commands such as “start the meeting,” “Alexa, ask RingCentral to read me my voicemail,” and it also helps workers manage calendars, keep up with to-do lists, and make phone calls. Other office tasks such as notifying IT of an equipment issue, or finding and booking an open conference room can be done with just voice commands.
Customers can also set shared Alexa devices in common areas around the workplace like conference rooms, huddle rooms, lobbies, and communications centers. Shared Alexa is capable of taking common requests like start meeting, end meeting and more. Individual users can also use Alexa for Business from their desks to automatically dial into conference calls, check their upcoming appointments, and schedule or cancel meetings.
Alexa for Business can work with Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Exchange, and Google G Suite. Software providers like Salesforce, Concur, SuccessFactors, ServiceNow, Splunk, Acumatica, Tact, Polycom, Crestron, RingCentral, Teem, Twine, and Zoom, have already integrated their business applications with Alexa for Business or developing skills.
Customers in the US can start using Alexa for Business starting today and each kit includes 3 2nd gen Amazon Echo, 2nd gen Echo Dots devices for controlling equipment in large conference rooms, and 2 Echo Show devices. Alexa for Business kit is priced at $709.93 (Rs. 45,820 approx.).