Maybe you have Alexa or other digital helper in your home. There are now many choices from Amazon, Apple, Google, and more. PC Magazine listed the best smart speakers for 2019. But have you considered whether such devices can be helpful in your business?
A look at the future and smart speakers
According to Computerworld, “voice technology will re-shape business.” Consider these facts:
- 20% of all web searches are now done by voice (and it’s expected that 30% of searches within 2 years will be done without a screen)
- Three-quarters of businesses are going to invest in customer-facing voice systems using Cortana, Google Assistant, or Alexa; more will use IBM’s Watson, Apple’s Siri, and Samsung’s Bixby.
- Voice-based note-taking frees meeting participants to listen.
- Customers don’t have to be trained on voice technology.
- Expect manufacturing and distribution centers using keyboards to convert to voice technology, enabling workers to accomplish more
What to do now concerning smart speakers in your business
Review what tasks within your company could benefit from the addition of voice technology. Is it interacting with customers? Training employees? Explaining their benefits? Enabling employees to work more efficiently?
Learn what options are currently on the market. More are debuting all the time. For example, Infor launched Coleman-AI voice-activated digital assistant in October 2018.
Budget for voice technology. Determine whether to invest in it now, and how much. Work with tech experts to determine which devices best suit your needs, and your budget.
Final thought
As Anne Morrow Lindbergh said: “The wave of the future is coming and there is no fighting it.”
Just go with the flow!
