Everybody expects voice tech and virtual assistants like Google Assistant, Alexa and Cortana to make a big splash in the enterprise. Here's what to expect
Everybody expects voice tech and virtual assistants like Google Assistant, Alexa and Cortana to make a big splash in the enterprise. Here's what to expect
A huge gulf exists between what businesses know about voice-enabled technologies, and what they do about it
To illustrate that fact, Globant surveyed more than 600 senior decision makers and found that while huge majority of respondents see big benefits to voice technology, only 31% use it daily at work
It's no secret that voice technology is valuable. Just look at the consumer smart speaker market. Many of the people who will eventually use voice technology at work are already using it every day at home
Smart speakers - such as the Amazon Echo line and related devices, Google Home devices and the Apple Home Pod - are directly aimed at consumers. But all the major companies are working on developing platforms for businesses and enterprises
While voice interaction is, in fact, a user interface, the impact will go far beyond how people interact. It will change how companies function
Voice-activated technologies will facilitate the smart office, where IoT devices will transform how everything works. Office management will be transformed by intelligent devices, which will increasingly enable voice interaction for finding out basic facts about office equipment, including location, service status, who the users were and others
Voice-based note-taking means meeting participants are free to participate, instead of keeping their eyes glued to a screen and their hands glued to a keyboard for note-taking
And voice will transform business communication. Increasingly, instead of every user crafting exact wording for email or, say, a Slack communication, voice technology will enable a command and description - for example, "tell Jan I'd like to meet tomorrow afternoon" - and the virtual assistant will arrange the meeting
This kind of A.I. assisted communication will increase collaboration. It will increasingly enable employees who used to be considered disabled, and unlock new talent for an organization
In manufacturing and distribution centers, much of the work conducted with a screen, keyboard and mouse will be replaced by a spoken conversation with an agent, freeing up hands for other duties and enabling employees to stay focused on the job
Voice technology will similarly transform customer service, training, data access, identification and authentication and nearly all aspects of IT
Everyone who interfaces with a company using voice technology - whether C-level executives, rank-and-file employees, customers, partners or the government - will enjoy a sense of intimacy, personalization, frictionless data access and even a sense of fun.
We'll move from everyone focusing on using equipment operation skills to focusing instead on problem solving, creative thinking and learning
In reality, voice-enabled technology is part of a total and largely positive shift in how enterprises will operate, how business people interface with both data and each other and how customers are ultimately served