Amazon Web Services (AWS) back in 2017 announced Alexa for Business, giving companies the ability to build custom and scalable voice experiences with Alexa. The company now announced that device makers building with the Alexa Voice Service can now create fully integrated solutions, so their products can be registered with Alexa for Business and managed as shared devices in organizations.
Alexa for Business customers will soon be able to centrally manage and deploy supported products with Alexa built-in — whether it’s built by Amazon or third-party device makers. Thanks to a simple extension to the AVS Device SDK, device makers can leverage Alexa for Business to bring the power of voice to enterprises.
This solutions allow for deployment of third-party devices to shared spaces such as conference rooms, hotel and dorm rooms, lobbies, kitchens, break rooms, and copy rooms, device management as part of the device makers’ existing management flow, such as room designation, device health monitoring, and location setting and skill management, such as public and private skill assignment for shared devices without publishing to the public Alexa Skills Store.
The Alexa for Business capabilities is provided as an extension to the AVS Device SDK, starting with version 1.10 that is available to download from Github. Alexa for Business offers a solution that allows administrators to deploy and manage shared Alexa devices, skills, and users at scale.
Collin Davis, GM, Alexa for Business said:
Customers love using Alexa on Echo devices to simplify meeting room experiences and have asked us to enable the same experiences on their existing equipment. We are excited to be working with device makers to bring the power of Alexa to our customers through the devices they already use around the office. Customers get all the benefits of Alexa for Business without having to install any new hardware.
Pete Thompson, VP of the Alexa Voice Service said:
The ability to create Alexa built-in products for the enterprise represents a significant opportunity for device makers. With a simple extension to the AVS Device SDK, device makers can address the growing demand for voice in organizations and deliver new voice-based solutions that simplify tasks and enhance productivity.