Dialpad, a cloud-based business communications platform, announced Tuesday (April 25) an integration with Amazon Echo that enables users to perform business phone tasks by voice commands.
According to a report in TechCrunch, for example, a user can ask Alexa if they have any phone messages on Dialpad, and Alexa will tell the user who to call. Dialpad reportedly sees the latest integration as part of its overall efforts to make phone functionality available anywhere, TechCrunch said. Brian Peterson, cofounder and vice president of engineering at Dialpad, said in order to achieve Dialpad’s goal, it began with having a phone number in the cloud, a cloud telephone platform and a set of APIs that enabled the transformation of any device including the Echo into a phone. Peterson noted the approach is all about providing workers with the ability to access a company phone system regardless of where they are.
“The fact is we talk about the anywhere worker with more people working remotely. They aren’t sitting at a desk from 9 to 5. No matter where they are, they can control [their business] phone system,” he said in the interview.
Peterson said being able to work with Alexa and the Echo removes a level of friction from using a phone system because you don’t even have to pick up the handset or find a mobile phone or laptop; all they have to do is issue a command to Alexa. With the enhancement, users of Dialpad can ask Alexa to make calls via their contact list or add the current caller to contacts. Users can also have Alexa transfer calls, place them on hold, record calls and check for voicemails. Alexa can also provide reports on phone activity across the Dialpad system located in an office, noted the report.
