RingByName Integrates With Amazon Alexa Family of Devices

RingByName, the cloud communications services company, announced Tuesday (March 14) it is the first cloud business phone service to integrate with Amazon’s Alexa family of devices.

In a press release, RingByName said there are estimated to be more than 7 million Alexa devices.

“I’m excited that we are the first cloud phone service to offer dialing through Alexa,” said Matt Bramson, chief growth officer of RingByName, in a press release. “Within weeks RingByName users will be able to ask Alexa to do all sorts of additional things hands-free, including play voicemails, record calls, set up conference calls, and more. Smart home technology can make offices smarte, too, and RingByName is a leader in realizing this.”

According to RingByName, hands-free dialing is essential for some people who have a disability and for people who want to be more productive. RingByName said it built a scalable cloud-based communication and collaboration platform using proprietary and open-source software. The company has hundreds of thousands of businesses using its services globally, it said in the release. The RingByName Alexa Skill can be enabled through Amazon’s Alexa app on Fire, iOS, and Android devices and on the web at https://alexa.amazon.com. The skill can be used completely hands-free with a RingByName account and an IP phone set to auto-answer, the company said.

In November, shopping for Alexa skills, or capabilities that enable customers to interact with devices in a more intuitive fashion, had been made easier to do after Amazon gave the skills marketplace an overhaul. Examples of skills for those who aren’t familiar include getting your Alexa-enabled device to play music, answer questions or set an alarm. With the update Alexa-enabled device owners can search, locate, enable and disable skills in the new marketplace, dubbed Alexa Skills Marketplace. Users can also search via URLS that are dedicated to the skills. The move on the part of Amazon to make it easier to search for skills is part of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ vision that Alexa is an important part of the company’s business model.