Just like the Alexa in your kitchen, smart office voice-control devices exist to make your day-to-day work easier. Gartner predicts that 25% of workers will use digital assistants daily by 2021. It is not surprising when you consider a digital assistant can recoup 36% of your time every day. To help you choose the voice-control device which suits your smart office concept, here is our guide to the top 5 devices you should know about. Whilst each has its strengths and weaknesses, all of them are guaranteed to make a positive impact on your work environment at home.
- Google Nest, Google Home, Chromecast (Google Home app)
Google Hoe could be a great choice to sync with the many integrated Google services such as Google Calendar and Google Keep. Once you have set up your voice profile with the Google Assistant, it generates a to-do list, adds and reminds you of events, and streams music or white noise via Spotify or Google Play. It is now working with more than 5,000 smart home devices so you can control thousands of compatible lights, cameras, speakers and more, all from a single app. You can set it up and control by Google Nest, Google Home, and Chromecast devices.
2. Amazon Echo (Alexa)
Smart speaker device Amazon Echo lets you create a to-do list, manage calendar, reorder supplies, listen to music or podcasts, or set timers to remind you to switch to another task or take a break. A cloud-based voice service Alexa supports phone calls to other Echo devices or the Alexa smartphone app.
3. Amazon Echo Show (Alexa)
Echo Show is Alexa with a screen attached which allows face-to-face calls. It is an ideal choice for adding smart office technology to your meeting room as it becomes incredibly easy when interacting with your voice or via the in-device screen. If you use other smart office devices in your meeting room, such as thermostats or smart lights, these can also be controlled directly from the Echo Show. Additionally, it supports text messages for Android devices, home phone calls and acts as a speakerphone.
4. Apple HomePod (Siri)
If you have gone with Apple’s HomePod for your smart home hub, you can get better quality conference calls and still type hands-free while you are taking them. You can also keep calls on hold and switch between them with just a tap. If you need to send an email to your colleague, simply activate Siri and it will do that for you.
5. Lenovo Smart Display (Google Assistant)
The Lenovo Smart Display supports all the typical functionality you would demand from a smart home assistant – creating meetings, reviewing your schedule, making notes, etc. Best for the home office or smaller business, the Lenovo Smart Display brings the power of Google Assistant into your office environment in a visually, more engaging way.
Photo credits: www.unsplash.com
