This allows managers to locate their mobile workers by simply asking Alexa where a person is by name – or a vehicle by its ID number. Alexa then verbally provides the current vehicle location and if on the move, where it is heading.
The voice app works with any vehicle fitted with Kinesis trackers and is accessed using the Amazon smart speakers such as the Echo and Dot, as well as the Alexa smartphone app. Users can also ask Alexa for driver related information, including who are the best and worst drivers. Kinesis states that this development complements the recently announced Alexa for Business which brings voice controls into the office as part of a fully managed service for multiple Alexa devices in the workplace.
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“Our customers typically run busy commercial enterprises and anything that makes their work easier will be welcomed” says Greville Coe, group managing director – telematics at Radius Payment Solutions, the company behind Kinesis. “Often managers and customer service staff just need to know whether a driver or engineer has arrived on site or is on route. By linking voice assistance technology to Kinesis, they get an immediate answer by simply asking Alexa.”
“The beauty of virtual assistant technology like Alexa is simplicity. No longer do you need to go to a computer screen or smartphone and search for that vital piece of information. Instead you just ask the question and you get the answer,’” adds Coe. “In fact I think this type of technology will soon become commonplace in a world overloaded by data. In the world of telematics, artificial intelligence is probably the most significant development since the Internet.”
