Unified Communications Featured Article

SkySwitch Gives Alexa New Skill as an Assistant

By Steve Anderson
Contributing Writer

The future, as we've long known it, has often promised automated assistants of a kind that are a match for humans in ingenuity and resourcefulness, yet also never tire or ask for more than is provided. While the delivery on this promise has been spotty at best, some examples of the craft are gaining significant ground on this front. One of the most recent gains comes from SkySwitch, which recently announced its skill for Alexa would be made available to white label resellers of unified communications as a service (UCaaS) retailers.

SkySwitch—itself already well-known in the field for UCaaS operations—can offer new capability to both Alexa and the Echo system by adding voice-enabled dialing to the system with the SkySwitch Web Centrex PBX (News - Alert) Skill. SkySwitch resellers now have access to voice dialing operations, and at no charge to the reseller.  Those interested need only look for the invocation name “PBX,” and can be linked to a PBX user's portal credentials to activate the system.

Once in place, the user can simply command Alexa by voice to dial certain numbers, by number outright or by a number linked to a name. It's now just as easy for Alexa to “Call George” as it is for Alexa to call George's extension number, or even George's phone number should George be out of the office.

SkySwitch's vice president of business development Jayson Jones (News - Alert) noted, “Using SkySwitch and the Alexa skill is like having a personal assistant. With handsfree commands, a busy executive can simply request Alexa to dial an extension, co-worker, access a conference call or connect to any number. This makes for a powerful C-Level solution and and clearly demonstrates the SkySwitch white label UCaaS value proposition."

This latest development from SkySwitch is just part of larger change in the field, which means a growing reliance on communications tools, and a growing need for better tools to improve what's already there. Those who want to see the latest in communications technology, meanwhile, should check out a new event to hit Caesars Palace July 18-20 called Communications 20 / 20. Communications 20 / 20 is a celebration of the communications landscape, including such key developments as the growth of chatbots, machine learning systems, predictive analytics and more. Exhibitors will be on hand showing off the latest and greatest, and several addresses will offer insight into this market.

Communications technology, like that SkySwitch recently brought out, is vital to the ongoing growth and well-being of businesses all over the world.  Whether sharing information, allowing for collaboration, or serving other key purposes, we need tools like SkySwitch's to keep development moving forward.