Voicebot hosted a webinar on Thursday related to the global coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the the tech and voice industry.The virus has affected everybody and we are seeing big effects on businesses that are either slowing down or closing due to the crisis. According to most prognoses, the pandemic won’t disappear anytime soon neither in the US, nor in Europe, as David Watkins from Strategy Analytics mentioned. We are, however, seeing a light at the end of the tunnel in China, where factories are re-opening and people are going back to their jobs after months of struggle.
The panelists also discussed how Google and Amazon are now under an even bigger pressure to be innovative with their products in order to continue their growth, especially when it comes to smart speakers. It was suggested that they will either need to release new upgrades or features to their products or have great offers for people to continue bringing smart devices in to their homes. It was also mentioned how voice apps containing information about the coronavirus have been removed from the tech giant’s platforms, an action that were aimed to reduce the risk of spreading misinformation about the pandemic.
But what’s the affect on the Voice industry? The wide spread of the virus might make room for new ways of interacting where voice technology is a more prominent alternative. Bret Kinsella from Voicebot mentioned that using Conversational Interfaces are even more helpful now whether it’s being used in the healthcare systems, in call centers or any other place where efficiency is crucial. We are therefore currently seeing a rise of chatbots and voice but also the usage of other AI-technology that could help in these times.
How has things played out in your industry?
