By will-buy
Office electronics manufacturer Ricoh has launched a way to operate printers, scanners, and related equipment by voice. The new Ricoh Intelligent Voice Control allows office workers to operate the machines by voice command through Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant through the Alexa for Business service. The voice commands are simply the latest example of tech developers looking to voice AI for answers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent spike sought after for hygenic ways to use machinery.
Alexa Printer
The vocal commands are part of Ricoh’s IM Series of intelligent multifunction printers. Alexa for Business controls lets users start a printing job, adjusting the settings when it comes to color, amount, and other aspects by asking the voice assistant. The same goes for scanning or faxing documents. Ricoh printer owners can sign up for the service and connect the printer to an Amazon Echo smart speaker linked to the Alexa for Business account. It’s a type of enterprise form of the Alexa Print feature Amazon introduced in September that gave Alexa the opportunity to print calendars, recipes, as well as coloring books and puzzles.
Ricoh’s Intelligent Voice Control extends past the Echo towards the enhanced screen readers around the printers as well as smartphones and tablets with the Ricoh Smart Device Connector. The goal is to make using office equipment easier to use, without the user having to navigate a touchscreen or buttons on the printer, just say out loud what they want to be printed. The service could also ease the worries of those understandably focused on making work environments as safe as possible when COVID-19 cases are rising in lots of states.
“Above all else, when customers inform us what they need we listen and that we build technology that addresses those needs. Today, customers are concentrating on keeping their employees safe and healthy. This is a different way to achieve this, helping them share business-critical information easily and quickly in ways that work for his or her environment, today and tomorrow,” Ricoh USA v . p . of technology innovation and new business development Steven Burger said in a statement. “Voice control is really a powerful tool for simplifying complexity. Users no more have to flip through multiple screens of settings to have their information presented perfect. Instead, they can walk up, say their preferences, and allow the technology go to work – with very low-touch interaction.”
Voice Control
This also isn’t Ricoh’s first experience with voice controls. In 2023, the organization partnered with IBM Watson to provide voice commands to smart whiteboards. Still, there’s no question the COVID-19 pandemic has attracted a lot more curiosity about using voice AI for a commercial building. Cerence recently launched a Building Mobility Platform to give voice controls to elevators. The AI platform can connect with the current operating-system and passengers would the floor or the name from the office they would like to reach without needing to push a button. Voice tech developer Picovoice debuted its very own elevator and intercom AI in March, while smart intercome startup ButterflyMx raised $35 million partly around the rush of interest in contactless technology.
