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Does alexa have a purpose at my work place?

· 2 min read
D Balaji
D Balaji
Lead Design Technologist

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Alexa gadget needs no introduction. Those round or tubular smart speakers which can talk to you and advertise themselves as an assistant. But are they useful in a working setup? Let's find out.

What is the Alexa model you are using?​

Let me correct the question, I own the Alexa with a rechargeable battery. You do not have to keep it connected to power all the time. The volume is loud and clear to cover a 200 square foot room. I am not using it at all at work and let me tell you why in the next section.

Why Alexa is not for you​

I am a creator and not a consumer. If I were on the consuming end, then this blog would not have existed.

Alexa has only a few options/facilities for creators. Alexa can create

  1. Reminders & lists. This can save 1 or 2 minutes of your time per reminder or a sticky note at times.

  2. Timer. Yeah, sometimes when you want to control the time you want to spend on a task. An audible reminder at end of the time interval helps.

I have not found or used any other features of Alexa which can be put to work at work. It can check my calendar but cannot create calendar entries (maybe some extra skills required but I care about privacy).

What about alexa for business?​

There is a link related to alexa for business. At least their copywriting talks about voice controls in meeting rooms which is not in my use case currently.

Here is an another post about using alexa to manage emails and meetings. Of course there is no mention about using alexa more creatively or accomplishing a deliverable.

Summary​

We do not need Alexas at work, the timer and reminders are a solved problem. Let the Alexas sit in the living rooms or a gym where you are consuming media.