Phonesuite now integrates its hotel private branch exchange platform with Roxy, the speech-enabled device designed specifically for hospitality that provides fully customizable in-room concierge services. This partnership is one of the first to combine a virtual assistant and a PBX system, enabling hotels to streamline their in-room devices and make voice-activated calls directly through the device, the company said.
The integration of Roxy with Phonesuite’s PBX platform stems from a wealth of statistics and research showing the rise of smart speakers in consumers’ lives. The Smart Audio Report, which is based on data from NPR and Edison Research, reports that around 39 million U.S. adults own a smart speaker, and that the adoption rate of such speakers over the last three years is now outpacing that of smartphones and tablets.
Further supporting the desire for expanded functionality, 31 percent of smart speaker owners are asking their virtual assistants to control other devices. With this data in mind, Phonesuite completed the integration of its PBX with Roxy, demonstrating a commitment to understanding the preferences of hotel guests and delivering technologies that enhance their experience and exceed their expectations.
“Integrating with Roxy puts us at the forefront of bringing voice activated services solutions to hotel guests,” Phonesuite President Frank Melville said in a statement. “Providing a communications ecosystem compatible with disruptive guest interaction technologies is one of the ways to deliver on our commitment to create a true next-generation communication platform and elevate the guest experience. Roxy has given us a leap forward in that direction.”
Roxy provides an easy-to-use web portal which enables hotels to develop their own custom personas representing their brand, information and services. Phone functionality can be added through a software update.
“The Phonesuite integration with Roxy is huge for us” said Nick Pearson, assistant GM of Jupiter Next, a hotel in Portland, Ore. “Using Roxy devices in lieu of legacy phones has saved us thousands, reduced clutter in our rooms all while delivering a more robust guest experience.”