Latest news with #voiceassistant
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
CallRail's Voice Assist Now Available to All Businesses
The trusted platform ensures businesses never miss a call again ATLANTA, July 17, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For over 15 years, CallRail has helped businesses and marketing agencies attract more leads, convert more customers and make smarter marketing decisions. Today, CallRail is taking a monumental leap forward in that mission, announcing the general availability of Voice Assist, a 24/7 AI-powered voice assistant that answers, captures and qualifies inbound calls to ensure no opportunity is missed. Missed calls represent massive lost revenue for small businesses. CallRail's proprietary data, gathered from their customer base of more than 220,000 businesses and 7,000 marketing agencies, shows that 30% of calls go unanswered. For months, CallRail has been quietly revolutionizing the operations of companies in their oversubscribed Voice Assist beta program. During that time, beta customers have increased their answered calls by an average of 44%, all while efficiently qualifying leads and providing real time responses to customers around the clock. Now, any business can turn missed calls into real revenue. With Voice Assist, businesses and their marketing agencies can expect to: Converse with, capture and qualify leads, even when staff are unavailable, ensuring no calls are missed. Prioritize follow-up using AI-powered lead scoring, giving businesses a quantitative and qualitative view of lead quality, intent and urgency. Provide a seamless process for callers to book appointments. Integrate with 60+ tools to sync leads, call summaries and auto-tagged outcomes. Easily optimize marketing performance with attribution and intent signals delivered within a unified platform. Trust that their leads are being handled by a platform backed by enterprise level security and compliance certifications, and the scale that comes with millions of hours of experience in call handling and AI call analysis. "We cut unanswered calls in half with Voice Assist. It's made a huge difference in our lead flow," said Franco Aquino, Founder of REN Marketing LLC. Unmatched personalization to maximize conversion Unlike other AI voice agents on the market, Voice Assist can be set up in minutes, is completely personalized to the business and is built for lead conversion. Pulling from the business's existing website content and past call transcripts, Voice Assist instantly learns how to converse effectively on behalf of a business – no manual setup or tedious scripting required. Customers can customize everything from Voice Assist's tone of voice and hours of availability to its automatic text responses. Customers can even set conditions for when the call should be transferred to a team member so businesses can prioritize high-value opportunities. "I was blown away by how much the agent knew about my business – it was incredibly accurate," said Scott Clift, CEO of Westpark Equity Group. More Than an AI Receptionist – A Smarter Marketing Engine Voice Assist is integrated seamlessly within the broader CallRail lead engagement platform, giving customers a unified view of every lead. "We rely on CallRail as the central hub for tracking, analyzing and optimizing every marketing dollar we spend for our clients. Voice Assist adds another layer – now we're capturing high-intent leads even after hours, qualifying them automatically and feeding that data right back into our reporting and ad platforms. It's made our campaigns smarter and our results stronger," said Michael Hurley, COO, Einstein Industries. By adding Voice Assist to the CallRail platform, marketing teams now have access to an AI voice assistant that also optimizes campaigns. Examples include: Conversion signals: CallRail will automatically tag when a caller speaking with the AI agent has requested an appointment, which can be integrated back into Google Ads to generate higher quality leads. Attribution insights: Marketers know what campaigns, keywords and channels are working, aggregated into one platform, whether the call is answered by their human receptionist or Voice Assist. Lead qualification: Voice Assist captures caller intake details and intent, then scores leads, allowing marketers to quickly decide which lead should be prioritized for follow up. Transcriptions, summaries and sentiment: businesses can quickly gather full context to provide personalized follow up to the best leads, faster. "Voice Assist unlocks the full potential of every call," said Marc Ginsberg, CEO at CallRail. "It captures intent, streamlines follow-ups and gives businesses a faster, smarter way to turn calls into revenue." To learn more about Voice Assist, visit About CallRailCallRail is the lead engagement platform that makes it easy for businesses to attract more leads, convert more customers, and optimize their marketing. Serving more than 220,000 businesses worldwide, CallRail's AI-powered solutions help businesses attribute each call, text, chat and form to their marketing journey, use insights from their conversations to better understand their buyers, and eliminate missed opportunities with AI that can handle lead interactions 24/7. CallRail has grown from the G2 top-rated inbound call tracking solution to include Form Tracking, Conversation Intelligence®, Premium Conversation Intelligence™, Convert Assist and Voice Assist. CallRail's award winning platform integrates with dozens of leading marketing and sales software, and offers affiliate, agency, and technology partnership opportunities, helping businesses earn, grow, and build with CallRail. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts Media Contact PAN for CallRailcallrail@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CNET
2 days ago
- CNET
I Found the Best Smart Displays for My Home With 6 Simple Questions
From the early Amazon Echos to advanced smart displays from Nest and maybe even Apple, there's a smart display out there for everyone who wants a voice assistant speaker with a touchscreen that can show tutorials, live sports, video chats and more. The problem is figuring out which model is right for you, and where it should go. When I'm not testing other smart display, I keep mine in the kitchen. With my open floor plan and the way I use the smart display, it just works better there than anywhere else. But I arrived at that decision after several important questions, and they may help you out, too. Read more: 7 Ways You Aren't Using Your Smart Display (But Should Be) What do you want to do with a smart display? The Echo Show 5 makes an excellent video chat option for kids. Amazon Why are you interested in buying a smart display? Their capabilities keep growing as voice assistants are enhanced with AI, so let's start with a list of what you want to do with one: Use a home voice assistant such as Alexa, Google Gemini or Siri Video chat Connect and control compatible smart home devices View live camera feeds from connected smart cameras Look up videos, recipes and photos for visual instructions Connect to streaming services such as Amazon Prime, Hulu and Netflix to stream shows or sports Play interactive games Walk through visual education lessons Look up visual guides, charts or walkthroughs Stream game playthroughs from Twitch, YouTube, etc. Shop online Listen to music Display photos like a digital photo frame Once you determine what you need in a smart display, you'll also have a good idea where you want it -- as an alarm display in a bedroom, a quick way to communicate with a baby or pet, a sidekick device for your gaming setup, a kitchen helper or a whole-house controller. Keep in mind, smart displays need to be plugged into an outlet so you'll need one nearby. How big of a screen do you need? Amazon's Echo Show 10 has one of the largest screens for videos. Chris Monroe/CNET Smart displays offer a nearly-overwhelming number of screen sizes. We've seen tiny smart display dial-like screens like the Echo Spot ($80) come and go, as well as standard rectangular screens both small and large. So let's make this step easy with three choices. First, if you're going to be watching any type of video, from a recipe walkthrough to the latest episode of a Hulu show, you'll want a bigger screen. The best options are the Google Nest Hub Max ($230) and the Echo Show 10 ($250), which both have 10-inch touchscreens. These screen sizes are also best if you like tapping and swiping on the touchscreen to scan through search results and images. Second, if you prefer a more background-friendly, quiet helper for a smart display, choose a small screen instead. The Echo Spot we mentioned serves as a fun little alarm clock, as can the Echo Show 5 ($90) with its 8-inch screen. The Echo Show 8 ($150) and the 7-inch Google Nest Hub 2nd-Gen ($100) also can serve well as desktop companions or dutiful smart home control centers that get the job done without needing as much space as the largest models. They also make good photo displays. What voice assistant and apps do you use? Some smart displays are friendlier for smart homes than others but you'll want to think about what platform you use. Chris Monroe/CNET What voice assistant do you prefer to use? That will have a huge impact on your display choices. Echo Shows only work with Alexa, for example, and can only control smart home devices that support Alexa connections. Google Nest Hubs only work with Google Assistant/Gemini and Google Home smart home devices. And if you prefer Siri, it's probably worth waiting to see if Apple releases a smart display in 2025. So, which home platform is best? There's no easy answer here, especially because voice assistants are in the throes of so many AI changes and we don't know how that's going to turn out in the end. Our best advice is to take a look at any smart home devices you currently use and see what voice assistants they are compatible with. Matter is making this easier, but it's a work in progress. Finally, if you want an extra-big display focused entirely on your smart home, the Amazon Echo Show 15 is dedicated to the task. Do you plan on listening to a lot of music? The Nest Hub Max has a notable subwoofer for its size. David Priest/CNET What if you plan to focus many activities on the smart speaker qualities of your smart display? Then you'll want a model that can fill a room with sound. Currently, the best model for music and sound is the rounded Amazon Echo Show 10, which we've gotten the best results with when playing tunes. It can also connect to services like Spotify so you can often stream the platform you already use. However, the Google Nest Hub Max with its 30W subwoofer is also a serious contender. Do you move around a lot in your space? The Echo Show 10 is one of the only models that moves. We've also seen smart displays that can move, notably swivel and angle as long as they have enough space. This feature was sold as a way to track people during voice chats but it also gives the display the ability to rest at a variety of angles and positions, which is useful if you move around a lot but want to keep consulting the screen (like working on a meal in the kitchen). Some smart displays that move have been canceled, like the short-lived Facebook Portal Plus (ahh, the heydays before Meta). Currently, your best option here is the Amazon Echo Show 10, although its swiveling design is a bit awkward and can take up a lot more space than other displays. How much do you want to spend? Smart displays are easy ways to keep eyes on loved ones but make sure the device is worth the cost. Google Nest As you may have noticed, smart display prices typically start around $80 to $100 for the cheapest, smallest models. The largest versions cost up to $250. We suggest you budget at least $100 for a display and make sure you'll get your money's worth if you choose a larger display. If you have a computer tablet handy, you may want to set it up in the spot where you are considering a smart display, and see how often you use it for similar tasks to judge the ultimate value of a standalone device. Final thoughts The right smart display can be a great addition to your home. They add convenience by offering voice-controlled assistants that can perform a variety of tasks for you. Need a recipe for the best barbecue rub for your first summer cookout? With a smart display, it's as simple as asking a question. Some smart displays also enhance your home security by connecting with smart doorbells and smart cameras -- not to mention video chats, games and generally visualizing anything you want to know. Choosing the right smart display isn't just about how you'll use it, but the size of screen you want, what voice assistant you prefer and where the smart display will be. Now that you know the details, you're ready to make a choice. For more info, check out our full guide to the best smart home devices, plus some important Alexa privacy changes.
The Verge
12-07-2025
- The Verge
24 hours with Alexa Plus: we cooked, we chatted, and it kinda lied to me
I've waited two years to try out the new Alexa, which was first announced way back in 2023, and this week I finally got access to Alexa Plus (not organically — I did have to pull a few strings). I've now spent 24 hours with Amazon's generative AI-powered voice assistant, and it's not just an improvement on the original; it's an entirely new assistant. Alexa Plus knows more, can do more, and is easier to interact with because it understands more. I can ramble, pause, sigh, cough, change my request mid-sentence, and it can adapt and respond appropriately. No more, 'Sorry, I'm not sure about that.' Miraculous. I'm impressed, but unsurprisingly, I found a few flaws. It's no secret that Amazon has been struggling to reinvent Alexa; reports of delays and setbacks have plagued the project since it was announced. Amazon's slow rollout of Alexa Plus is also a clue that confidence isn't sky-high. While the expansion has recently ramped up (Amazon told me it's now in 'many millions' of homes), the upgraded assistant is still in Early Access. It's a beta product, but that means it should get better. I'll publish an in-depth hands-on with Alexa Plus after spending a lot more time with it and testing the full list of new features it's been pushing at me since arriving in my home. But here's how I spent my first 24 hours with Alexa Plus along with my initial impressions of Alexa's metamorphosis. Alexa Plus landed on my Echo devices fairly late in the day, so, after going through some simple setup steps, my first experiment was having it help me cook dinner. I asked Alexa for a recipe for salmon tacos, told it I wanted the first one it suggested, and asked it to read me the steps. This is something I've done many times before, and while Alexa responded with more detailed suggestions and in a more conversational tone, it mostly felt like business as usual. But then, as it was reading me the steps, it displayed everything it was saying in a full-screen, chatbot-style interface on the Show 8 smart display, rather than just showing a static page of recipe steps and ingredients. It's a vast improvement over cooking with the old Alexa At first, not having the recipe visible confused me. I couldn't complete the steps as fast as Alexa was saying them. Then I realized that I didn't need to keep going back to the screen to scroll through the recipe as I'm used to doing. Instead, I could just ask Alexa to read out the info as I needed it. 'Which spices do I need for the seasoning?' I said, standing in front of the spice cupboard. 'How do I make the sauce?' I asked as I moved around the kitchen, getting the ingredients. Alexa replied with information pulled from the relevant sections. When I was putting the salmon in the air fryer, I asked, 'How long do I need to cook the salmon?' Alexa replied with the right time, and I said, 'Set a timer for that,' and it did. It's a vast improvement over cooking with the old Alexa, which can't respond on the fly like that. And which also loves to close the recipe on me in the middle of cooking, and then pretend it had never heard of that recipe when I ask it to show it again. But the new experience wasn't perfect. At one point, I asked how much sour cream I needed. 'I apologize, but the exact amount of sour cream for the white sauce isn't specific in the recipe details I have.' It was right there in the ingredients list. Then it told me that one cup would probably be fine, as if it was guessing, even though that's how much the recipe said. Alexa also lost the recipe once or twice when I hadn't interacted for a few minutes. A quick, 'Alexa, can you show me that salmon taco recipe?' usually brought it back successfully. But once it completely forgot what it was doing and tried to gaslight me by saying we hadn't had any conversations about salmon tacos today. I guess some things just don't change. The next morning, I walked into the kitchen and asked Alexa to make me a coffee. This normally triggers an Alexa Routine I created that turns on the Bosch coffee maker and starts making a coffee grande (Bosch lets you select specific coffee styles in its Alexa skill). This time, Alexa said, 'I'm sorry, I can't actually make coffee for you. Is there something else you'd like me to do instead?' This is where the friction between the old Alexa's command and control structure and the new, generative-AI Alexa's method of listening to what I say and 'deciding' what I want it to do became clear. Alexa couldn't parse that I wanted it to run a routine from my smart home rather than have it do something for me. Amazon isn't the only company struggling to merge its voice assistant's old functions with its new generative AI capabilities. This is a big part of why we've yet to see a smarter Siri in our HomePods or any major Gemini updates to Google Home beyond its own beta program. I rephrased, saying, 'Alexa, can you run my 'make me a coffee' routine?' It asked me which of my two coffee routines I wanted to run. I picked the one I wanted, and this time it ran. For my second cup, I tried a different tactic. Instead of using a routine, I just asked it to tap into the capabilities of the connected appliance: 'Alexa, can you ask my coffee machine to make me a coffee grande?' It worked. This last action is a big change and one that should make using smart home gadgets much easier. When the new Alexa was first announced, then-Alexa chief Dave Limp told me it would be capable of disambiguating controls for smart gadgets; know what they're capable of and use those tools when you ask for them without you having to do any setup. My first impressions here are promising, but I'll be doing a lot more testing. As I sat down with my coffee and granola, I put Alexa's new conversational skills to the test. I wanted to talk about the most important event in the world right now: Wimbledon. My family is bored to tears by tennis, and it was too early to ping my go-to tennis buddy, Verge features editor Kevin Nguyen. So, I asked Alexa to tell me how the tournament was going. After we talked back and forth about the championships, with Alexa giving me the lowdown on who was playing today, who were the favorites, as well as some interesting tidbits such as what would be historic about an Alcaraz win on Sunday, I asked for the score for the match that was currently taking place. Disappointingly, I didn't get the exact set / game breakdown, but it did accurately tell me that the first women's semi-final was tied at zero sets each. I then asked it to show me the match on YouTube TV, and it launched the app on the Echo Show 21 I was using (which has FireTV software built in). However, I had to tune in to ESPN on my own. Nicely done, Alexa. We have a family camping trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park planned for later this month, so while making lunch, I asked Alexa for some day trip ideas. After a bit of back and forth, I settled on Gatlinburg. It suggested Ripley's Aquarium, which I had not heard of, and will definitely check out, as well as the Dollywood theme park, which was already on our list. A voice in your home confidently telling you something that's not true hits a little harder than a chatbot lying to you in a text window I asked if there were any deals on Dollywood tickets, and Alexa excitedly told me about a great deal where I could get a two-day ticket for just $42 a day. I asked it to help me book those, and it showed me a link, along with some generic tips for buying tickets and how to check out. I pulled out my phone to open the chat — you can pick up any chat you start on an Echo device from the Alexa app, and soon on the web — and navigated to the Dollywood website. Once there, I learned that the pricing information Alexa had given me was wrong. I would be paying $122, not $84, for a two-day ticket. Bad Alexa. Chatbots giving incorrect information isn't anything new. And Amazon acknowledges that delivering accurate, real-time information is a 'known limitation' for Alexa Plus. But somehow, a voice in your home confidently telling you something that turns out not to be true, hits a little harder than a chatbot lying to you in a text window on your phone or computer, where you can quickly fact-check it with a Google search. That afternoon, I decided to try a feature I've been excited for: creating a smart home routine by voice. I've set up many, many, many routines in the Alexa app over the years, and it's a fiddly, time-consuming process that often goes wrong. Telling Alexa what I want and having it figure out the details definitely appeals. I started with something not too complicated. I told Alexa I wanted to dim the lights in the living room and kitchen to 60 percent, play relaxing music from the Echo Studio, and adjust the thermostat to 76 degrees. I said I wanted this to happen every night at 6PM, but I also wanted to trigger it with my voice at any time. After a couple of minutes of back and forth, we ended up with two routines: one that runs every night at 6 and one that I can execute with a voice command whenever I like. (Alexa Routines can only have one trigger each, hence the need for two routines.) Alexa then offered to test the routine, which worked, and it then ran as scheduled. Good Alexa. I'm mostly excited about this feature for my family, who rely on me to set things up for them. This should make it easier for them to bend our smart home to their will. After one day with Alexa, I'm impressed. Despite some slip-ups, it did make my life, which is very promising. While there are some rough edges to smooth out, several promised features are still MIA, and I've yet to put any of the flashier agentic abilities like booking a plumber, a restaurant, or an Uber — the changes I've seen so far are mostly good. The big shift for my household will be getting used to more personality in our AI However, I am super skeptical about how well it will interact with my smart home. Asking Alexa to run that coffee routine the next morning prompted the worrying response, 'I can't run Routines on demand.' Based on several Reddit threads, it seems some existing skills and APIs aren't jiving well with the new administration. A significant difference between a smart home voice assistant and a Chat-GPT-style chatbot is that the former can take actions in your home. This makes it potentially both more useful and more problematic. If ChatGPT hallucinates that the weather outside is frightful in a text box, it's not going to do much damage. You can see how an AI with control of my smart thermostat could cause problems if it gets hold of the wrong end of the weather stick. The biggest shift for my household with Alexa Plus will be getting used to more personality in our AI. My kids are 14 and 17. They've basically grown up with Alexa, and this new version is totally different. My 14-year-old daughter's first reaction to hearing it was shock. 'That's not nice!' she gasped. 'The way it talked back to you.' It wasn't that Alexa was rude; she was objecting to the extra personality it exhibited. She's firmly of the opinion that machines should not try to act like humans. I'm on the fence, but after spending some more time with Alexa Plus, I might be picking a side. We'll see. Photos by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
Phone Arena
11-07-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
For better or worse, your voice might soon be all it takes for Siri to send cash
By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy Would you trust Siri to make payments, even if your iPhone is locked? Yes, as long as it's backed by secure accessories. Maybe, but only if the security is rock-solid and reliable. No way, Siri still messes up simple commands too often. I don't use Siri and don't plan to anytime soon. Yes, as long as it's backed by secure accessories. 0% Maybe, but only if the security is rock-solid and reliable. 0% No way, Siri still messes up simple commands too often. 0% I don't use Siri and don't plan to anytime soon. 0% To be honest, I'm not sure I'd trust Siri to handle payments just yet. The assistant still fumbles simple voice commands more often than I'd like. Case in point: I recently tried to call my mom using 'Call Mom,' and Siri decided to call a friend instead. That's annoying, sure – but if it were a payment instead of a phone call, it could've turned into a whole mess involving refunds and awkward truth is, Siri still feels like it's in beta half the time. So the idea of giving it access to my money without even unlocking my phone? Yeah… that's going to take a lot of course, like most patents, this one might never make it to an actual product. But if Apple really wants Siri to be your trusted voice-powered wallet, it better make sure it's a whole lot more reliable. Because right now, even with basic tasks, the assistant still feels like a gamble and when it comes to money, that's not a bet most people are willing to make.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ally Solutions Gains Momentum as the Most Affordable AI Front Desk for Small Businesses
While big tech builds for enterprise, one company builds for Main Street. DENVER, July 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As artificial intelligence continues to revolutionize how businesses operate, a growing number of small business owners are asking the same question: Where's the AI that's actually built for me? Ally Solutions, an AI tech startup headquartered in Denver, is answering that call, quietly becoming the go-to provider of affordable, human-like voice and chat assistants for small business owners across the U.S. While AI quickly becomes a standard tool for larger businesses, small teams are still struggling to access the tools they need. Most are either priced out, overwhelmed by complexity, or ignored altogether. Ally is changing that dynamic by giving small businesses a 24/7 AI-powered "front desk" without the enterprise price tag or technical barrier. Earlier this month, the company announced a new pricing model. $450/ month for Voice AI with unlimited minutes and full onboarding support. With the lowest price points in the industry, Ally is swiftly following through on its mission: to help business owners handle calls, boost customer support and conversions, and stay focused on what matters. A recent example from a Denver-based HVAC business owner juggling every role. Taking calls mid-job was costing opportunities. Missed calls meant missed leads, and handling admin while in the field wasn't sustainable. "We built Ally for the do-it-all business owners, the ones answering their own phones, closing their own deals, and keeping things running after hours," said Trevor Schrier, Ally Solutions Founder and CEO. "They don't need complicated dashboards. They need powerful tools that just work, so they can focus on growing their business." Schrier is quickly growing a following, knighted the "Robin Hood of AI" for giving small business owners the kind of technology once reserved for Fortune 500s. Tools that respond instantly, scale with demand, and pay for themselves with every missed call they recover. His reputation comes from putting people first. The company is set to be featured on ABC7 News Denver for its massive impact on local businesses. While Denver is homebase, Ally's client footprint spans the nation, and it's growing fast. Behind the scenes, Ally Solutions is currently finalizing several of the largest contracts and partnerships in its history, expected to be announced later this quarter. What makes Ally different isn't just the price or product, it's the philosophy and people. "AI shouldn't feel like a new department," said Schrier. "It should feel like an extra set of hands. There when you need it, invisible when you don't." About Ally Solutions Ally Solutions, founded by Trevor Schrier, builds intuitive AI voice and chat tools for small businesses. Designed for real-life operators, not engineers, Ally helps automate conversations, handle inbound leads, and streamline daily tasks. From dental offices and wellness clinics to cafés, contractors, and medspas, Ally is redefining what AI can do for the small business economy. Learn more at View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Ally Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
