Amazon, the popular e-commerce platform is reportedly adding new features into its exclusive product Alexa. The company is expanding Alexa’s brain with the help of Yext Business Services.
Amazon is adding hours, addresses and phone numbers of more than 1 million business locations to its Alexa digital-assistant platform so customers can access the information via voice command. This will be done in collaboration with Yext, which offers business data used in Alphabet’s Google search engine, Apple’s Siri digital assistant, and Facebook’s social media platform.
Amazon has offered similar news through consumer-review website Yelp, which has enabled users to ask questions like “Alexa, what’s the best Mexican restaurant nearby?” The data from Yext provides more material directly from businesses such as McDonald’s, T-Mobile and Rite Aid, which pay considerable amounts to Yext for keeping their data updated on various platforms. Yext data is also utilized on Yelp, which gives more attention to reviews from customers that information supplied directly from the businesses.
“Amazon better be good at information, too,” Chief Executive Officer Howard Lerman said. “It’s a big strategic beachhead for Amazon.”
The effort emphasizes material based on the user’s location after they enter an address in their Alexa app. No need to drop what you’re doing and look up hours on your smartphone. Yext shares increased by 4.5 percent in early trading in New York Wednesday to $19.80 (Rs. 1,360).
Lerman also stated that Yext takes care of 30 million facts regarding 1.2 million businesses and locations. And thus, the user can ask Alexa, “how many calories are in a Big Mac?” and get an answer. More popular questions are about store hours, locations and phone numbers.
This news comes right after the sale of Alexa has fallen in the recent times. It seems that the company is gearing up to increase the customer base and boost up the sale of Amazon exclusive Alexa.