Solution Providers Could Be Bringing Google Home To Work

Google's keynote at the Google I/O conference Thursday was filled with examples of how the company intends to reshape the consumer experience through artificially intelligent systems paired with speech-recognition technologies.

But at Agosto, a Google Apps for Work partner based in Minneapolis, President Aric Bandy told CRN that he couldn't help but see the business corollaries.

In one simple example, during a video at the Google I/O conference, Google showed a family getting ready for their day and interacting constantly with the forthcoming Google Home system, an interactive speaker that uses the virtual Google Assistant.

Google Home is shown answering questions, changing dinner reservations, and giving updates on an upcoming flight to family members.

Bandy said the scene is "not unlike what it's like when I get into the office" -- and it's not hard to imagine a Google Home-like solution making its way into the workplace before long.

Coordinating meetings, for instance, right now happens with people firing off emails and instant messages to each other, Bandy said.

"That kind of fragmentation we experience with our technology, fairly soon we'll see that go away," he said. "We'll be able to say, 'Move this meeting from this time to this time,' and Google will be able to effectively communicate that -- communicate with the appropriate people and just make it happen."

And solution providers, of course, will play a front-and-center role with bringing the new artificial-intelligence-powered offerings from Google to business customers, Bandy said.

Google did not disclose pricing or specific availability information for Google Home, which is aimed at competing with Amazon's interactive speaker, Echo.