Visix Adds Voice UX To Meeting Room Signs

July 14, 2020 by Dave Haynes

Atlanta-based CMS software firm Visix has added voice interactivity to its meeting room sign applications, building on voice capability debuted a year ago for wayfinding.

Visix says its Touch10 meeting room signs now support a voice user interface, which gives instant access to schedules, floor maps, directions and other useful content without needing to poke at the touchscreen.

Normally, I’d regard this as a bit of a novelty – as there’s nothing hard or inconvenient about a tablet-sized touch screen and UX. But … COVID-19.

I think if you are working in an office space that has re-opened, you are probably using masks and hand gel pretty enthusiastically, and are hyper-aware of contagion risks. But voice does remove a touch risk, however great or minimal that may be.

Users also have to sort out the commands, which may or may not be all that intuitive. I struggle to envision office workers standing in front of a unit, and saying: “Show me the room guidelines.”

But “What rooms are available right now?” would be appealing.

Says Visix:

Touch10 room signs are powered by the company’s AxisTV Signage Suite content management system, which lets users show schedules, media playlists and interactive content on room signs mounted outside any shared space. The software’s recently released Voice Recognizer Widget (VRW) takes advantage of the built-in speech recognition engine for Windows 10 and can be easily configured to let Touch10 room signs respond to voice requests.

“As meeting rooms and conference rooms are being reconfigured to meet social distancing guidelines, we’re working fast to address concerns about germ transmission,” says Trey Hicks, chief sales officer for Visix. “Clients who use our interactive room signs to offer up more varied content don’t want to lose that engagement, but they also want to keep people safe. VUI is the answer.”

Content available on Touch10 room signs is controlled by signage managers and is not limited by the software. In addition to asking to see room schedules and other content, users can also notify facility managers when a room needs to be cleaned or restocked with items like hand sanitizer. Some example voice commands are:

• “Show me the room guidelines”
• “What is the room capacity?”
• “Show me the seating map”
• “Room needs cleaning”
• “Room needs restock” 

Touch10 room signs support bidirectional bookings at the sign for Exchange and Office 365 calendars. Walk-up reservations still require touching the interactive display, or using the appropriate scheduling app on a mobile device, to ensure that reservations meet clients’ booking criteria.

The addition of a microphone is required for Touch10 room signs to support voice requests. Visix can recommend local integration partners who can suggest microphones suitable for the client’s application and environment. Visix can also design Touch10 layouts using the VRW for clients who need creative support.