Verizon has constructed a smart display driven by Amazon’s Alexa, according to an FCC filing. Link to the original source Verizon has constructed a smart display driven by Amazon’s Alexa, according to an FCC filing.
Verizon wants to sell you a smart display, possibly so that it can finally launch its BlueJeans video conferencing service. Protocol discovered evidence of a Verizon-branded smart display-like device in a recent FCC application. The device includes a white chassis with an 8-inch display and a camera above it with a hardware shutter button, according to the document. It also comes with 4GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, Wifi, Bluetooth, and 4G connectivity built-in. Verizon Media, the parent company of Engadget, is owned by Verizon. You may rest confident that Verizon has no influence over our coverage. Engadget has maintained its editorial independence.
The user interface for the system referred to as LVD1, is not clear from the document, although it will “wake” when users say “Hi Verizon” to it. As Protocol points out, this would appear to ensure that the device is compatible with Amazon’s Alexa Personalized Assistant software, which allows businesses to create their own versions of Alexa for their branded products. Adapting Alexa’s techniques to specific units. Verizon paid $400 million buying the BlueJeans platform last year in response to the rise in video chat owing to pandemic urgency. Verizon had stated that BlueJeans would be a compliment to its business and would eventually be integrated into its network.
According to a user manual included in the FCC filing, the system supports the BlueJeans videoconferencing technology that Verizon acquired in April, which would be a sensible application for it. “BlueJeans will be deeply built into Verizon’s 5G merchandise roadmap, offering safe and genuine-time engagement possibilities for high-development parts such as telemedicine, length mastering, and field company work,” Verizon stated at the time of the acquisition. This Verizon version, like the Amazon Echo Show series of displays, will have a manual hardware shutter for the camera. The quality of the front-facing camera, on the other hand, is unknown. The FCC filing confirmed that it will support Verizon’s BlueJeans video-conferencing software, which is a plus for customers who need it.
There’s no smoke without fire, but no one knows when or if this smart display will be available. Verizon has previously produced smartwatches, including children’s models, as well as tablets. It remains to be seen whether it will be able to break into the competitive smart display industry. “Hey, Verizon,” on the other hand, doesn’t exactly glide off the tongue like “Alexa” or “Hey, Google.”
This smart display appears to be the first step toward putting that concept into action. It might also be Verizon’s chance to incorporate a value-add as it sells enterprise-level video chat to customers. For Amazon, this is an opportunity to spread the word about its digital assistant to a wider audience, and potentially even woo the business crowd, given that it’s partnering with one of the industry’s top players.
