If you work from home or have a small business, you may often ponder how useful it may be to have your own personal receptionist. Maybe you’ve even considered asking your girlfriend or wife (Or boyfriend/husband, no sexism here) to be your receptionist… But you don’t need to dream no more. There’s an iPad Receptionist app that’s recently been released by a Japanese company called Analog 12. This seems to be the most serious of apps this company has come up with. With their other apps being as simple as Finger Sudoku and a strange meeting place app called Machipittan2.
A Receptionist As An App?
So having an app as a receptionist… it’s OK to be confused right now. But let me explain the perks… there is no wage to pay, she takes no holidays, it’s always wide awake (no hangovers) – surely it’s a dream come true. But when we think of some of the downfalls, like it can’t go make you a cup of tea, then maybe it’s not so much of a dream come true.
Customisable Efficiency at Front Of House
What the receptionist can do though is perform the basic tasks that a ‘front of house’ person does. This app was designed to connect your visitors and inhouse staff to connect to right department or person, and nothing more. So you walk into a building, and you get faced with an iPad (on a stand of some kind, secured into the front desk) and then you have to press the appropriate department on the iPad screen, they will then get notified and come down to get you. Can you imagine this in your office? A great addition we think, a bit of cool tech as soon as visitors walk in… and an efficient touch screen system to get you to the department or person you need. What’s also cool is the ‘avatar’, a real human person with gestures to match what your asking for. She even bows… pretty cool.
The free app is called iReceptionist. You could try downloading this on your personal iPad first to give it a quick go. Downloading the paid version will allow you to customise the ‘avatar’ choosing what the receptionist looks like. I’m sure many companies will be having fun with this! But this is no joke app… The paid version will also allow you to add your company logo in and company name, and customize many other aspects.
Currently there are companies in Japan paying the premium to use this service. With a voice, and hand motions, customization and much much more, it looks like a great replacement for your front of house.
The app is the worlds fist PIP (Person in Presentation) app. It has options for in-app billing too. The app can connect to phone lines in your office using a SIP server.
Have a go and let us know what you think of the app in the comments 🙂
