I will admit it. I was a skeptic of voice-enabled technology.

First came Siri, then Alexa, and then Google Home. My first thought was, "Why would I use this? I know how to use my phone."

Fast forward a few years, and we all can see that the adoption of these digital assistants has come a long way.

In my opinion, Amazon Alexa, is leading the pack. Why? Well... because Amazon.

Need I say more? Amazon just gets it. They understand how to push adoption of their products. Do they have a different target customer than Apple or Google? Probably. With the average consumer, price matters. And Amazon charges much less for their voice-enabled assistants when compared to Apple or Google.

I LOVE MY ALEXA. I have two.

For so many reasons. The music, the weather, news, lists, messages, shopping. It also appeals to my inner lazy self.

“Alexa… can you dim the lights and turn on Netflix?"

The voice market has been touted as a gateway to healthcare and as a vehicle to improve patient-manufacturer communications. Applications of voice could include noble goals like helping patients with disease education, adherence, compliance, and persistence. Yeah, I know, patients love to be told to be compliant... but still it’s an issue today in America with patients failing to take their meds or adhere to the dosing schedule.

So, could voice-enabled technology really help?

Recently, I received an email from my One Drop—my diabetes management app. They asked me to enable a new Amazon Alexa skill they developed and to try it out. I have type 1 diabetes and have to check my blood sugar regularly. It involves pricking your finger and getting enough blood into a tiny test strip, and within seconds you get a digital read on your blood sugar levels. With technology today and the apps that are available, you typically have to take that same finger you just pricked and then manually add your sugar count to any other apps you're using to manage your condition.

Now, with One Drop, I can ask Alexa to log my blood sugar level and it can be automatically added to my app via Bluetooth. Cool, huh? I think so.

Our agency has been experimenting with Alexa and Google Home for months now, helping brands make that connection to how voice-enabled technology can improve people’s lives. We’re close. Very close.

These voice-enabled skills are not going to change the world, but sometimes even making one step easier for a patient can make a big difference. One small step for humans...

Want to chat about the power of voice for your brand? Give us a shout.

Siri is a trademark of Apple, Inc, registered in the U.S. and other countries. Alexa and Echo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Google Home is a trademark of Google Inc. Netflix is a trademark of Netflix, Inc. One Drop is from Informed Data Systems Inc. Bluetooth is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc.