Consumer delivery specialist Hermes has become the first parcel company in the UK to fully integrate its tracking solution with Google Assistant, a mobile personal assistant (PA) application from Google. The new addition follows on from Hermes’s integration with Amazon’s digital PA Alexa earlier this year.
Consumers waiting for a Hermes delivery will now be able to track their parcels via Google Assistant. The voice-activated application is incorporated within the Google Home device, as well as a wide range of Google and Android smartphones, tablets and other smart devices. Customers will also be able to track any products they have returned to a retailer.
The integration with Google Assistant was carried out by the Hermes Innovation Lab, led by the company’s head of innovation, David Turner, which aims to devise a range of forward-thinking services to change the future of home delivery. In addition to the Alexa integration, the Innovation Lab has also worked closely alongside Starship Technologies to trial self-driving delivery robots in London.
Turner said, “The completion of this latest project signifies the importance we place on developing our service offering and providing additional value to our customers, focusing on convenience. We are excited to become the first parcel delivery company in the UK to complete this integration and we look forward to unveiling even more exciting solutions in the near future.”
Carole Woodhead, CEO at Hermes, said, “Similar to the unparalleled growth of smartphones over the past decade, more and more consumers are now equipping their own homes with innovative devices such as Amazon Echo, Echo Dot and Google Home. We have a commitment to react to these technological trends and develop new and exciting functionality that will ultimately benefit the UK retail industry and its customers.”
September 6, 2017