Transforming Adult Social Care and Connecting Residents
Britannic Technologies, a leading provider of business communications, and Vocala, a smart properties solutions provider, today announced the UK’s first Amazon Alexa smart voice and telephony solution, NetX SmartLink™ for two-way calls with an identifiable UK number, through an exclusive partnership agreement.
Previously, calls from fleet managed Alexa devices appeared as unidentifiable US numbers and could not be linked to a resident, room, or property record. There was also no way for a landline or mobile to call into the Alexa device directly, and any outbound calls could not be returned.
Now with NetX SmartLink™, Amazon’s WebRTC calls are converted to SIP calls via Britannic’s NetX SIP platform, assigning each device with a dedicated UK number (DDI) where two-way calls can integrate directly with contact centres, call management systems, and alarm receiving centres, with no additional software required.
Residents can now make and receive secure, trusted and identifiable calls from Alexa, enabling call management, continuity of care, and seamless connection to the services they need.
Transforming Resident Care
Councils put residents first, continually striving to enable proactive, personalised care in supported living and care home environments, aiming to support residents’ independent living.
The NetX SmartLink™ solution combines Vocala's fleet-managed Alexa devices and custom voice skills with Britannic's telephony expertise to deliver a voice-activated intuitive solution where residents don't have to navigate apps or learn a new technology. Connecting residents to friends and family, helping them stay in touch regularly and avoid isolation. Age UK (2024) revealed that 7% of people aged 65+ are often lonely and 3% often go a week without speaking to a friend or family member.
It also acts as a virtual companion so residents can ask it to play their favourite song, listen to the news, the radio, or an audiobook, or even play games. As a virtual PA, it can deliver reminders about medication or appointments and enable residents to report a maintenance issue without picking up a phone.
It is not a replacement for certified telecare systems but provides an additional, accessible method of communication through hands-free voice activation using Alexa's far-field microphones and speakers to enable residents to connect to the people and services they require.
Eases the Pressures
Councils are always under pressure to do more with less and the NetX SmartLink™ solution streamlines daily communication tasks and reduces unnecessary burden on care staff. Supporting the sector's shift from reactive to proactive care without increasing operational overhead.
"We are excited to bring the NetX SmartLink™, the UK's first Alexa two-way calling solution with DDIs, to market. Combining Vocala's voice and smart device expertise with Britannic's telephony capabilities to transform adult social care, empower independent living and help residents stay connected to the people and services they need," said Rob Stanbridge, Managing Director, Vocala.
