“Ok Google! Hey Siri!” … Do these sentences sound familiar? Not surprising! A study by Mindshare and MPanel shows that over 50% of French people say they are interested in vocal assistants. Vocal assistants let you start your favourite playlist, check the weather, or plan a trip using only your voice. According to certain projections, 50% of online searches for information will be performed using vocal assistants by 2020, and 30% without even a screen. Just like social media, which first developed in the personal arena before moving into the professional one, vocal assistants are now starting to attract interest in the industrial sector. Construction, to be more precise.

A new tool dedicated to productivity

A vocal assistant is dedicated to a job or a process and provides operational support to technicians as they perform their tasks. Its role is to facilitate interaction with a machine via natural language that suits the context, all while allowing operators to keep their hands free. There are three ways to use it… It can be used for quality control, self-regulation, extensive measurement records, verification of safety rules on site, hardware installation, feedback, adjustment of equipment or machines, intervention reports… There are many uses for vocal assistance in the construction world. This is the market niche in which Simsoft Industry decided to launch in 2013.

Spotlight

Simsoft Industry is one of these discrete startups that won’t make the evening news, but which are creating a stir among French industrial players. Its values and innovations won over Bouygues Construction. The Group decided to use its investment fund Construction Venture to take a minority share of this Toulouse startup’s equity. It stands by Simsoft Industry’s side as the company raises €2mn and pursues financing from the IRDI regional fund and a BPI loan. In attendance at the 2018 VivaTech convention alongside the Group, Simsoft Industry now seems to be on track to achieve its goal: invent operational dialogue between humans and machines in industrial settings. To be continued!