By Jesse Robbins, Orion Founder and Chairman

I’m proud to announce that the Orion Push to Talk app for iOS is now FirstNet Certified and listed in the FirstNet App Catalog. When first responders use the Orion Push to Talk app on a FirstNet Ready smartphone, teams can respond to emergencies faster and more efficiently.

Orion Push to Talk connects public safety teams anywhere they are with the push of a button. Use the talk button in the app to talk to team members, or add an Onyx wearable to keep your phone in your pocket and still stay in sync with your team.

Last week, we also announced partnerships with the FirstNet Authority and ResponderXLabs to support our mission of improving communication and workflows for public safety. As a firefighter and EMT, I’m excited that today we’re taking take that mission a step further.

What is FirstNet?

FirstNet is the first-ever nationwide communications ecosystem exclusively for public safety. In partnership with the First Responder Network Authority, it brings a much-needed technology upgrade to first responders.

FirstNet helps law enforcement, firefighters and emergency medical service crews stay connected and share the information they need to help keep their communities safe and secure. It gives first responders an “always-on” connection so they can communicate – regardless of crowd size or network traffic.

How Does Orion Help First Responders?

My experiences in firefighting and emergency management repeatedly teach me the value of keeping teams heads up and in sync. With our voice-first platform and next-generation wearables and apps, Orion gives public safety teams a heads-up, eyes-free experience. Because they’re more situationally aware, first responders can communicate without losing focus, across any distance, anywhere in the world.

How Do First Responders Get Orion’s FirstNet App?

Download the FirstNet Certified Orion Push to Talk app directly from the App Store.

Or download the fact sheet to learn all about it:

Get the Orion Push to Talk for FirstNet® Fact Sheet

If you have a question about how Orion can help your public safety organization, contact our sales team at info@orionlabs.io or use the contact form at the bottom of this page. We’ve helped agencies throughout the world improve their public safety efforts.

Bringing Voice to the Enterprise

Apple’s announcement indicates the increasing adoption of push-to-talk (PTT) applications, which is becoming increasingly transformative for businesses in need of real-time communications. Global organizations are already using voice technology to power diverse integrations across devices to enhance team productivity, optimize resources, and boost revenue.

To dig deeper, we commissioned the 2018 Voice in the Workplace report, which examines the use of voice technology in today’s increasingly mobile workforce. Through our research, we found that businesses are not only relying on it to get work done, but effective use can actually set companies apart from their competitors. The biggest takeaway? Nearly 85 percent of professionals want to use voice tools in the workplace, and automation is playing a larger role in how businesses choose and use voice technology among global teams.

Another interesting finding? Consumer devices are not getting the job done. For organizations using devices like smartphones or consumer-grade tablets, many reported a variety of issues – most notably, poor battery life, unreliable network coverage and high device costs. Smart walkie-talkie solutions built specifically for the workplace, like Onyx and Orion Push to Talk, ensures team communication is not limited by device type, operating system, range, or physical location. Workers can stay connected anytime, anywhere, optimizing productivity that is essential to a company’s bottom line.

The Convergence of Voice and Automation

Earlier this year, I wrote about the three features that are fueling voice as a top trend in the enterprise for 2018. We’re not only seeing businesses adopt voice technology, but they are also integrating PTT with additional tools like automation, chatbots, and improved software and hardware.

• Workers can trigger processes that automate administrative data entry, such as logging expenses or tracking a shipment – with just a simple voice command.
• Chatbots can process speech commands and queries through artificial intelligence and natural language processing – removing the need to dig through spreadsheets or databases for information.
• The combination of hardware and software automation (think smartphones, wearables, home assistants, chatbots) means our devices will be able to better understand us and operate applications on our behalf.

Which Industries are Benefiting from Push-To-Talk (PTT)?

For communication in the enterprise, every minute counts and organizational devices must be purpose-built and equipped with the capabilities that keep workers connected, safe, efficient and productive. According to our Voice in the Workplace report, PTT technologies like real-time voice services, two-way radios, smart walkie talkies, and consumer radios are the primary communication tools for organizations in a myriad of industries that require heads up, real-time interaction. Of the industries we surveyed, hospitality professionals were most likely to use PTT, at a rate of 47 percent.

When we look at our roster of customers, it’s clear that voice technology is transforming the way that teams communicate across nearly every industry imaginable. We’re seeing businesses like a local flower shop with only 10 employees use Orion to connect delivery drivers and shop workers. We also have event spaces, like churches and amphitheaters, using our devices to manage employees across a widespread venue. Even security teams that rely heavily on communication in potentially dangerous situations are using Orion’s connected voice solutions to stay safe, connected, and enabled in their roles to respond quickly in emergencies.

Voice Will Power the Future of Business

Voice technology has advanced significantly over the past few years, and we’re continuing to see higher rates of adoption among consumers. We’re excited about the new developments occurring in the space, which are allowing more people to experience the possibilities of using voice at home, on their wrist or through their smartphone.

That’s why we believe in the power of voice in the workplace – we’re entering a new business landscape where the nature of work is evolving, and teams are faced with new challenges born out of our on-demand, always-on behaviors. The need for simpler, streamlined collaboration has never been more urgent, and the potential for technology to automate work and make employees more effective has never been higher. Voice is here, and it’s bridging the gap between humans and powerful technologies to simplify our everyday lives.

Learn more about Orion Labs at MWC Americas 2018

Want to know more about how Orion is helping enterprise companies and large organizations succeed using connected voice technology? We’ve got a big announcement coming up on September 12 at Mobile World Congress Americas. If you’re planning to be there, schedule a meeting at MWCA in Los Angeles to get a first look at what’s next. Can’t make it? Keep an eye on our blog for the exciting announcement on September 12.

UPDATE (01/08/2020): Orion Language Translation supports over 60 languages. To learn more about Language Translation and Orion Voice Bots for Process Automation, visit our AI Workflows page.

My co-founder Greg & I founded Orion to help people do more together, in real-time, using the power of voice. We knew we were in the very beginning of a once-in-a-decade shift to voice as the new interface, driven by a rapid evolution of voice services and technologies. We believed this shift would require a new category of connected devices and services, just as the shift to mobile required touch-enabled smartphones. This is what we set out to build as the first step in our broader vision.

Last year we released the award-winning Orion Onyx, our “smart walkie talkie”, which connects to the Orion Platform. We started with a next-generation push-to-talk service for small groups and teams. As this has grown, we released Orion Pro, our powerful SaaS-based tool for large organizations to securely communicate and manage their teams using Orion.

From Science Fiction to Production

Over the last 18 months, we’ve been hard at work developing a constellation of new services and integrations that build on our technology and take advantage of the giant leaps in voice services in the industry. As more customers use Orion we have heard a consistent request for advanced language translation for mobile teams speaking many languages. This has been a truly exciting challenge for us, as we are literally building products most frequently described in science fiction.

Today, along with our $18.25m funding announcement, I’m excited to announce the first public preview of Orion Translator, a new type of connected voice bot & service designed to help teams bridge language barriers.

You can see a video of Orion Translator below:

Launching today: Real-Time Translation Between English and Spanish

The Orion Translator preview is available for all Orion Onyx customers starting today and initially supports Spanish to English and English to Spanish.

To preview Orion Translator, you’ll need an Onyx and the Orion mobile app for iOS and Android. If you don’t already have an Onyx, you can buy one here.

What’s next

Orion Translator marks two new firsts for Orion: a way to communicate in different languages, and an introduction to voice control.

Real-time translation is just one of the first new voice-driven abilities we are adding. We’re excited to get this into your hands and to continue improving and introducing new useful features that help you do more with the power of your voice.

We’re all really excited about helping people communicate across distances and languages, and we hope you will try it and share your thoughts, ideas, and feedback.

—Jesse Robbins
Founder & CEO
Orion Labs, Inc.

PS: You can also read our full press release about the funding and new product announcements here.

Related articles:

• Voice-Activated Business Automation
• Orion AI Workflows

Meet the new Onyx: faster, smaller, lighter, clearer sounding

We are so excited to bring you the new Onyx: the easy, elegant way to talk to your friends, family and coworkers instantly, no matter how far apart you are.

How often have you missed what’s going on around you because you were typing or reading text messages?

Or experienced frustration trying to get ahold of multiple people at once, when you need a question answered and it can’t wait?

Or dealt with the pain of trying to call or text when your hands are full?

Onyx addresses these problems and makes it as easy to talk to anyone as if you’re in the same room, no matter how far apart you are. Talking with your friends, family or coworkers is as easy as pressing and holding the face of Onyx.

Wear it clipped to your shirt collar, pocket, bag strap, necklace — get creative and accent any look. The stainless steel clip stays secure, and is gentle on skin and delicate clothing.

Subtle details including the textured volume button and twist-to-silence function mean you can communicate quickly and easily, without looking down.

Create and jump between conversations in the free Orion companion app, where you can also share and view group member locations for easy coordination. Easily invite people to join your conversations; have an intimate conversation with one other person, or coordinate a group of any size.

The new Onyx is available in 4 colors: Gradient Black, Gradient Silver, Iridescent Cobalt and Iridescent Rose. For a limited time, we are offering early-bird pricing for pre-orders — up to 18% off, with free shipping.

Learn more about the new Onyx.

Detailed Specs

• Dual microphones pick up your voice [while minimizing background noise]
• Full range, high quality speaker for distortion-free sound
• Bluetooth LE
• Multicolor LED display
• Built-in, rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery
• Silent mode (alerts vibrate)
• Dust resistant IP5x rating
• Operating temperature range 14F to 122F (-10C to 50C) up to 93% humidity
• Plastic body and face, stainless steel clip
• Body size: 15.7mm depth, 50mm diameter
• Weight: 35g
• Included in the box: microfiber travel pouch and micro-USB charging cable

Phone Requirements:

• iPhone 4S and newer or iPod Touch 5th generation and newer running iOS 8 and up, or
• Leading Android smartphones running 4.4 (KitKat) and up with
• Wifi or cellular (3G or better) data connection
• Free Orion app installed

Pre-order your Onyx today, for easier, faster communication!