Amazon Polly Plugin Leverages AWS’s Artificial Intelligence Services Voice Technology to Expand Voice Experiences for Users
Today, AUSTIN, Texas—WP Engine, the leading WordPress digital experience platform, announced its collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to launch the Amazon Polly plugin. The plugin transforms text into lifelike speech, enabling publishers to turn their written content into podcasts to reach consumers on the go.
Available in the WP Engine Solution Center, the Amazon Polly plugin is an open-source integration for AWS’s text-to-speech functionality with WordPress, the most popular content management system that powers 29 percent of the web. The Amazon Polly plugin integrates effortlessly, enabling content creators to add text-to-speech capabilities to any written content quickly. With millions of voice-driven devices shipped yearly, brands need to think about building new voice-driven user experiences. With more voice-enabled searches, brands must build audio content that works in emerging channels such as inline audio players and podcast mobile applications.
The Amazon Polly plugin leverages AWS’s artificial intelligence (AI) services, bringing the power of AWS’s natural text-to-speech technology to content on WordPress.
With Amazon Polly, publishers can create podcasts available on iTunes based on the site’s WordPress taxonomy, including author and category, creating targeted streams to reach audiences interested in specific topics.
Particularly as younger generations shift to accessing content and the web through voice commands, the need for voice technology to meet their increasing demands continues to rise. A national study commissioned by WP Engine and conducted by The Center for Generational Kinetics found that 70% of consumers (aged 14-59) believe that we will interact with the Internet by voice or movements rather than keyboards or mice within five years.
by ALYSSA CUDA
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Comments on the news:
“Publishers, whether it’s a news site, blog or a brand that publishes content, have to meet audiences where they are– across devices, across media,” said Mary Ellen Dugan, Chief Marketing Officer at WP Engine. “The Amazon Polly plugin for WordPress, tested and optimized on the WP Engine Digital Experience Platform, is a tremendous opportunity for customers to capture their audience’s attention when it’s convenient for them to take a moment to consume content – waiting in line, on the train, or grabbing a bite.”
“Amazon Polly allows developers to convert text to lifelike speech, using the same technology that powers Amazon Alexa,” said Swami Sivasubramanian, Vice President of Machine Learning at Amazon Web Services, Inc. “With its natural, lifelike voices and a wide selection of languages, we are excited to have Amazon Polly be the voice for WordPress and provide an alternative way for customers to consume their WordPress content and meet the needs of a larger audience.”
“Our readers are digesting news and stories through their mobile and voice-driven devices increasingly,” said Johannes Boege, Chief Product Officer at POLITICO in Europe. “This is a great opportunity for us, along with our agency 10up, to test the distribution of our content with voice technology. We are excited to use Amazon Polly to reach more people in new ways.”
Since launching Amazon Polly, POLITICO in Europe has published two new daily podcasts with content for its daily political commentary: Brussels Playbook and London Playbook. Additionally, the Playbooks now include an inline player that directly turns the briefings into lifelike speech on the site.
For more information, visit https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/machine-learning/amazon-polly-gives-wordpress-a-voice/.
Spearhead Multimedia provides a simple solution for making your website accessible to people with disabilities. Visit our Website Accessibility page.
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