Alexa, tell me about Johns Creek

What’s going on in Johns Creek? Just ask Alexa.

Recently the city in north Fulton County announced that it had rolled out a custom skill for Amazon’s Alexa. City leaders in Johns Creek hope that the skill will make the city’s data hub more accessible for residents.

With the skill, Alexa will be able to answer questions about zoning codes, business licenses, the locations of parks and city landmarks, and when and where city meetings are held.

Information about police and fire department activity in the city will also be accessible.

The skill is free for all Alexa users to enable.

Alexa is a virtual assistant developed by Amazon in 2014.

It can be used on a smartphone or through a Bluetooth-type speaker device. Alexa can play music, manage lists and provide information about news, weather and sports.

It took about six months for the city’s staff to develop the skill for Amazon.

Large cities such as Las Vegas and Los Angeles use Alexa, but Johns Creek is the first to do so in north Fulton County.

The state of Georgia also has an Alexa skill called “Ask Georgia Gov” which allows users to ask questions about how to renew driver’s licenses andhow to apply for a business license.

For Johns Creek, the Amazon Alexa skill only provides information and does not collect any from the user.

To learn more about the skill and install it, visit Amazon. Just say “Ask the city of Johns Creek ...”