Expanded AI Receptionist (AIR) capabilities enable cross-channel engagement

AI-powered SMS inbox & call queues ensure every customer is answered at all times

BELMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 7, 2026-- RingCentral, Inc. (NYSE: RNG), a global leader in AI-powered customer engagement, today announced new capabilities for its AI Receptionist (AIR), an AI agent businesses can deploy in minutes to never miss a call or text. One of the company’s fastest-growing AI products, RingCentral AIR^TM is expanding across new channels and workflows, including e-commerce, scheduling, and messaging, enabling businesses to respond instantly and scale without adding headcount. AIR is delivering measurable results for organizations across a growing range of use cases—from front desk automation and after-hours coverage to lead capture, appointment scheduling, and overflow support—in industries such as healthcare, financial services, legal, hospitality, and construction.

Keller Interiors, an installation partner for Lowe's Home Improvement, deployed AIR to handle high call volumes across 33 locations without adding headcount. Chief of Staff Beth Owens said: "RingCentral AIR solved a problem we didn't have a good human answer for — how do you route every inbound call correctly, 24/7, across 33 locations, without building a call center? We went from 12-minute wait times to 90 seconds, saw our CSAT scores rise 3 points in just four months, and did it without adding headcount. That's the kind of ROI that changes how you think about growth.”

Another example is Maple Federal Credit Union, which deployed AIR to reduce long hold times and streamline member service across branches operating on disconnected systems. Vice President of Operations Tara Breaux said: “AI Receptionist has transformed how we serve our members. We’ve reduced hold times by 90%, enabling faster service, less strain on staff, and more focus on the conversations that matter most.”

Adoption of AIR is accelerating, with more than 11,800 businesses now using the solution to automate customer interactions and extend availability beyond traditional business hours. With increasing demand for AI-driven customer communication, businesses are turning to AIR to improve customer responsiveness, capture more opportunities, and operate more efficiently.

Ensuring customer engagement never falls through the cracks

As part of RingCentral’s Customer Engagement Bundle (CEB) offering, AIR now extends to shared SMS inboxes and call queues to enable cross-channel automation, as announced last week:

• AIR for shared SMS inbox: Businesses can use AIR across both calls and text messages, ensuring fast, consistent responses regardless of how customers reach out. For example, a plumbing company might receive texts like “Can someone come today?”, “Do you service my area?”, or “How much does drain cleaning cost?” AIR can respond instantly, provide pricing or availability, help book an appointment over text, and loop in a technician with the full conversation if follow-up is needed.

• AIR for call queues: AIR now integrates with call queues to step in during peak times or when agents are unavailable, ensuring every call is answered. For example, a healthcare group may see a surge of calls during lunch hours. Instead of long hold times, AIR greets callers, answers questions like office hours or accepted insurance, schedules appointments, and captures urgent needs for staff follow-up.

Extending the capabilities of AIR through powerful integrations

New capabilities announced today further expand AIR through powerful integrations, including:

• Shopify integration: Connects directly with Shopify, enabling businesses to handle order status inquiries and customer support questions automatically, turning the phone channel into a seamless part of the e-commerce experience.
• Calendly integration: Integrates with Calendly to offer autonomous, end-to-end appointment scheduling over the phone, working directly within the calendars, CRMs, reminders, and payment tools businesses already have connected through the scheduling app.
• WhatsApp integration: Extends beyond voice to WhatsApp, enabling businesses to automate inbound WhatsApp inquiries with the same AI-powered intelligence that powers their phone channel.

These integrations connect AIR with the systems and workflows businesses may already have in place to manage their e-commerce, calendar scheduling, and communications through WhatsApp. These integrations underscore RingCentral’s open platform principles toward enabling best-of-breed use cases, and minimizing inefficiency of switching between apps.

“The AI vendors winning right now are the ones solving real problems businesses face every day. RingCentral's expansion of AIR into Shopify, Calendly, WhatsApp, and intelligent call queues shows what applied AI should look like: every feature tied to a clear pain point,” said Michelle Morgan, IDC Research Manager, AI-Enabled Sales, Customer Services and Contact Center Strategies. “When wait times drop and CSAT climbs without adding headcount, that’s not experimentation; it’s a fundamental shift in business performance.”

AI for multi-language detection and translation capabilities

Language should never be a barrier to customer engagement. Now AIR adds:

• Auto-detection multi-language switching: AIR can be configured to automatically recognize the language a caller is speaking and respond in that same language in real time—supporting 10 languages, including English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Portuguese. That means if a customer starts speaking in Spanish, AIR continues the conversation in Spanish, with no extra steps required.

“AIR is quickly becoming the digital employee that SMBs and mid-market businesses can’t imagine working without,” said Joe Fahrner, VP of Growth, AI Products at RingCentral. “Whether it’s a customer call, message, booking request, or overflow inquiry, AIR ensures every opportunity gets handled, translating to more revenue, more customers served, and more room to grow. Our new capabilities expand the usability of AIR by supporting SMS texting, call queues, integrations, and multiple languages. We’re thrilled to further expand AIR and address more exciting use cases that continue to close CX gaps.”

Pricing

RingCentral AIR^TM as a standalone solution is now available at a lower price for businesses, starting at $49/month, which includes 100 minutes. RingEX customers can add AIR starting at $39/month, which includes 100 minutes.

To experience AIR in action, call our toll-free number 1-844-587-9247 to speak with Natalie, one of our AI Receptionists, or for more information, visit https://www.ringcentral.com/ai-receptionist.html.

About RingCentral

RingCentral is a global leader in AI–powered customer engagement, delivering an integrated platform for business phone, SMS, contact center, workforce engagement management, video collaboration, and messaging. Powered by advanced AI capabilities, RingCentral delivers intelligence at every phase of the conversation journey — before, during, and after each human interaction. With RingCentral, businesses can work smarter, respond faster, and connect more meaningfully with their customers. Visit ringcentral.com to learn more.

© 2026 RingCentral, Inc. All rights reserved. RingCentral, RingCentral AI Receptionist, RingCentral AIR, RingEX, and the RingCentral logo are trademarks of RingCentral, Inc.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260507967998/en/

PR Contact:
Mariana Leventis
mariana.leventis@ringcentral.com

Source: RingCentral, Inc.