[{"innerBlocks":[],"name":"core\/freeform","postId":458,"blockType":{"name":"core\/freeform","keywords":[],"attributes":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"providesContext":[],"usesContext":[],"selectors":[],"supports":{"className":false,"customClassName":false,"reusable":false},"styles":[],"variations":[],"apiVersion":3,"title":"Classic","description":"Use the classic WordPress editor.","category":"text"},"originalContent":"Amazon.com has gathered a broad coalition of companies in an effort to speed up the widespread adoption of voice-activated assistants, including its own Alexa.The e-commerce giant on Tuesday announced the Voice Interoperability Initiative, a group of some 36 companies committed to ensuring voice software made by different companies works seamlessly together.However, notably absent were two of Amazon\u2019s biggest rivals in voice technology: Apple and Alphabet\u2019s Google, two companies that hold keys to a smartphone market that Amazon has yet to crack.The Seattle company, whose Fire-branded smartphones were a commercial flop, is the leader in voice software for the home. Its Echo devices accounted for 25.4 percent of global smart speaker shipments in the second quarter, according to Canalys, a researcher. Plenty of home appliance makers link their products to Alexa, and Amazon is expected to announce new capabilities and devices for its assistant at a press event this week.

But Alexa has a small presence on mobile devices, which could threaten its long-term future, analysts say. Software built by Google and Apple powers virtually all of the world\u2019s smartphones, giving the two companies a captive audience, thanks to the versions of Google Assistant and Apple\u2019s Siri installed by default on new devices. Currently, users can\u2019t make Alexa the default assistant on an iPhone, although that\u2019s possible on Android handsets.Dave Limp, who leads Amazon\u2019s devices business, told The Verge that the company didn\u2019t see voice assistants as a winner-take-all market. \u201cThis isn\u2019t a sporting event,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s not going to be one winner.\u201dLimp also told the technology news site that the idea for an industry coalition went from casual conversations to a more formal effort in the last six weeks.A Google spokesman said Amazon reached out about the idea over the weekend. \u201cWe just heard about this initiative and would need to review the details,\u201d the spokesman said in a statement. \u201cBut in general, we\u2019re always interested in participating in efforts that have the broad support of the ecosystem, and uphold strong privacy and security practices.\u201dApple didn\u2019t immediately respond to a request for comment.Under the goals set by the new group, users will be able to summon multiple digital assistants from a single device, a concept that already links Amazon\u2019s Alexa with Microsoft\u2019s Cortana workplace-focused assistant. In addition to Amazon, backers include Microsoft, Baidu and Salesforce.com, chipmakers Intel and Qualcomm, and Sony, Spotify Technology and Sonos.\u201cI think this is very smart from Amazon,\u201d says Carolina Milanesi, a technology analyst with Creative Strategies. Giving users the option, say, to invoke Google for maps and Alexa to control smart home gadgets, \u201cwill give Amazon a better chance to get picked for those tasks that matter to Amazon.\u201dThe new group\u2019s priorities include developing voice services that work seamlessly with others, building devices that can be activated by multiple wake words, developing technology that makes it easier to embed multiple voice assistants on a single device and accelerating research into conversational artificial intelligence to improve such software\u2019s ability to work together, according to a statement.\u201cIt\u2019s early days,\u201d says Richard Mack, chief marketing officer for Cerence, which makes voice software for cars and joined the coalition. So far, the group is more of a call to action than a standards-setting body of the sort that spawn working groups and conferences to guide the development of new technologies, he adds.\u201cI don\u2019t know exactly who\u2019s been invited to the party,\u201d he said of Google and Apple\u2019s absence. \u201cBut they haven\u2019t signed on yet. I think it\u2019s a good representation of large and small and innovative across all of these different industries.\u201d","saveContent":"Amazon.com has gathered a broad coalition of companies in an effort to speed up the widespread adoption of voice-activated assistants, including its own Alexa.The e-commerce giant on Tuesday announced the Voice Interoperability Initiative, a group of some 36 companies committed to ensuring voice software made by different companies works seamlessly together.However, notably absent were two of Amazon\u2019s biggest rivals in voice technology: Apple and Alphabet\u2019s Google, two companies that hold keys to a smartphone market that Amazon has yet to crack.The Seattle company, whose Fire-branded smartphones were a commercial flop, is the leader in voice software for the home. Its Echo devices accounted for 25.4 percent of global smart speaker shipments in the second quarter, according to Canalys, a researcher. Plenty of home appliance makers link their products to Alexa, and Amazon is expected to announce new capabilities and devices for its assistant at a press event this week.

But Alexa has a small presence on mobile devices, which could threaten its long-term future, analysts say. Software built by Google and Apple powers virtually all of the world\u2019s smartphones, giving the two companies a captive audience, thanks to the versions of Google Assistant and Apple\u2019s Siri installed by default on new devices. Currently, users can\u2019t make Alexa the default assistant on an iPhone, although that\u2019s possible on Android handsets.Dave Limp, who leads Amazon\u2019s devices business, told The Verge that the company didn\u2019t see voice assistants as a winner-take-all market. \u201cThis isn\u2019t a sporting event,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s not going to be one winner.\u201dLimp also told the technology news site that the idea for an industry coalition went from casual conversations to a more formal effort in the last six weeks.A Google spokesman said Amazon reached out about the idea over the weekend. \u201cWe just heard about this initiative and would need to review the details,\u201d the spokesman said in a statement. \u201cBut in general, we\u2019re always interested in participating in efforts that have the broad support of the ecosystem, and uphold strong privacy and security practices.\u201dApple didn\u2019t immediately respond to a request for comment.Under the goals set by the new group, users will be able to summon multiple digital assistants from a single device, a concept that already links Amazon\u2019s Alexa with Microsoft\u2019s Cortana workplace-focused assistant. In addition to Amazon, backers include Microsoft, Baidu and Salesforce.com, chipmakers Intel and Qualcomm, and Sony, Spotify Technology and Sonos.\u201cI think this is very smart from Amazon,\u201d says Carolina Milanesi, a technology analyst with Creative Strategies. Giving users the option, say, to invoke Google for maps and Alexa to control smart home gadgets, \u201cwill give Amazon a better chance to get picked for those tasks that matter to Amazon.\u201dThe new group\u2019s priorities include developing voice services that work seamlessly with others, building devices that can be activated by multiple wake words, developing technology that makes it easier to embed multiple voice assistants on a single device and accelerating research into conversational artificial intelligence to improve such software\u2019s ability to work together, according to a statement.\u201cIt\u2019s early days,\u201d says Richard Mack, chief marketing officer for Cerence, which makes voice software for cars and joined the coalition. So far, the group is more of a call to action than a standards-setting body of the sort that spawn working groups and conferences to guide the development of new technologies, he adds.\u201cI don\u2019t know exactly who\u2019s been invited to the party,\u201d he said of Google and Apple\u2019s absence. \u201cBut they haven\u2019t signed on yet. I think it\u2019s a good representation of large and small and innovative across all of these different industries.\u201d","order":0,"get_parent":{},"attributes":[],"attributesType":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"dynamicContent":""}]

Amazon unveils Voice Interoperability Initiative to speed adoption

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