Microsoft Cortana-Powered Speaker Challenges Amazon's Echo With Skype Calls
May 08 2017 - 3:15PM
Dow Jones News
By Jay Greene
Microsoft Corp. is hoping to challenge Amazon.com Inc.'s Echo
smart speaker for a spot on the kitchen counter with a device from
Samsung Electronics Co. that can make phone calls.
The Invoke, which will debut this fall, comes more two years
after the release of the Echo, which has sold more 11 million units
through late last year, according to estimates by Morgan Stanley.
It also will compete with Alphabet Inc.'s Google Home, which was
released last fall.
The voice-controlled Invoke, made by Samsung's Harman Kardon
unit, will use Microsoft's Cortana digital assistant to take
commands.
Apple Inc. is rumored to be working on a smart-speaker device
that uses its Siri digital assistant. And Samsung, itself, has
developed its own voice-activated virtual assistant, Bixby, though
the English-language version of the service has been delayed.
Like the Echo and Google Home, Harman says the Invoke will be
able to play music, check traffic and let users try out smart-home
capabilities such as turning on lights with voice commands. Harman
highlighted the device's integration with Microsoft's Skype
internet-calling service -- a feature neither rival has, though
each reportedly is considering it for the next generation of their
products.
The announcement Monday comes two days before the start of
Build, Microsoft's annual developer conference in Seattle, where
the software giant is likely to reveal new capabilities for
Cortana.
Dave Rogers, Harman's senior vice president of consumer audio,
said the Invoke will have superior audio quality, an area where the
consumer electronics maker has expertise. He also said the device
would tap into Microsoft's productivity applications, such as
calendars.
"Microsoft has a long heritage of productivity products that
this device will seamlessly interact with," he said.
The Invoke looks similar to Amazon's Echo, though the
cylindrical shape tapers toward the top. Like the Echo, the Invoke
will come in black and white. Harman didn't disclose a price.
It is also unclear what apps will be available when the Invoke
debuts. In a blog post, Marcus Ash, the partner group program
manager for Cortana, noted that the digital assistant "works with
select music services and home automation providers," but didn't
disclose specifics.
Unlike Amazon and Google, Microsoft initially is relying on a
partner to enter the smart-speaker market. It is a strategy the
company has used in the personal computer market, where giants such
as Lenovo Group Ltd. and HP Inc., sell computers running the
Windows operating system, while Microsoft's own Surface line also
competes with those partners.
A Microsoft spokeswoman declined to say what apps will work with
the Invoke, and whether the company plans to introduce its own
smart speaker.
While the market is still young, Amazon dominates. According to
market research firm, eMarketer, Amazon's Echo holds nearly 71% of
the U.S. voice-enabled speaker market, while Google has a nearly
24% share.
Write to Jay Greene at Jay.Greene@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 08, 2017 15:00 ET (19:00 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2024 to Sep 2024
Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2023 to Sep 2024