Washington - Microsoft has partnered with audio
equipment maker Harman Kardon to put the tech giant's voice-activated
assistant, Cortana, into a smart speaker of its very own. The Invoke, as the
speaker is called, will allow its owners to use the speaker like a phone, by
using Microsoft's Skype.
It will also have features similar to its competitors, such
as the ability to control smart appliances and tell users what the traffic
conditions are like on their commutes, what the latest news is and what their
schedules look like that day.
The move positions Microsoft into direct competition with
Amazon's Echo speakers and the Google Home - both smart speakers that are
designed to act as a "home hub" for smart devices and digital
information.
Microsoft hasn't announced a smart speaker that it makes
itself, but appears to be partnering with other firms to create gadgets
dedicated to its voice assistant. Amazon's Alexa assistant, which powers its
Echo speakers, has also made the jump to other gadgets through partnerships
with other companies; Google is expected to do the same with its assistant.
Read also: Who wants multiple iPhone personalities?
Analysts have pointed to home hubs and voice assistants as a
major next battleground for tech companies, as the firms look to permeate even
more aspects of consumer's lives. A home hub is placed to anchor a larger web
of devices ranging from light bulbs to - possibly - vehicles that can be
activated by voice and tap into a central bank of data that can be used to run
consumer's lives.
Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Apple and Samsung have all
introduced their own named voice assistants.Microsoft first introduced Cortana
in 2013; it originally worked on Windows PCs and Windows Phone. The company
also released apps that allow the assistant to work on Android and iOS devices,
but this is the first time the software has shown up in its own, dedicated
device.
The fight for dominance in the home hub space is expected to
become even fiercer soon. Apple is also rumoured to be making a similar device
for its own Siri digital assistant, according to a recent note from KGI Securities
analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. [Kuo put the chances of an Apple device at more than 50
percent, according to a report from MacRumors].
Harman Kardon - a division of Samsung Electronics subsidiary
Harman said the Invoke speaker will be available in the fall at Microsoft
stores and unspecified "select retail partners." It has not yet
released a price for the speaker.