Microsoft, Google and Apple…Not a Bad Month for Speech Technologies

I’ve been in the speech technology field since the beginning and I have to say, there has never been a more exciting time for this space. Recently some of the biggest names in technology have announced the integration of voice capabilities into their products. At this year’s E3 conference, Microsoft stated that the next version of it’s Xbox Live will include voice commands. Also, it appears Apple will integrate speech-to-text input in the iOS 5. Android 2.1 already has speech-to-text built in to its mobile platform. And just this week, Google announced that voice search capability is coming to the Google.com search box (how cool?!)

All of these developments will be exposing more and more mainstream users to the benefits of the voice user interface on a daily basis. Consumers demand so much from personal devices and if they expect to control them via voice, they’ll want to do so from beginning to end (no button pressing, ever). This is where Sensory comes in. Our Truly Hands-Free technology is better than anything out there and lets manufacturers add a hands-free trigger to the interface so the user can give the device a call to action without ever lifting a finger. No need to take eyes off the road to make a call from a hands-free car kit, no need to dirty up your tablet or computer by using messy (cooking) hands to call up a recipe, no need to disturb your comfortable state of rest to set an alarm clock, etc.

I can say from where I sit, many manufacturers see the value of a voice user interface that includes a hands-free trigger phrase. Expect to see the makers of automotive products, smartphones, home entertainment products and more using Sensory’s technologies in the coming year. And be sure to stay tuned for exciting enhancements and innovations in store for our Truly Hands-Free technology, as well.

Todd
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