While Alexa and Google are fighting for the leading
position in the smart speaker market, Cortana by Microsoft is lagging behind.
This should change soon after Qualcomm announced at CES 2018 its new Smart
Audio Platform, developed jointly with Microsoft.
Anthony Murray, a senior executive of Qualcomm,
commented that the “new platform is now designed to offer greater flexibility
for manufacturers wanting to deliver highly differentiated user experiences,
taking advantage of the power and personalization capabilities of Cortana.”
Jordi Ribas of Microsoft added that “support for
Microsoft technology on Qualcomm powered smart speakers will help to empower
people’s creativity and productivity at work and at home.” First devices with
the Qualcomm Smart Audio Platform and Cortana should be available in the first
half of 2018.
