Today it’s the mobile web, tomorrow the voice-driven web
As we saw in 3Q 2017 earnings results from Asset-lite Business Model company Alphabet (GOOGL) and Connected Society company Facebook (FB), the current platform of chose among consumers is mobile. We are, however, seeing the seeds of the next technology revolution — voice-powered intelligent solutions — with more players entering the fray. The current leader is Amazon (AMZN) with its multitude of Echo devices, but there is also Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Google Home and later this year Apple (AAPL) is expected to unveil its HomePod offering.
As voice interface technology improves and even faster mobile networks come to market, how long will it be before the mobile web is replaced by the voice-driven web? If that’s the case, it would not bode well for companies like Synaptics (SYNA) and Logitech (LOGI) that make peripherals such as mice, keyboards, trackpads and touchpads.
Voice-AI could prove the way along with VR showrooming, that E-commerce accelerates in the 2020s as an improved channel for trusting consumers and younger mobile natives increasingly entering the voice AI economy.
In that world, it will be voice suggestions, instead of mobile Ads that win your heart and subtly influence your shopping habits based upon your Amazon or Google history. Goodbye Facebook.
Amazon as a first mover and with a variety of Alexa devices, holds as dominant if not more so a role in the future of voice activated shopping as Amazon AWS does in the cloud.
With iOS devices changing from Microsoft’s bing back to Google for its web search results we have to assume that the likes of Cortana and even Siri have fallen too far behind Alexa and Google Assistant in the race to be the most useful and ubiquitous personal assistants. Meanwhile for Mandarin speakers the Tmall Genie of Alibaba, retails for around $73.00 (RMB 499).
CONCLUSIONAs the mobile web gives way to the Voice-AI web of IoT and a different kind of smart city such as the rise of food delivery apps, and later autonomous vehicles and drone delivery hubs, the voice interface remains the fastest growing retail technology trend that could impact the future of commerce.
Source: The Future of Voice Activated Shopping – Star Cloud Services
