The upcoming Microsoft Windows Phone 7 may lack true multitasking or copy and paste, but the software giant said it will have killer speech-recognition software that could raise the bar for voice controls.
At a keynote for the SpeechTek 2010 Conference, the company reportedly said it will leverage its TellMe purchase to include voice controls for things like search, navigation and dialing. Sure, this may seem like old hat but the company is saying that this will take it up another notch to help the device.
“Microsoft is creating rich, immersive and seamless experiences across devices, delivered from the cloud,” said Zig Serafin, GM of the speech group at Microsoft, in a prepared statement. “Speech will become the tool we use to unlock the power of devices as their connectivity and capabilities accelerate.”
If done correctly, this could give Microsoft Windows Phone 7 a leg-up on the competition because excellent voice software could be a game changer. If this works as they promise, you remove a lot of the disconnect between your thoughts and the actual implementation on your device.
Of course, that’s going to be a high hurdle to get through. I believe Google has done an excellent job with its voice software in Android, as you can now use your voice to fill in nearly any text input bar with the latest versions of the software. Google continues to invest in this area and it will only improve its services as we move forward.
What’s in it for Microsoft and Google? It’s the money, honey. Voice software can provide a wealth of information beyond just the user’s intent when it comes to searches. You could accurately assume the approximate age, gender and other demographic issues if you can properly analyze the voice query. This may also be why Bing is the default search engine for Microsoft Windows Phone 7 and it won’t be swappable.
Let’s hope Microsoft can back up its claims for voice software on Windows Phone 7 because it will cause all the other players to step up its game in this department.
[Via WM PowerUser]