Sonos created Concurrency, a system that allowed multiple voice assistants to interoperable on its smart speakers. However, it was stopped by Google, as a Washington Post report has revealed.
Concurrency allows Alexa and Google Assistant to be used together, which is more than its name implies. Today, Sonos sells speakers that allow you to choose between Alexa or Google. However, only one speaker can be active at the same time. You must disable the other before you can use it. The Concurrency demo required only saying their names to talk to them both.
Sonos wants voice assistants that work together
The idea behind using multiple assistants is that each one is more capable of performing different tasks, has different integrations with smart-home devices, and offers different privacy and security measures. Perhaps you don't want your company to have so many details about your smart house. The Washington Post reports that Alexa keeps track of your home until you delete it. However, Google does not store any history of third-party devices you have used. Sonos has been working on a version of this idea since at most 2017.
Amazon seems to be in agreement with Concurrency. While we agree that voice assistants should interoperable, David Limp from Amazon told The Post Sonos that Google is blocking the way. According to the report, Google's distribution agreement states that its assistant must be the only general-purpose AI.
Jos Castaeda, a spokesperson for Google, responded to Sonos' claims with the following statement. It does not deny Google Assistant's policies:
The smart home market is still in its infancy, which means that there are many efforts to establish common standards among companies. Google is determined to make the smart home ecosystem more open and interoperable. We created an industry working group with other tech companies to improve interoperability. This will allow consumers more choice, protect privacy, and provide easy-to-use experiences. This group has many members, including us. We will not compromise on interoperability, but we want users to have a pleasant experience with our products.
Sonos is currently suing Google over claims that it cloned its multiroom speaker technology. Google strongly denies these claims. Sonos appears to be developing its own voice assistant independent of Google Assistant or Alexa. Concurrency could prove to be a huge win for anyone trying to connect multiple smart home devices. It will also make Sonos products more useful and easier to use. It is unclear if the company's partners will allow it to happen.
Updated September 29, 2014 at 4:26 PM ET: Google added a statement.
