Audio products company Sonos, Inc. SONO is stepping into the league of the big boys with the anticipated launch of its voice assistant.
What Happened: Sonos is gearing up to launch a proprietary voice assistant service that would allow its customers to play and control music on its whole-home audio platform, the Verge reported.
The service is likely to be announced within the next few weeks, the report noted. It will be rolled out through an imminent software update and made available to U.S. customers on June 1; a global launch would soon follow.
The wake word for using the voice assistant is "Hey Sonos!"
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The voice assistant would run on Sonos' proprietary S2 software, according to the Verge. The report also noted, in lab tests, Sonos has found its version to be faster and more efficient than competing assistants at core music tasks.
On its debut, Sonos Voice will reportedly work with Apple, Inc. AAPL Music, Pandora, Deezer and the Sonos Radio but not with Spotify Technologies S.A. SPOT and Alphabet, Inc.'s GOOGL GOOG YouTube Music.
"The offering will provide core conveniences that are similar to existing competitors, allowing Sonos product owners to play specific songs, artists, or playlists with voice commands, among other functions," the report said.
Sonos Voice, according to the report, will replace Amazon.com Inc's AMZN Alexa and Google Assistant, in Sonos' smart speakers and voice-enabled soundbars.
Why It's Important: The launch of the voice assistant will be key for Sonos, according to Verge, as it will mark another significant step in its diversification into the services business. The company took baby steps into this arena with the launch of its Sonos Radio and Sonos Radio HD.
In premarket trading, Sonos shares were down 1.1% to $24.05, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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