Integrated operation of Amazon Alexa and Microsoft's Cortana
DigiEco, "Aiming to expand influence in the smartphone market"

On the 30th, Amazon announced through a press release that it had entered into a partnership with Microsoft (MS). The plan is to integrate Alexa and Cortana by the end of 2017 to enable users to access core functions.

For example, it is a method that allows you to use the functions of each service after giving a command such as “Alexa, open Cortana” or “Cortana, connect Alexa.”

In particular, since Alexa has strengths in shopping and Google in search, being able to use multiple intelligent personal assistants through a single device offers the advantage of being able to select and use a personal assistant according to one's purpose.

In response to this, DigiEco stated that while it appears to be intended to allow users to access core functions regardless of the device, the true purpose is believed to be to induce the participation of Google and Apple to expand its influence on smartphones.

Amazon and MS, lacking a presence in the smartphone market, believed that if they made it possible to use Alexa through Google Assistant or Siri, it would have the effect of expanding sales of Amazon.com's products and services on smartphones.

On the other hand, while there is a clear advantage to being able to use multiple intelligent personal assistants regardless of whether one is using a smartphone or a smart speaker, it seems unlikely that Google, which aims to dominate the market through its proprietary platform, will be able to secure cooperation from Apple.

Of course, if companies share user data on intelligent personal assistant usage and support shopping on Amazon.com through Google Home or Apple HomePod, Google and Apple could consider participating. Meanwhile, Google has already taken a confrontational stance against Amazon by announcing a partnership with Walmart regarding shopping. Apple, for whom the sale of devices and services is crucial, is also expected not to allow "Siri support via smart speakers from other manufacturers," as this could lower the potential for selling its own devices.

As of April 2017, Amazon Echo holds a dominant position in the US smart speaker market with a market share of 70.6%. While the integration of intelligent personal assistants by Amazon and Microsoft is certainly welcome from a consumer perspective, the smart speaker market is still in its early stages, so it remains to be seen whether the market will expand significantly.