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Qualcomm introduces Smart Audio Platform to help tech firms build smart speakers

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The Smart Speakers market is about to get crowded, thanks to Qualcomm. Now along with Amazon Echo, Apple HomePod, and Google Home, you will see a range of speakers from smaller hardware companies also.

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The US chipmaker has introduced a Smart Audio Platform, "to help manufacturers accelerate the development and commercialization of smart and networked speakers."

Basically, Qualcomm will help the companies with a reference design, a preset configuration of chips, microphone tech, and audio systems, so they don't have to start from the scratch. It will eventually save a lot of time on testing, and also provide support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, helping small businesses to add those voice assistants to a wider variety of audio products.

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The goal is to get manufacturers building smarter speakers or headphones "without significantly increasing integration time or cost," Qualcomm said in a statement.

Anthony Murray, senior vice president and general manager, voice and music, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd. said, “The Qualcomm Smart Audio Platform combines high-performance processing power, world-class Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, advanced far-field voice capture and wake-word detection, AllPlay multi-room audio streaming technology, and support for major voice ecosystems in a single solution.”

He further added, “This platform is ideal for traditional speaker manufacturers wanting to make a move to a connected platform as it is designed to bring together all the necessary hardware, software and tools needed to reduce development time. It also offers a great degree of flexibility for those manufacturers who want to push the boundaries when it comes to possible future applications for smart speakers.”

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Qualcomm’s Smart Audio Platform includes far-field microphone systems, with support for beamforming, echo cancellation, and wake words. It has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as support for Qualcomm’s AllPlay speaker syncing system. The platform processors are designed to deliver the same industry-leading scalability and performance that currently support a broad range of products including smartphones, IoT, wearables, networking, smart cities, and automotive.

While the platform will help hardware companies to build smart and budget speakers, the company is also hoping more firms will adopt its AllPlay speaker chips. Currently, Hitachi, Panasonic and Monster are the companies making them.

As per the company, the first model based on Qualcomm’s system may arrive by the end of the year but is expected to gain pace only by next year.

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