Vlingo in 2012: What’s Next for the Virtual Assistant

Like most people in the New Year, we here at Vlingo have been thinking about all the promise that 2012 holds.  We wanted to share a video that offers a sneak peek into some of what’s to come, as well as offer our thoughts on trends we think will emerge for voice-activated assistants.  One things for sure – it is going to be an another exciting year at Vlingo.

 

 

Trends to Watch in 2012

#1 – Mobile Voice Goes (Really) Mainstream

What?  You say this happened last year with Siri?  Sure, it is certainly true that Siri caused an inflection point in the industry.  However, the real mainstream moment will hit when Google releases its Siri-rival (with some reports suggesting that launch is only weeks away), and Microsoft improves its own native voice technology.  More and more device makers will also look to differentiate their own products by closely integrating voice.  No question Apple fired a shot across the bow in 2011, and 2012 will be the year the major players in mobile let Apple know they are prepared to fire back.

#2 – To the Cloud!

Historically, a lot of the voice-enabled features on smartphones have lived on the phone.  That’s to say that a good portion of the “thinking” has been done right on the device.   Certain simple functionality will continue to remain on your handset, but more and more of the heavy lifting will be done in the cloud.  What does this mean for everyone?  It means more breadth and depth in terms of content.  It means faster processing.  It means improved accuracy.  It means better, more natural dialog between the Assistant and you.

But perhaps most importantly it will…

#3 – Enable Cross-Device and Cross-Platform

With more of the work being done in the cloud, it means it will be easier to synch and send information across devices and platforms.  Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could ask your tablet a question and have the answer show up on your TV?  Or if you could send directions you found on your phone directly to an in-vehicle navigation system?  The possibilities are nearly endless, and the day when this type of functionality appears on all sorts of connected devices is rapidly approaching.

 

As you can see, there is plenty to look forward to in 2012.  What do you think of Vlingo’s vision?  Did we miss any key trends?

  • http://www.facebook.com/glenn.ray1 Glenn Ray

    This is some great stuff. can’t wait to see some of it in action.

  • Wayneg51

    Close integration of Vlingo with all the apps on my iPhone would be key. Make appoints, send directions to my navi app, proximity reminders are my wishes Great start so far- now want it all now- spoiled I guess.

  • DavidRoby59

    Finally!! Can’t wait!

  • Francis

    I like this but when it will be on app store?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Alessandro-Coutinho/100000035956912 Alessandro Coutinho

    The vision for the future is excellent, but need to be perfect is the voice system in Portuguese in Brazil.

    • http://blog.vlingo.com TJ

      We hear you, Alessandro. We’re working on new languages all the time, but we have a policy against commenting on the timing of specific ones. There are lots of people who have voiced the same sentiment, though. So you can be sure we’re hearing loud and clear.

  • http://twitter.com/cjcarline Christopher Carline

    While the cloud is a great addition to voice communication, keep in mind that without internet access or spotty slow internet access, commands take too long to process. The process flow should have a branch at the start that determines if the process requires internet (search for, directions to) vs local processes (text Bob, email Sue, call Jim). For weather, the process should be based on time the user asks for weather; where weather for the next 3-5 days is stored locally through a sync process vs long term weather outlook, 5-7 days, should require internet resources.

    • http://blog.vlingo.com TJ

      Its a good point, Christopher. The suggestion you make about incorporating context into how to answer a simple weather query is exactly the type of improvements possible by moving the processing to the cloud. The basic phone functions like texting and calling are also great candidates for features that can stay on-device. Ultimately, the more factors that we incorporate to deliver an answer, the more likely it is that we will push the logic to the cloud.

  • http://www.facebook.com/tejedor1967 Javier Fernandez

    I use Vlingo on my BB 9860 and in my Samsung Galaxy Note and I really like it. Something I would like to see is the possibility of reading not just SMS an email but any test like Whatsapp messages.

  • Roger N Wells

    I was blown away with the video . . . amazing things in store for Vlingo and me. I would like to be able to edit my email and/or text by speech after the text is read back to me before I say send. This would make hands free truly handsfree. I know this feature is available in Dragon Naturally Speaking so I am very excited on how Nuance will enhance my Vlingo experience.

    Roger N Wells

  • http://www.facebook.com/david.i.lin David I-Chen Lin

    Please make an app for Windows Phone!

  • Nate175

    Would like to see Vlingo work better with bluetooth headsets,all the new ideals are awsome can’t wait to see them happen on down the road.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1069690263 Mario Venerius

    Vlingo better be fast as indeed Microsoft & Google are around the corner with awesome new apps! Some suggestions for Vlingo… Make an option to choose which country is your base instead of doing it automatically or on hand of a IP address. To me it is very irritating to get browser results in the Indonesian language (I live in Jakarta) and no matter all the settings I do at the side of Google or Yahoo, Vlingo always reset to Indonesia as main country! 

  • TheBlackBinLiner

    How about the “key trend” for android users that was in 2011 which is WHY IS IN CAR FEATURES NOT ON THE IPHONE. Enough of us iPhone users have been banging on about this for long enough. Have Apple locked you out of some functionality of iOS 5 cuz they want to dominate with Siri? Is there some other reason? I bought Vlingo (note; BOUGHT) as i don’t feel the need to stump up for a 4S with Siri and reviews wre good – and the app is ok but the in car function would make me recommend this app to all my iphone mates. As it stands now it’s not worth telling them about.
    So please either update the app for iOS5 users or let us know why this can’t/won’t/will probably be done please?

  • Gary

    After I updated my software on my 9850, my Vlingo will not work. Any ideas out there that could help me??!! I love the app, and have tried everything to get to work again.

  • Cryptogeek

    As a new Galaxy owner, I must say Well Done Vlingo! The best voice app yet! My requests add to the chorus of make it so Vlingo is always running and listening, Ensure that we can end apps and tasks as well as start new ones. Perhaps you can hook into the Andriod OS App Manager, and when a user says “close (application)” Vlingo will ask for confirmation then close the app in question. We also want to be able to end calls and initiate a second hands free call. “read” should always be active in InCar mode. If I ask Vlingo a question while driving, it should either read me the single answer or let me authorize reading the Google Search results page. Also, saying “new search” should cause Vlingo to reset the search entirely. Saying “search within results” should do just that. Also, Vlingo search should recognise Google’s search engine scripting operators. For example; I say “find G.I. Joe minus Hasbro” should submit “GI Joe -Hasbro” to Google. Another thing I would like is to be able to give my phone a custom “name.” I LOVE how you can customize the response phrase, thank you! I would like to be able to customize the wake-up phrase as well. I understand the danger of unintended activation by choosing a conversational name, but that is on the user.I want to be able to say “Deja” instead of “Hey Vlingo.” I want the following:

    “Deja.”
    “Yes, Joseph.” (my current response phrase)
    “close Music”
    “close application Music?”
    “Yes.”
    “Application Music Closed”
    “Call Spouse Work”
    “calling Spouse at Work”

    “Deja.”
    “Yes Joseph?”
    “End my call”
    “End Call?”
    “End my call”
    “call ended”
    “Text Spouse Mobile message I forgot milk. Please get milk. Love you”
    “Text Spouse Mobile message I forgot milk. Please get milk. Love you. Say send or cancel”
    “send”
    “Text sent”
    “Deja.”
    “Yes, Joseph?”
    “Open Music play playlist driving track two”
    Music music music

    You folks have come the closest! Finally. Themed, pre-recorded responses (say, in Darth Vader’s voice) would be awesome and likely VERY lucrative. Imagine all the kids that would love to have Beiber “in” their phone. Sounds like $$$.

    • http://twitter.com/tj_leonard TJ Leonard

      A great list of suggestions here.  Thanks for taking the time to post!  Love a few of them and will certainly consider as we press forward with our roadmap.  Thanks again.

      • Goreedspacer

        another suggestion would be an off switch, would love to remove this rubbish from my Galaxy S2

  • sam

    when this will release for iphone 4

    • http://twitter.com/tj_leonard TJ Leonard

      This is more of a vision for how we see the Virtual Assistant space evolving over the next couple of years as opposed to a specific release for iPhone or Android or another product.  We’re really excited about cross-device, cross-platform functionality that we demonstrated here.  We also released our TV product just a few weeks ago at CES, so that vision of the future should be just a few months away.  Thanks for the interest.

  • http://profiles.google.com/mgreen99 Mark Green

    use to work really well before last update, now the command  ”hay vlingo ” does not work in my HTC HD any more, ithas been over a few months and no fix to the update :(

  • Frank Whidden

    One feature that would be fantastic is to have Vlingo interact directly with BBM just like it does with SMS and email.

  • Anonymous

    Hello,

    I just installed VL on my Galaxy Nexus.   I don’t ever, ever want to touch my phone – in my pocket or when I’m driving.   I want to touch the button on my BT headset and say – Call John Doe at work – I don’t want to press a button on my phone after that to begin listening – seems like this should be the default – otherwise you are making an otherwise great product that should be safer for drivers to use and making it distracting.

  • Max Richter

    Hello, when will you support german on iphone? on Blackberry its alreday working good.

  • David

    Don’t you think 2012 will be the year of voice input on the tablet? I am hoping for Vlingo on my blackberry playbook. 

  • art

    Will not work on my galaxy note 2 please someone help!!!!