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The timeline below identifies the main milestones in the arrival of voice interfaces to the mainstream. We would love your feedback in making this timeline of voicebot voice assistants richer and more accurate. Please send us a note via the form below this timeline.
PS: If you would like to keep up with the latest on the world of Voice First, please check out The Voice First Digest.
April 18, 2021 — Nuance Acquired by Microsoft
February 23, 2021 — Clubhouse Surpasses 10 Million Users
April 5, 2019 — Amazon Alexa launches its first HIPAA-compliant medical skills
August 15, 2018 — Cortana and Alexa become available on each other’s platforms
August 9, 2018 — Samsung Announces the Galaxy Home smart speaker
May 23, 2018 — Google Home overtakes Amazon Echo in smart speaker sales for the first time
May 7, 2018 — Cortana & Alexa Officially Announced
May 3, 2018 — Amazon opens more monetization tools for Alexa developers
May 3, 2018 — SoundHound Closes $100 Million Funding Round
May 2, 2018 — Google starts throwing cash at Google Assistant startups
February 9, 2018 — Apple Launches Homepod
November 17, 2017 — Launch of Apple’s HomePod speaker delayed
October 25, 2017 – Amazon introduces paid subscriptions for Alexa skills
October 11, 2017 — Amazon supports VoiceID
October 2, 2017 — Amazon Alexa Supports Voice Calling
September 27, 2017 — Amazon launches Echo Spot and Echo Plus
August 31, 2017 — Sony announces its Google Assistant powered LF-S50G smart speaker
August 30, 2017 — Amazon’s Alexa and Microsoft’s Cortana Interoperability Announced
August 28, 2017 — Amazon closes its acquisition of Whole Foods
August 22, 2017 — Walmart and Google Partner on Voice-based Shopping
August 2017 – Google Home Supports Voice Calling
June 28, 2017 — Echo Show Generally Available
June 21, 2017 — Samsung releases Bixby in the United States
May 10, 2017 — Microsoft Announces Cortana on Harman-Kardon’s Invoke speaker
April 20, 2017 — Google Home Supports Voice ID
February 2, 2017 — Amazon Announces its Alexa Partners
December 8, 2016 — Google Action Announces Google Assistant Partners
November 4, 2016 — Google Home Generally Released
October 5, 2016 — Samsung Acquires Viv
September 19, 2016 — Google Acquires API.AI
September 14, 2016 — Amazon Announces the arrival of Alexa and the Echo in the UK and Germany
May 23, 2016 — Facebook Acquires VR Audio Two Big Ears
March 3, 2016 — Amazon Tap and Echo Dot Generally Released
December 15, 2015 — SoundHound Launches Houndify Platform
June 25, 2015 — Alexa Voice Service (AVS) Kit Generally Released
June 25, 2015 — Amazon Launches The Alexa Fund
June 25, 2015 — Alexa Skills Kit Generally Released
June 23, 2015 — The Amazon Echo is Generally Available
April 8th, 2015 — Amazon Echo launches Connected Home capabilities
January 2015 – Facebook Acquires Wit.AI
November 6, 2014 — Amazon Echo Available By Invitation Only to Amazon Prime members
Oct 18, 2014 — The Ubiquitous Voice Society Launched
April 2, 2014 — Microsoft Announces Cortana
October 22, 2013 — XOWi launches its Voice Badge Kickstarter Campaign
August 12, 2013 — Facebook Acquires Speech Translation startup Jibbigo
June 2013 — Genesys Acquires Angel.com
January 2013 — Amazon Acquires Poland based Text to Speech provider Ivona
September 2012 — Nuance Communications acquires Ditech Networks
August 13, 2012 — Angel.com Announces Lexee
August 12, 2012 — UCIC Launches its Ubi Kickstarter campaign
August 6, 2012 — Nuance Announces Neena
December 20, 2011 — Nuance Communications acquires Vlingo
November 2011 — Amazon Acquires Yap
August 2011 — Nuance Communications acquires Loquendo
October 4, 2011 — Apple Launches Siri on 4S
June 2011 — Nuance Communications files another lawsuit against Vlingo
June 14, 2011 — Google Announces Voice Search
November 2010 — Nuance Communications acquires PerSay
April 28, 2010 — Apple Acquires Siri
February 4, 2010 — Siri is published as a mobile app on iOS
September 2009 — SimulScribe Signs Exclusive Partnership Agreement With Ditech Networks
December 2009 — Nuance Communications acquires Speech to Text provider Spinvox
December 2008 — PhoneTag rebrands as Simulscribe
June 2008 — Nuance Communications sues Vlingo for alleged patent infringement
April 24, 2007 — Nuance Communications Acquires BeVocal
March 2007 — Microsoft Acquires Tellme for $800MM
June 2006 — Genesys Acquires VoiceGenie
2006 — Mike Phillips and John Nguyen break off Nuance and launch Vlingo
September 2005 — ScanSoft Inc. acquires, merges with, and rebrands as Nuance Communications
May 2005 — Microsoft launches Microsoft Speech Server
January 2004 — James Siminoff and William Price found PhoneTag
2003 — ScanSoft acquires Speechworks
December 2001 — Scansoft acquires Lernout & Hauspie
2001 — Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products goes bankrupt
April 2000 — Orange purchases Wildfire Communications for $142MM
April 2000 — Nuance files IPO on the NASDAQ under the symbol NUAN
2000 — L&H Acquires Dragon Systems
2000 — SpeechWorks goes public
1999 — Mike McCue and Angus Davis Found Tellme Networks
1995 — Microsoft Releases its Speech API, SAPI 1.0, on Windows 95 and Windows NT 3.51
1995 – The Quarterly ‘Speech Technology Magazine’ begins publication
October 1994 – Wildfire Communications launches the Wildfire Assistant
1994 — Mike Phillips and Bill O’Farrell found SpeechWorks
1987 — Jo Lernout and Pol Hauspie found Lernout & Hauspie
1982 — Husband and Wife Dr. James Baker and Dr. Janet M. Baker found Dragon Systems
1981 — The Applied Voice Input Output Society (AVIOS) is founded
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