OFweek smart home network news Conexant (Conexant), for most domestic consumers, this is a rather unfamiliar name.
However, the customers of Conexant mentioned that they have made a success, Amazon, Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, SK Telecom, Korea Telecom and Harman. In addition, China’s partners include LeTV, Midea’s, Gree’s, HKUST’s news, go out to ask questions, Yun Zhisheng, Roobo and so on.
Conexant was invited as a partner to attend the Baidu AI Developer Conference on July 5. On the previous day, July 4, Saleel Awsare, president of Conexant, received an exclusive interview.
For Apple and Google
Although Conexant’s partners include tech giants such as Amazon and BAT, the two giants of Apple and Google are clearly missing from this list.
In response, Awsare confirmed that Conexant is actively negotiating with Google: "At present, we cannot share any relevant information with Google. We can disclose that we are very confident in the future cooperation with Google."
An interview with Saleel Awsare, President of Conexant
But for the cooperation with Apple, let HomePod use Conexant's solution, Awsare is very cautious, Awsare said: "We can't make any announcement about Apple's things, wait until after the December launch of the product Everyone wants to disassemble it."
He added: "We have a very strict confidentiality agreement and we cannot make any relevant evaluations."
This sentence may wish to chewed it carefully. Although Conexant denies it, Apple HomePod also uses Conexant's AudioSmart development kit from a source close to Apple.
Conexant provides hardware and software solutions -
Hardware solutions: Provide chip solutions for a variety of voice-enabled applications (including smart speakers, IoT devices, set-top boxes, etc.)
Software Solutions: Utilizing machine learning algorithms accumulated over many years, it can provide active noise control (ANC), speech interruption, echo cancellation, and far-field processing solutions.
Conexant's AudioSmart voice solution includes dual-microphone arrays and four-microphone array solutions. Awsare told the author that its dual microphones can achieve the effect of 5-8 microphone solutions, which is sufficient to meet the needs of the market. The demand for most products.
Conexant wants to become Qualcomm in the age of artificial intelligence, but is not optimistic about smart speakers
Awsare told the author that Conexant wanted to become Qualcomm in the age of artificial intelligence. “All companies that make voice interactive products in the market are basically Conexant's solutions. We will explore the broader IoT market through the market. The power of Qualcomm has reached the status of mobile phones. This is also our development strategy."
Interestingly, when the author asked Awsare what kind of vertical field of artificial intelligence is more promising, whether he would be born with the next iPhone-like phenomenon-level product, he was not optimistic about smart speakers.
“Honestly speaking, China is currently mainly smart speakers, but the market outside China has long been out of the speaker market,†Awsare analyzed. “Short term, smart speakers will still occupy a very important position, but from the middle And in the long-term plan, there are more different products that will also have artificial intelligence capabilities, so it's hard to say whether smart speakers will gain the same position as smartphones."
At present, Amazon Echo should be the best-known product in the Conexant cooperation list. In 2016, Conexant became Amazon's partner in voice interaction. In December of the same year, Conexant announced an AudioSmart development kit tailored for Alexa Voice Service (AVS).
Conexant revealed that its AudioSmart voice technology has shipped more than 30 million sets so far, covering smart speakers, smart homes, smart TVs, mobile phones, PCs, cars and robots.
Amazon Echo, which sold 6.5 million units last year, gave birth to smart speaker fever. The subsequent launches of Google Home, Apple HomePod, Tmall Genie X1, JD, and Rokid basically followed Echo's path.
Chinese opportunities
Although it has been adopted by so many brands, Conexant has no name in China, and it is recognized by brand owners at most. It is far from being known as Intel and Qualcomm.
Conexant, eager to open up the Chinese market, came to China this time, not just simply participating in the Baidu AI Developer Conference. Awsare made a full itinerary. In addition to arranging several media interviews with the axis, he would also like to meet with customers. , I hope to get more orders from China.
The first partner of Conexant in China is a startup company, Yun Zhisheng, but this is far from helping it become a Qualcomm in smart speakers. Perhaps cooperation with Amazon last year helped a lot and gained recognition. Since 2017, Conexant has captured three BAT companies.
The main task that Conexant does is to provide noise reduction and echo reduction solutions, and make different adjustments according to the characteristics of each speech engine. Like Baidu's DuerOS, it is itself an AI open platform - Baidu claims to be playing Android in the field of artificial intelligence. The job of Conexant is to pack its own voice solution into Baidu's DuerOS Developer Suite. , Let developers use it immediately.
On the 5th of July, besides the Baidu AI Developer Conference, the Tmall Genie X1 smart speaker conference in the afternoon seemed even more real. It carried Conexant's AudioSmart technology. With the ambitious Alibaba.com-like gene, Alibaba hopes to seize the entrance of artificial intelligence with such "gadgets." In addition to its basic dialogue, alarm clock, weather inquiries and other functions, it also has Amazon Echo's online shopping function. .
It is reported that Tencent has a named "ears" smart speakers will be released in August, if nothing else, equipped with the same Conexant AudioSmart voice solutions. At the Tencent Cloud Summit on June 22, Tencent released a new intelligent voice product called Tencent Cloud Micro.
The thought that Awsare's visit to China will be the only place in China that is located in Qinghe. Whether it is smart TVs, smart phones, or smart home products owned by the millet eco-chain brand, it seems that Conexant's solutions can Come in handy. But Awsare told the author that there was no millet in his trip.
“Our visit to China this time is mainly to talk about cooperation with BAT, because basically this is an ecosystem. For us, Xiaomi is just one of the manufacturers. We already have plans to wait for it to be used. It is to select us. It is not that we look for it. Of course, China is not just a millet. There are many product manufacturers in China who also want to go in this direction, so the key is to make this platform popular in all ecosystems.â€
When talking about the feelings of cooperating with companies in the United States, South Korea, and China, Awsare thinks—
1) U.S. companies are currently in a leading position because of Amazon Echo, Google Home, Apple HomePod and other products, and Amazon has built the most complete ecosystem of smart speakers so far;
2) Korean companies are the fastest, they dare to try new technologies and they are most willing to try new technologies. They want to do all the leading roles in the industry, but South Korea, although running fastest, has a limited population;
3) Chinese companies started a little slower, but China has the most potential, because China has the largest number of people and the most needed products.
Awsare thinks: "The biggest difference is that everyone's speed is different, but China is catching up at a tremendous rate."
Despite the huge potential of the Chinese market, Awsare has reservations as to whether Chinese companies can move beyond the Amazon. “Everybody is sprinting, but Amazon is not sitting and waiting. The Chinese market does have great potential, but they will not. It will be hard to say that there will be an opportunity to go beyond Amazon."
In fact, for Conexant itself, its future is also full of variables.
Conexant’s predecessor was Rockwell International’s Semiconductor Division, which was spun off from Rockwell International and listed on Nasdaq in 1999. It was the world’s largest independent communications chip provider, but it later followed. Most of the readers meet negative news. Despite restructuring in 2012, the company focused its business on the three key areas of voice interaction, USB audio and graphics, and it still did not get rid of the fate of being acquired.
In June 2017, Conexant was acquired by Synaptics for $350 million. Next, the two sides will conduct business integration. After the integration of Conexant is still retained brand, there is still no conclusive.
After the acquisition of Conexant wanted to become Qualcomm in the era of artificial intelligence, this dream seems to be drifting away.
Comcn Electronics Limited , https://www.comencnspeaker.com