Move over Siri, a new virtual assistant is in town. No, it's not Google Now, but Microsoft's previously announced virtual assistant - Bob. Unlike Siri and Google Now, which many analysts and users likened to a sometimes-annoying friend, Microsoft Bob will be everyone's classy butler.
According to Microsoft's director of Bing search Stefan Weitz, the company will not be putting much effort in developing Bob for the time being. In an interview to a tech magazine, the top executive said that Microsoft Bob will gain more traction in the future.
"I think [Microsoft Bob] will reemerge, but with a deep bit more sophistication," said Bill Gates. He said that just like with their current mistakes, the tech titan was "just ahead of our time," referring to their massive shift into the touchscreen industry with Windows 8.
Analysts said that Bob will be coming back with a redefined process, updated with new Big Data technology allowing his service to be utilized precisely only when the user needs it.
The concept of the virtual assistant was the driving force of Apple's "S" upgrades. Apple's sales increased due to the "Siri" craze, proving that virtual assistant and search technology is a big sector which these giant tech firms should tap into, financial tech analysts said.
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