In a move that many expect is an attempt to ‘catch up’ to Google, Apple and Microsoft with voice recognition, Facebook has recently completed the acquisition of Wit.ai. This is their first purchase of 2015, and it might be quite a significant one in the coming months and years.
Wit.ai is a Palo Alto startup company that is focused on advanced voice-recognition technologies. Many experts believe that the technologies will be integrated into Facebook, especially the mobile app, so that users can more easily make status updates simply by speaking.
This, of course, has been possible through Siri on Apple and OK Google with the Android platform for some time. If Facebook is looking to also enter the digital personal assistant market, it could be a big move. It may also make sense, because most people already have their Facebook apps active most of the day anyway.
Adding on some additional features like search options and the ability to answer many questions could help Facebook grow their market quite significantly. Of course, all of this is currently speculation, but there is no doubt that Facebook is interested in entering the search market and expanding outside of their main social networking platform. This acquisition may be just the path to accomplish that goal.
Neither Facebook nor Wit.ai has commented on how much the purchase was for. Compared to the recent acquisitions of WhatsApp and Oculus VR for $22 billion and $2.3 billion respectively, it is likely that this one will be far less expensive.
Marketers will want to keep a close eye on upcoming features of Facebook to see how they integrate this new voice based technologies. It could have a significant impact on advertising as well as using Facebook in general.
