Microsoft and the BBC recently launched the Beep Voice Assistant which can understand strong accents, including those in the UK. According to VentureBeat's previous report, BBC, in partnership with Microsoft, launched an early version of its previously announced voice assistant.
The voice assistant called "Beep" is part of Microsoft's Windows Insider Program and will initially be made available in the UK where participants will contribute with the improvement of the voice assistant ahead of a wider rollout.
The software was deployed during the growing tensions around how tech companies are commercializing user data through voice assistants and other digital platforms. The BBC will still gather user data by requiring users to log in with their BBC account since it is a public service broadcaster funded by license fees in the U.K.
However, since the BBC is a business that is not built around targeted marketing just like Google and Amazon, it may hold a trust advantage. The BBC revealed its intentions, announcing its plans for Beep in 2019. The company stated that it will not mainly focus on launching dedicated hardware similar to Amazon's Echo, but it will build voice services into its own products, including its iPlayer TV streaming service and BBC's official website.
The BBC will use Microsoft's Azure AI infrastructure together with its speech recognition services, which were built from the previous projects the two companies worked on and an experimental voice-controlled iPlayer back in 2017, for the new Beep app.
BBC launches Beep Voice Assistant in partnership with Microsoft; The innovation can understand difficult accents
Beep Beta is now available in the U.K. and can be downloaded in PCs and tablets running Windows 10. However, only those people who have an account on Windows Insider Program are allowed to access the new app. This will not be a problem since anyone can sign up to become a Windows Insider.
The app's users can play specific programs from BBC such as radio stations and podcasts using their voice, saying something like "OK Beep, play Radio 1". Users can also use the voice assistant by saying "OK Beep, update me," for the application to provide a snapshot of the local weather and latest news headlines.
The application currently focuses on optimizing BBC's own digital platforms, although the company could open up Beep to third-party services in the future.
"We're still in the early stages of what services will be available on Beeb, but there are no plans with third-party content at the moment," said a spokesperson of the BBC.
The Beep Voice Assistant has limited features compared to other voice assistant applications since users cannot command Beep to turn up their thermostat or other similar smart home functions and also won't be able to ask general questions from across the internet.
