“Many consumer electronics OEMs want to get into the fast-growing market for smart speakers, but they don’t want to use another brand’s wake word or risk their customers’ privacy and personal data to do so. Sensory now has an affordable solution that offers these companies access to a user-friendly voice UX for Bluetooth speakers that maintains their brand’s integrity and doesn’t require access to cloud-based AI processing.” -Todd Mozer, CEO, Sensory, Inc.

Device makers looking to get into the smart speaker game, but who are wary about embracing the wake word branding of the likes of Amazon and Google, now have a solution: Sensory, Inc. has announced a new reference design for Bluetooth speakers that allows device makers to create sophisticated new solutions with customized wake words.

Called the VoiceGenie, the smart speaker reference design maintains Sensory’s approach of ensuring that user data is kept on a given device and not processed in the cloud, helping to protect user privacy. It’s primarily aimed at letting smart speakers operate through paired smartphones, and doesn’t require any special apps or hardware to operate. It enables simple and straightforward controls for things like music playback, and it doesn’t require wifi connectivity.

Sensory is offering the solution along with a developer program aimed at helping clients who sign on early to get their products to market quickly. The program includes custom wake word development and other custom support.

VoiceGenie’s announcement comes alongside that of another new solution from Sensory called Sound ID, which adapts Sensory’s underlying wake word technology to listen for potential home security issues like breaking glass or a fire alarm. And with its announcement of these two big new solutions right at the start of the year, Sensory is clearly aiming to kick off 2019 in a big way.