OFweek Smart Home Network News reports that Conexant, a name unfamiliar to most domestic consumers, has managed to secure partnerships with some of the biggest names in technology. Companies like Amazon, Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, SK Telecom, KT, and Harman have all benefited from Conexant's solutions. In China, their collaborators include companies such as LeTV, Midea, Gree, HKUST, Yun Zhisheng, and Roobo.
Conexant was invited as a partner to the Baidu AI Developer Conference held on July 5th. A day before, on July 4th, Saleel Awsare, the president of Conexant, granted an exclusive interview. In response to the absence of Apple and Google from their list of partners, Awsare confirmed that Conexant is in active negotiations with Google, expressing confidence in future collaboration. However, regarding Apple and the potential use of Conexant's solutions in the HomePod, Awsare remained cautious, stating that any announcements would have to wait until after the product's December launch.
Conexant offers both hardware and software solutions:
- Hardware Solutions: Providing chip solutions for voice-enabled applications such as smart speakers, IoT devices, and set-top boxes.
- Software Solutions: Leveraging years of accumulated machine learning algorithms, they offer active noise control (ANC), speech interruption, echo cancellation, and far-field processing solutions.
Conexant’s AudioSmart voice solution includes dual-microphone and four-microphone array solutions. Awsare mentioned that their dual microphones can achieve the effect of a five to eight microphone solution, which is sufficient for most market demands.
Awsare expressed ambitions for Conexant to become the Qualcomm of the AI age. However, he remains skeptical about the long-term potential of smart speakers. While China is currently dominated by smart speakers, Awsare noted that markets outside China have moved beyond this trend. He predicts that while smart speakers will remain significant in the short term, the mid to long-term will see the rise of various AI-capable products, making it difficult to predict whether smart speakers will reach the same level of importance as smartphones.
Amazon Echo is perhaps the most recognizable product on Conexant's list of collaborations. In 2016, Conexant became Amazon's partner for voice interaction and launched an AudioSmart development kit tailored for Alexa Voice Service (AVS) in December of the same year. Conexant disclosed that its AudioSmart voice technology has shipped over 30 million units, covering smart speakers, smart homes, TVs, mobile phones, PCs, cars, and robots.
Despite being adopted by numerous brands, Conexant remains relatively unknown in China compared to Intel and Qualcomm. Eager to expand its presence in the Chinese market, Conexant's president, Saleel Awsare, made a full itinerary during his visit. Besides attending the Baidu AI Developer Conference, he scheduled multiple media interviews and meetings with clients, hoping to secure more orders from China.
Conexant's first partner in China was the startup Yun Zhisheng. This partnership has not yet positioned Conexant as a dominant player in the smart speaker space. However, last year's partnership with Amazon brought significant recognition. Since 2017, Conexant has successfully collaborated with three BAT companies.
The primary task for Conexant is providing noise reduction and echo cancellation solutions, customizing adjustments based on each speech engine. For example, with Baidu’s DuerOS, an AI open platform akin to Android in the AI field, Conexant packages its voice solution into Baidu's DuerOS Developer Suite for immediate use by developers.
On July 5th, the Tmall Genie X1 smart speaker event seemed even more tangible. Equipped with Conexant's AudioSmart technology, it reflects Alibaba's ambition to lead in AI through such devices. Beyond basic functions like dialogue, alarm clocks, and weather inquiries, it also offers online shopping, similar to Amazon Echo. Tencent is also planning to release a smart speaker with Conexant’s AudioSmart solutions in August. At the Tencent Cloud Summit on June 22nd, Tencent introduced a new intelligent voice product called Tencent Cloud Micro.
Awsare's visit to China included meeting with manufacturers in the Xiaomi eco-chain, suggesting potential applications for Conexant's solutions. However, Awsare mentioned that Xiaomi was not part of his itinerary. Instead, the focus was on collaborating with BAT, as these ecosystems represent significant opportunities.
Awsare compared experiences working with American, South Korean, and Chinese companies:
- U.S. companies are ahead due to products like Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Apple HomePod, with Amazon having the most complete smart speaker ecosystem.
- Korean companies are fast adopters of new technologies, ambitious to lead industries, though limited by population size.
- Chinese companies began later but have immense potential given their large population and need for innovative products.
Awsare remarked, "Everyone is moving quickly, but China is catching up at an incredible pace." Despite China's vast potential, Awsare doubts whether local companies can surpass Amazon. "While everyone is racing, Amazon isn't standing still. It won't be easy for China to surpass Amazon."
For Conexant, the future holds uncertainties. Originally part of Rockwell International’s Semiconductor Division, it was spun off and listed on Nasdaq in 1999 as the world's largest independent communication chip provider. Despite restructuring in 2012, focusing on voice interaction, USB audio, and graphics, it was eventually acquired by Synaptics for $350 million in June 2017. Future integration plans and brand retention remain uncertain.
With this acquisition, Conexant’s dream of becoming the Qualcomm of the AI era seems distant. Yet, despite these challenges, Conexant continues to innovate and adapt to the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
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