07 November 2011 | Author: R Wood Media Intern
Chairman Eric Schmidt admitted that Apple's virtual assistant Siri may have what it takes to give the search titan a run for its money.
Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee's antitrust subcommittee over alleged anti-competition practices, Schmidt rebuked claims from competitors that the search engine "doesn't play fair" while in the hot seat.
In particular, Schmidt cited Apple's newly launched virtual assistant Siri as fresh competition, noting it has been labelled a "Google killer" by some industry insiders.
"History shows that popular technology is often supplanted by entirely new models. Even in the few weeks since the hearing, Apple has launched an entirely new approach to search technology with Siri," Schmidt said.
"Apple's Siri is a significant development - a voice-activated means of accessing answers through iPhone demonstrates the innovations in search. Google has many strong competitors and we sometimes fail to anticipate the competitive threat posed by new methods of accessing information."
Apple's Siri - which made its debut on the iPhone 4S - uses a microphone to turn voice commands into actions. Users can use Siri to send text messages, set reminders, check the weather and browse the web.
At the hearing, Schmidt also admitted he was "clearly wrong" in his past assertion that Apple and Facebook were not competitors to web search.
He said: "The importance of social networking to consumers' online experience has changed remarkably - even over the past year. Consumers are looking for answers when they conduct searches online, and social search has become a serious competitor in helping people find those answers online."
Siri frightens Google
Chairman Eric Schmidt admitted that Apple's virtual assistant Siri may have what it takes to give the search titan a run for its money.Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee's antitrust subcommittee over alleged anti-competition practices, Schmidt rebuked claims from competitors that the search engine "doesn't play fair" while in the hot seat.
In particular, Schmidt cited Apple's newly launched virtual assistant Siri as fresh competition, noting it has been labelled a "Google killer" by some industry insiders.
"History shows that popular technology is often supplanted by entirely new models. Even in the few weeks since the hearing, Apple has launched an entirely new approach to search technology with Siri," Schmidt said.
"Apple's Siri is a significant development - a voice-activated means of accessing answers through iPhone demonstrates the innovations in search. Google has many strong competitors and we sometimes fail to anticipate the competitive threat posed by new methods of accessing information."
Apple's Siri - which made its debut on the iPhone 4S - uses a microphone to turn voice commands into actions. Users can use Siri to send text messages, set reminders, check the weather and browse the web.
At the hearing, Schmidt also admitted he was "clearly wrong" in his past assertion that Apple and Facebook were not competitors to web search.
He said: "The importance of social networking to consumers' online experience has changed remarkably - even over the past year. Consumers are looking for answers when they conduct searches online, and social search has become a serious competitor in helping people find those answers online."
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