One would think that Alexa might be at the biggest disadvantage, since it’s lacking a robust operating system like Android or iOS. However, Amazon has encouraged adoption of their device with ‘Skills’ allowing developers to add Alexa functionality to their 3rd party apps and services. Alexa not only knows where your order of books is, it can also tell you when your pizza is going to show up. And while Alexa grows and learns, Microsoft and Amazon have recently announced that you’ll be able to activate Alexa through a Cortana enabled device, and vice versa; enabling access from your Echo to the considerably more robust Windows ecosystem, allowing for a deep dive into your Outlook calendar or inbox.

While Apple has been surprisingly silent regarding the Homepod, it’s a safe bet that Apple device users will have the same level of functionality and ease of use they’ve come to expect from Siri. Whether or not Apple loosens the locks on their gated garden and lets more 3rd party developers in to play has yet to be seen.

Apple Homepod (Image Credit: Digital Trends)

All the Assistants are ostensibly just fancy home speakers with a few tweaks to make your day easier to get through. So why is there such a rush to get one of these in to everybody’s living room? The answer is twofold. Each manufacturer is chomping at the bit to get you to buy one more device with their logo on it, deepening your relationship to their ecosystem. Once you have a stable of iOS devices tethered to your stylish mantelpiece assistant, it’s yet another puzzle piece in extricating yourself from Apple. The transition to a competitor’s service will never be seamless, and that isn’t a secret. This is why Google and Amazon are tripping over each other to build out their product lines, introducing smaller satellite assistants for all the rooms of your house. In Amazon’s case, they’re launching connectivity between their Echo line and smart door locks and security cameras under the auspices of convenience. Now, Alexa knows when your package will arrive, and will happily let the delivery man into the foyer, under it’s watchful eye, of course.

Arguably even more important than ecosystem entrenchment though, is data collection. Google is a powerful example of what good data collection can do for a company. With every search you make, email you send and order you make through it’s Chrome browser, Google finds out just a little bit more about you, and has been able to use that knowledge to make their services just that much more useable, while making a tidy profit to boot.

As these assistants fill our homes, play our music, and top up our fridge, they will be collecting more and more data. The players in this market place will need to be careful though, as people are becoming savvier to what information is getting out there. Google found this out when it had to release a hot fix to their new Google Home Mini speakers they found to be stuck in a state of recording everything being said, even without activation. While this issue was due to a software bug involving the activation button on the device, it provides a chilling example of what the true nature of these devices can be.

Digital assistants are definitely here to stay. Thanks to advancements in machine learning, the assistants will become smarter and more efficient in the years ahead. The race to the top for these devices will be a close one, as Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Apple undoubtedly know the benefit of coming out on top of this one. The company that creates the most comprehensive and reliable assistant with the most seamless interface between devices will be in a position to lead the charge into Bradburyesque levels of home automation. For now, though, we should decide how much privacy we’re willing to lose in return for the convenience of ordering a case of bottled water with little more than a voice command.