Google has unveiled Google Home at the I/O developer conference, its competitor to the Amazon Echo. The small, white, button-free speaker will sit anywhere in your home, connecting to all your Google accounts as well as services like Google Maps. Google', you'll be able to command it to complete a number of tasks - checking your calendar, telling you the weather, playing music, ordering taxis or booking cinema tickets. On the face of it, the device is similar to Amazon's Echo, a black monolith which can conduct internet searches and generally run your life. However, Google claims it is "unmatched" in being able to understand natural language.

That has spurred speculation that Google will release a virtual-reality device to compete with Facebook's new Oculus Rift headset, as well as Samsung's Gear VR. Analysts also believe Google may release an artificial-intelligent gadget to compete with Amazon's Echo, which is a cylinder-like device that includes a virtual assistant named Alexa.

Google will introduce its much-anticipated entry into the voice-activated home device market on Wednesday, according to people who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Named Google Home, the device is a virtual agent that answers simple questions and carries out basic tasks. It is to be announced at Google's annual developers' conference in Silicon Valley. Google Home will come to market in the fall -- a long time away, given the speed of technology, but Google needed to plant a stake in the ground now. The device will compete with Amazon's Echo, which was introduced less than two years ago.

Google will unveil an Amazon Echo competitor called Google Home tomorrow, according to The New York Times. It's not stated exactly what form the device will take -- a speaker seems like a reasonable guess, but it's only ever referred to as a "voice-activated home device." Like the Echo, it'll be able to answer questions and take commands by voice. Though it'll be demonstrated tomorrow, according to the report, Google Home won't ship until this fall. The early demonstration is somewhat unusual for Google, but there's good reason it may want to unveil it at I/O. Announcing Google Home now would let third party developers begin building out integrations with it, which could then be ready at launch.

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Despite mixed early reviews, Amazon's Echo smart home assistant has become one of the company's biggest hardware hits since it launched in 2014, selling an estimated 3 million units. Now, Google wants a slice of the action. According to a report from the New York Times, quoting sources with knowledge of Google's plans, on Wednesday the search giant will unveil Google Home, its version of a digital home assistant that will compete directly with the Echo. The launch will take place at Google I/O, the company's annual developer conference, but according to the New York Times reports, the product won't launch until this fall. Google is keen to establish its position in a fast-evolving market and leverage its AI-based Google Now product to carry out a range of tasks for users.

Whether it's called Google Chirp or Google Home, Google seems very likely to debut a new Amazon Echo rival when Google I/O kicks off on Wednesday. The New York Times reported Tuesday that Google's voice-activated gizmo will be called Google Home, confirming an earlier report from Recode that Google would launch what it called "Google Chirp" at the I/O developer showcase in Mountain View. Both reports basically state the same rumor: Google plans to launch a small home device, which Recode claims will be shaped roughly like Google's OnHub Wi-Fi router, that will incorporate Google's voice agent. In 2014, Google added hotword or "trigger word" support to Android phones, which allow them to listen for and respond to the "OK Google" command that would presumably be used to command Google Home. Amazon's Echo device is a small cylinder that functions both as a loudspeaker as well as a microphone, reporting sports scores and crafting shopping lists, turning on an alarm clock and kitchen timer, and more, using Amazon's cloud-based digital assistant, known as Alexa.

This story was delivered to BI Intelligence Apps and Platforms Briefing subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here. Consulting firm Accenture has announced a partnership with artificial intelligence software company, IPsoft, aimed at spurring the use of AI in the enterprise, ZDNet reports. The deal will see Accenture integrate IPsoft's AI program, Amelia, into a new business unit called Accenture Amelia. Amelia is similar to other virtual assistants such as Apple's Siri or Amazon's Alexa, however, IPsoft's program is reportedly more expressive and capable of showing empathy than other programs.

Chatbots, virtual assistants, machine learning and Artificial Intelligence have all been growing in popularity in recent times. Prior to Google I/O 2016 we were expecting to finally hear something from Google about their efforts in creating an AI Bot platform of some type. If the rumours are correct Google will, in fact, be launching their Bot platform at their developer conference. However, we haven't been able to determine the scope or scale of the platform thus far. It could be intended as a platform to run on any network, Telegram, Slack etc or it could be used in conjunction with a new interaction platform to be launched by Google itself, be it a chat or voice interaction model – hello Google Home – or it could be all of these things or none of these things.

If you weren't certain about Google's plans to introduce an Amazon Echo competitor, a new report may help you feel a bit more sure about what'll happen at Google I/O tomorrow. According to The NewYork Times, Google will introduce it's standalone connected home device at I/O, and will name it'Home.' A previous report noted it was going by the codename of'Chirp.' Some of the biggest names in tech are coming to TNW Conference in Amsterdam this May. The latest report pegs Google Home as a device that "answers simple questions and carries out basic tasks."