Amazon ramps up smart speakers battle against Google - BBC News

Amazon is offering other manufacturers free use of its smart speakers' microphone technologies as part of its efforts to spread the use of its Alexa virtual assistant. The firm will, however, pick and choose who can take advantage of the proposal. The initiative follows the launch of the Google Home speaker and its associated Assistant. One expert said the two tech firms were now involved in a "land grab" to become the sector's number one player. Doing so will help attract developers, and in turn ensure that one product has a wider range of capabilities than the other.