Finding His Voice

FC: What's the potential market for voice-powered applications?

McCue: In the enterprise segment, it's a multibillion-dollar market. Directory assistance is another billion or two. That could grow by $10 billion or $15 billion in 5 to 10 years. Personally, I love the iPod; I have about 30,000 songs on mine. But it's impossible to navigate with that wheel. It's crying out for speech interface. That could be huge.

FC: What about mobile search?

McCue: That market is now basically zero. Over the next 5 to 15 years, it will be a $15 billion to $20 billion market.

FC: How will that be commercialized?

McCue: It will be ad supported. It's going to take time to develop, but it will happen. We will handle the design, but Microsoft is doing a lot of work with ad engines, ad inventory, and the relationships with advertisers.