Does Spotify enter the smart speaker industry? Wanted recruitment of hardware developers begins

Provide world's largest music streaming serviceSpotifyHowever, recruitment positions such as positions to oversee product development have begun at the company's recruitment site.

Spotify is 'on its way' to creating its first hardware according to job ad
http://musically.com/2018/02/20/spotify-way-creating-first-hardware/

Music related site "Music Ally" reported on 20th February 2018 that Spotify began recruiting job manager for hardware development. In the past, Spotify, which has been promoting its products by developing software, finally enters the hardware industry, finally spreading the view that "Spotify develops smart speakers at home in the end"? .

The recruitment is posted on Spotify's recruitment site "www.spotifyjobs.com". Recruitment of multiple positions is being conducted this time, and the recruitment page of "Operations Manager - Hardware Product" (manager of hardware product operation), which is considered to be the most important position, looks like this.

Operations Manager - Hardware Product - Spotify Jobs
https://www.spotifyjobs.com/job/operations-manager-hardware-product-ojtx6fwz/


"To export the page body," Spotify is moving towards creating the first physical product, we will set up an organization that will oversee its production and supply chain, sales and marketing, "explicitly in hardware It is stated to enter the field.

Spotify is on its way to making its first physical products and setting up an operational organization for manufacturing, supply chain, sales & amp; marketing.

What is required for this position is written as follows.

What you do do
· Define and drive the hardware operations process within Spotify
· Look into the long and short-term needs and being part of defining vendor strategy
· Lead and define operational processes
· Manage the forecasting, demand, inventory and supply chain
· Work with Customer Services to define the experience for hardware products
· Clearly communicate and report operation plans, benefits and results, as appropriate, to a wide audience
· Manage product vision for the cross-functional team by setting qualitative objectives and quantitative goals
· Work directly with internal stakeholders and suppliers to ensure delivery of the optimal Spotify experience
· Work from our office in Stockholm

<簡訳>
Requested work content
· Define hardware-related business processes in Spotify and proceed
· Join the planning of vendor strategy by identifying long-term and short-term demand
· Establish actual operation process
· Manage market forecasts, demand, inventory, supply chain supervision
· Work with customer service department to define customer experience gained by hardware products
· Communicate clearly towards many people and properly communicate the plan, benefits and results of operations
· Provide consistent goals and goals, manage consistent product vision management across cross-functional teams
· Ensure cooperation with internal stakeholders (stakeholders) and suppliers to provide optimal Spotify experience
· Do business in Stockholm's office

In addition, the applicant's condition is written as follows.

Who you are
· You have significant operations management experience working closely with hardware and software development operating at a global scale
· You have a BA or BS degree in Economics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or a related technical field with equivalent practical experience
· You have a deep understanding of product development on customized hardware platforms and working directly with hardware OEMs, ODMs, and suppliers
· You have excellent organizational and analytical skills with strong technical understanding
· You have exceptional communication and presentation skills
· You have a proven ability to influence decision-making at all levels within an organization
· You're driven and have the ability to influence cross-functional teams independently
· You will be based in Stockholm but are comfortable with 25% traveling

<簡訳>
Application condition
· Experience in operation management involving worldwide hardware and software development
· Have a Bachelor of Arts degree or a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and electronics, computer science field or have comparable practical experience in relevant fields
· Having a sufficient understanding of product development based on the company's specialized hardware platform and having direct experience as hardware OEM business, ODM business, or supplier
· To have organization management ability and analysis ability accompanied by technical understanding
· Excellent communication skills and ability to suggest
· To be able to demonstrate a clear influence in making decisions at all levels within the organization
· Have the will to influence function crossing type alone and have the actual ability by themselves
· While residing in Stockholm, 25% of the work is not painful even if accompanied by a business trip

From these contents, it clearly shows that Spotify develops new hardware from scratch by itself and aims to supply through promotional activities. If this product is a smart speaker, what is worrisome here is "How to prepare a voice assistant" like Amazon's Alexa or Apple's Siri. It is said that utilization of AI technology is indispensable for realizing voice assistant function, and it is unknown whether Spotify has that technology. Therefore, the possible options are to "buy Amazon Alexa and other technologies from outside the company" and "to collaborate with or acquire an existing voice assistant technology company".

Because Spotify has a partnership with music distribution with Microsoft in October 2017, there is the possibility of using Microsoft's speech recognition technology and "Bing".

Microsoft partnered with Spotify, part of the service of the music service "Groove" which had been unknowingly started was closed - GIGAZINE


In addition to the above "Operations Manager - Hardware Product", in this recruitment recruitment, "Senior Project Manager Hardware Production" (Senior Product Manager on Hardware Production) and "Project Manager Hardware Production & Engineering" ( The project manager of hardware production and engineering) is being recruited in positions such as.

Senior Project Manager Hardware Production - Spotify Jobs
https://www.spotifyjobs.com/job/senior-project-manager-hardware-production-omqv6fwx/

Project Manager Hardware Production & Engineering - Spotify Jobs
https://www.spotifyjobs.com/job/project-manager-hardware-production-engineering-onbk6fwy/