Is Microsoft jealous of Siri? No, according to chief research and strategy officer Craig Mundie, because Microsoft has had its own version of Siri available for over a year.

In an interview with Forbes tech writer Eric Savitz (below), Mundie said Siri probably got so much press because “people are infatuated with Apple.”

Apple is blessed with “good marketing,” but “you could argue that Microsoft has had a similar capability in Windows phones for more than a year, since Windows Phone 7 was introduced,” Mundie said.

Microsoft acquired TellMe in early 2007 and the company announced its first app for Windows Mobile in April 2009—a downloadable program that let users dictate text messages, dial phone numbers, or search the Internet by voice.

In August 2010, Microsoft Speech general manager Zig Serafi gave PCMag’s Michael Miller a demo of TellMe on a Windows Phone at the SpeechTek 2010 conference.

“You just press and hold the center button on the bottom of the phone, and you can say things like ‘Start Outlook,’” Miller wrote. “You can go into Bing and say things like ‘Find Italian Restaurants near me.’ Or just say the name of an airline and flight, and get the status.”

Microsoft unveiled its Windows Phone 7 lineup in October 2010, and while the mobile OS, particularly the most recent “Mango” update, has been well-received, the smartphones have yet to fly off the shelves, thanks in large part to competition from Android devices and Apple’s iPhone.

Mundie conceded that “we probably could learn something on the marketing side.” But, he continued, Apple didn’t really have much to offer with the new iPhone, hence the focus on the Siri.

via Microsoft: We’ve Had Siri-Like Tech for More Than a Year | News & Opinion | PCMag.com.

Is Microsoft jealous of Siri? No, according to chief research and strategy officer Craig Mundie, because Microsoft has had its own version of Siri available for over a year.

In an interview with Forbes tech writer Eric Savitz (below), Mundie said Siri probably got so much press because “people are infatuated with Apple.”

Apple is blessed with “good marketing,” but “you could argue that Microsoft has had a similar capability in Windows phones for more than a year, since Windows Phone 7 was introduced,” Mundie said.

Microsoft acquired TellMe in early 2007 and the company announced its first app for Windows Mobile in April 2009—a downloadable program that let users dictate text messages, dial phone numbers, or search the Internet by voice.

In August 2010, Microsoft Speech general manager Zig Serafi gave PCMag’s Michael Miller a demo of TellMe on a Windows Phone at the SpeechTek 2010 conference.

“You just press and hold the center button on the bottom of the phone, and you can say things like ‘Start Outlook,’” Miller wrote. “You can go into Bing and say things like ‘Find Italian Restaurants near me.’ Or just say the name of an airline and flight, and get the status.”

Microsoft unveiled its Windows Phone 7 lineup in October 2010, and while the mobile OS, particularly the most recent “Mango” update, has been well-received, the smartphones have yet to fly off the shelves, thanks in large part to competition from Android devices and Apple’s iPhone.

Mundie conceded that “we probably could learn something on the marketing side.” But, he continued, Apple didn’t really have much to offer with the new iPhone, hence the focus on the Siri.

via Microsoft: We’ve Had Siri-Like Tech for More Than a Year | News & Opinion | PCMag.com.