Viv

Viv was an intelligent personal assistant software platform developed by members of the team associated with Siri. Development began in 2012 under the company originally known as Six Five Labs, later renamed Viv Labs. The project sought to move beyond the relatively closed model of conventional voice assistants by creating an extensible system capable of incorporating third-party services and handling more complicated, multi-step natural-language requests. The product became publicly known on May 9, 2016, when it was demonstrated at TechCrunch Disrupt New York. Its central proposition was an open platform in which outside developers could create plug-ins or integrations that expanded what the assistant could do. Viv was also presented as having a more flexible cognitive architecture than earlier assistants, with software intended to interpret user intent, plan responses, request missing information, and coordinate services dynamically. The company attracted substantial financing during development. Reference material associated with the project reported more than $22 million raised by early 2015 and approximately $30 million by early 2016, although this dossier does not treat those amounts as independently verified financial figures. Viv Labs and its technology were acquired by Samsung Electronics on October 5, 2016. The acquisition ended Viv's development as an independent branded assistant and placed its technology within Samsung's broader artificial-intelligence and voice-assistant strategy. After the acquisition, reports initially suggested that Viv technology would appear in Samsung's Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones. Samsung subsequently introduced Bixby on those devices, and Bixby was described as a relaunch of S Voice rather than a direct deployment of Viv. In October 2017, Samsung stated that Viv Labs technology would be integrated into Bixby 2.0. Consequently, Viv is best understood as a discontinued standalone software brand whose principal legacy was its open, developer-oriented approach to intelligent assistants and its contribution to Samsung's later assistant platform.

Viv emerged from a development effort begun in 2012 by a team associated with the creation of Siri. The project was initially operated through Six Five Labs, which later became Viv Labs. Its objective was to create a new generation of intelligent personal assistant that was less constrained than the largely closed assistants then offered by major technology companies. The design emphasized an extensible software architecture. Rather than limiting the assistant to a fixed set of commands, Viv was intended to interpret natural-language intent, break down complicated requests, plan the steps required to answer them, and use external services supplied by third-party developers. The associated patent filings described concepts including a dynamically evolving cognitive architecture, system planning, natural-language intent interpretation, and prompting users for additional information when a request was incomplete. Viv was first presented publicly on May 9, 2016, at TechCrunch Disrupt New York. The demonstration positioned the product as a platform rather than merely a voice interface. Its proposed integrations and handling of complex queries were intended to distinguish it from Siri and other assistant products. By early 2015, the company was reported to have raised more than $22 million, and by early 2016 reported funding had reached about $30 million. These amounts are included in historical reference material but are not independently expanded here because the available source does not provide a detailed financing table. On October 5, 2016, Samsung Electronics acquired Viv Labs and its technology. The transaction changed Viv's trajectory from an independent assistant brand to an internal technology asset of a global electronics company. In the weeks following the acquisition, speculation or reporting indicated that an assistant using Viv technology might be included in Samsung's Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones. Samsung ultimately shipped Bixby on those devices; the product was characterized as a relaunch of S Voice rather than an assistant directly based on Viv. Samsung later clarified Viv's role in October 2017 by announcing that Viv Labs technology would be integrated into Bixby 2.0. Viv therefore ceased to operate as a continuing standalone consumer product. Its historical importance lies in its attempt to create an open assistant ecosystem, its connection to the early Siri team, and the transfer of its architectural ideas and technology into Samsung's assistant strategy.

• 2017

  Viv technology is designated for Bixby 2.0

  [1]Viv (software)en.wikipedia.org

  Samsung announces that Viv Labs technology will be integrated into Bixby 2.0.

• 2016

  Viv is publicly unveiled

  [1]Viv (software)en.wikipedia.org

  Viv debuts at TechCrunch Disrupt New York on May 9, presenting an open assistant platform capable of third-party integrations and complex-query handling.

• 2016

  Samsung acquires Viv Labs

  [1]Viv (software)en.wikipedia.org

  Samsung Electronics acquires Viv Labs on October 5, bringing Viv's technology into Samsung's product-development organization.

• 2015

  Reported funding exceeds $22 million

  [1]Viv (software)en.wikipedia.org

  Historical reference material reported that the project had raised more than $22 million by early 2015.

• 2012

  Development begins

  [1]Viv (software)en.wikipedia.org

  The team behind Viv begins developing a new intelligent personal assistant platform.

An open and extensible intelligent assistant platform designed to interpret complex natural-language requests and connect third-party services through developer integrations.

• Intelligent personal assistant software · 2016

  Viv

  Viv was an intelligent personal assistant platform designed to understand natural-language requests, plan multi-step responses, and connect users with external services. Its defining product concept was openness: third-party developers could create plug-ins or integrations that expanded the assistant's capabilities. Viv was publicly demonstrated in 2016 but did not continue as an independent consumer product after Samsung Electronics acquired Viv Labs.

• Voice-assistant technology

  Viv technology for Bixby

  Following Samsung's acquisition of Viv Labs, elements of Viv's technology were assigned to Samsung's assistant strategy. Samsung announced in 2017 that Viv Labs technology would be integrated into Bixby 2.0. This was an integration of technology into another Samsung brand rather than a separately marketed Viv product.

• 2017

  Viv technology is integrated into Bixby 2.0Strategy

  Background

  The expected appearance of a Viv-based assistant on the Galaxy S8 and S8+ did not occur; Samsung instead launched Bixby on those devices.

  Action taken

  Samsung announced that Viv Labs technology would be integrated into the next generation of Bixby.

  Aftermath

  Viv's role became that of an acquired technology platform supporting Samsung's assistant ecosystem rather than a standalone branded offering.

  Source

• 2016

  Samsung acquires Viv LabsM&A

  Background

  Viv had been developed as an open assistant platform by the team associated with Siri and had received substantial reported funding before its public debut.

  Action taken

  Samsung Electronics acquired Viv Labs and its technology on October 5, 2016.

  Aftermath

  Viv stopped developing as an independent assistant brand, while Samsung later stated that Viv Labs technology would be incorporated into Bixby 2.0.

  Source

• 2017

  Samsung links Viv Labs technology with Bixby 2.0[1]Viv (software)en.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  Samsung announced that technology from Viv Labs would be incorporated into the second generation of its Bixby assistant, establishing Viv's principal post-acquisition role within Samsung rather than as a standalone product.

• 2016

  Viv makes its public debut at TechCrunch Disrupt New York[1]Viv (software)en.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Viv was publicly demonstrated as a new intelligent personal assistant platform. Its presentation emphasized support for third-party extensions and the ability to process more complex requests than conventional assistants.

• 2016

  Samsung Electronics acquires Viv Labs[1]Viv (software)en.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Samsung Electronics acquired Viv Labs and its assistant technology, ending the company's operation as an independent developer and bringing the platform into Samsung's artificial-intelligence portfolio.

1. 1Viv (software)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Viv official websiteviv.ai