Alexa, what time is the next train to Chicago?
In January 2019, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) estimated that Amazon's Echo/Alexa controlled 70% of the U.S. smart speaker market. Google Home owned almost all the rest, with only a small percentage going to Apple's HomePod. It's a big business that moves millions of dollars a year and continues to grow unabated. "Alexa, what time does the next train leave for Chicago?". And the fact is that while these types of questions are becoming increasingly common in thousands of homes around the world, especially in the United States where the penetration of the sector has already reached millions of smart…