Virtual Assistant stories

Vodafone and Google Cloud widen their SMB push with new Gemini-based concierge and managed cyber defences, starting in Germany and Greece.

Tata Steel deploys more than 300 AI agents with Google Cloud to speed up maintenance, customer service and back-office work worldwide.

Xero unveils AI-native finance platform and JAX assistant to cut admin for small firms, with accountants and bookkeepers also in line for gains.

Emergent's Wingman promises an always-on digital assistant that can juggle email, calendars and chat, while pausing for approval on bigger actions.

Google rolls out conversational Search Live to New Zealand, adding voice and camera support in AI Mode across more than 200 countries.

Workday launches Sana, a conversational AI hub to search, act and automate workflows across its HR, finance tools and third-party apps.

RingCentral debuts AIR Pro voice-first AI agents with no-code tools, aiming to move enterprises beyond basic IVR to scalable automation.

Finastra launches OperatorAssist AI to cut banks' payment investigation work, promising 20-30% faster exception handling and reduced costs.

TechnologyOne launches Guide, an AI assistant to streamline council services and student support across Australia and New Zealand.

Samsung is adding Perplexity as a system-level agent on upcoming Galaxy flagships, deepening its shift to a multi-assistant AI strategy.

RingCentral integrates OpenAI's GPT-5.2 to power live AI voice calls, launching new assistants to support customers and employees in real time.

Asus courts 215 APAC partners in Sydney, tying AI PCs and omnichannel retail to an ambitious 30% consumer notebook market share goal.

Newo.ai and IONOS have launched a plug-and-play AI receptionist, promising SMEs 24/7 call handling, missed lead recovery and quick setup.

Foyer has launched Thine, an iOS “ambient AI” that quietly learns from in-person chats to nudge users on decisions and priorities.

KTC and Consult Red unveil AI Media Station, a Qualcomm-powered proof-of-concept bringing private edge AI control to living room media hubs.

Zoom unveils AI Companion 3.0, adding agentic workflows, a browser hub for work orchestration and standalone access from USD $10 a month.

UTS has developed CASPER AI, an assistant using AI to detect cyber threats and guide users and organisations in secure, compliant responses.

Red Hat launches Developer Lightspeed, an AI-driven toolset boosting app modernisation and coding efficiency within integrated developer workflows.

Avast Premium Security's new AI-powered Scam Guardian Pro offers proactive, real-time email scam protection, enhancing user safety without slowing device performance.

Red Hat unveils OpenShift Lightspeed, a generative AI assistant to simplify hybrid cloud app management, boosting efficiency across all user levels.