It’s easy to talk big ideas in a conference call, but getting things done takes intense hands-on collaboration, tracking, identifying priorities, understanding mutual goals and making sure you have the right people on the team. Some may be hard to explain to an outsider – which actually can strengthen the bond even more – but most people might appreciate the agony of hammering away at a contract the week before Christmas. Naturally, every work relationship has its dramas. While his colleagues may be under a different boss and entirely separate taxation system, they’re invested in a bold ambitious vision for what Beeb can do. “I aim to be supportive to my colleagues.” “I work collaboratively and I like to build strong working relationships,” Waterhouse explains. “This is about each of us having broader impact, beyond our individual results, in making a difference for the consumer.” “I drive impact-oriented collaboration that seeks diverse perspectives and ideas,” Ranganathan says. “I also like to get to know the people I’m working with to really understand the way they think.” “I try to really listen to what my teammates and customers are saying and empathise with them,” Adeogba says. The three share a passion for technology and public service, as well as a strong work style and ethic. “I have got my house automated that I need a separate IT team to maintain,” he confesses.įrom their first meet in December 2018, they communicated almost daily through emails, chats and calls across the time zones. Rainier, next summer.” Meanwhile, being homebound has just encouraged his passion for automating every nook and cranny of his living quarters. Understandably, the pandemic has curtailed his outings, although he says: “I am looking forward to my backpacking trip on the Wonderland Trail at Mt. Not surprising for a world traveller, Ranganathan is an avid photographer and hiker who believes that being in nature has a positive impact on people’s hearts, minds and bodies. “I can be classified as a frustrated West Ham United supporter.”Ī daughter of a systems engineer and a self-confessed nerd, Adeogba plays Xbox regularly, operates a ham radio and tumbles rocks – all hobbies that the mother-of-two admits make her sound like a 70-year-old. He’s also a big sports fan, from snooker to football. “I don’t really have many hobbies, but I do enjoy gardening and doing country walks,” Waterhouse says. To look at the three of them, though, you might not think they have much in common. “Every moment was a learning moment,” she recalls.įortunately, her counterpart has been Ranganathan, a senior director in Azure cognitive services, who has worked across several continents – from India to the UK, from the Philippines to Washington – before ending up in Microsoft HQ in Washington for 15 years. Developing a helper for Auntie – as the BBC is sometimes called – was her first major project at Microsoft. She had worked in broadcast journalism in markets small and large for 20 years before she jumped at the opportunity to work on innovations with the Microsoft News Labs team. Waterhouse worked on the commercial side of the BBC (BBC Worldwide and Corporate Systems Portfolio) for nearly five years but, hankering for a new challenge, headed over to the public service arm as soon as he heard about the opportunity on the Voice and AI team.Īdeogba was also new to her role when they met. Remote work was always a hallmark of the partnership among Waterhouse, Adeogba and Ranganathan. In normal times, getting the world’s first public service voice assistant to this stage would take months of collaboration, lots of paperwork and not a small amount of beer. The assistant’s talents are not restricted to news and information, however, as Beeb can tell a joke and even rap. While a simple command (“OK Beeb, update me”) will deliver the latest news, Beeb can also fetch specific radio programmes and podcasts, and offer weather updates. One-in-five adults has a smart speaker in their home and a voice-activated device in their pocket, so having a trusted helper to fetch news and information is a must. The BBC wanted to build a voice assistant dedicated to providing the UK public with unfettered access to its unique library of content, programmes and services. Originally a limited-release Beta tested by Windows Insiders, Beeb became available Beta-GA in November in the MS Store.Īs audience numbers has shown, keeping up with the news is more vital than ever. Gary Waterhouse of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Deb Adeogba and Krishnan Ranganathan of Microsoft are just some of the core people behind Beeb, the new voice assistant from the BBC. Behind every voice assistant is a human being.
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