Telefonica Rolls Out Personal Assistant `Aura' in Data Focus

Carrier introduces service in six countries across platforms
Telefonica is seeking growth with data-focused services

Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete speaks during the presentation of Aura, a pioneering way in the industry to interact with customers based on cognitive intelligence, at the Telefonica Tower in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018. — Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete speaks during the presentation of Aura, a pioneering way in the industry to interact with customers based on cognitive intelligence, at the Telefonica Tower in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018.
Photographer: PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images

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By Joe Mayes and Rodrigo Orihuela

February 25, 2018 at 3:04 PM UTC

Updated on

February 25, 2018 at 4:07 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Apple Inc. has Siri, Amazon.com Inc. has Alexa and now Telefonica SA is promoting its own digital personal assistant with a voice, Aura.

The telecom carrier is set to release Aura in six countries, a key plank of Chief Executive Officer Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete’s data-focused strategy. Aura will initially be aimed at improving customer service with artificial intelligence by responding to commands to provide billing information, change television channels or start a video call -- predicting future needs from past behavior.