Pioneer unveils Zypr, a free Siri-like platform that can tell your web apps what to do

Zypr is everything you wanted from Siri without the Apple-flavored handcuffs.

This voice-control API gives developers a free platform for writing voice-activated commands for web applications, including navigation, social media, maps, calendars and more.

Zypr comes from the folks at Pioneer, makers of many fine home and automotive consumer electronics. The company says Zypr is designed to work across mobile devices, web apps, consumer electronics devices and automotive information and entertainment systems.

One of the most interesting and valuable aspects of the Zypr API is that it aggregates third-party APIs from services like Facebook and Amazon, categorizes their functions (for example, social, mapping or shopping) and presents those functions through a single, normalized API, creating a stable access point for devices and apps. If a third-party API changes, the developer using Zypr doesn’t need to make any changes to his or her code. Pioneer says that Zypr can replace around 80 percent of the functionality of the APIs it supports.

For end users, Zypr creates a single sign-on and unified service profile that works across multiple devices.

But perhaps most interestingly today, Zypr gives developers natural-language voice control for all services, regardless of provider or category. And it’s entirely OS agnostic.

In a blog post announcing Zypr’s launch, the company says that Zypr’s “normalized, stable and voice-enhanced method” will act as a buffer between developers and the constantly swirling seas of web service APIs. Pioneer says Zypr-powered applications will let data follow an app’s users across multiple devices.

Zypr is an ad-supported service and offers developers revenue-sharing opportunities.

For your reference, dear developer, Pioneer has provided some sample code in the form of a Zypr-powered Java app, which you can check out now on Github. There’s also a fair amount of documentation to sort through.

Image courtesy of colorblindpicaso.

Check out DevBeat, VentureBeat’s brand new channel specifically for developers. The channel will break relevant news and provide insightful commentary aimed to assist developers. DevBeat is sponsored by the Intel AppUp developer program.