Roku hires Apple's chief architect of Siri to lead its technology efforts

Roku grabs the chief architect of Siri for its own technology ambitions.

What you need to know

• Brian Pinkerton, Apple's former chief architect of Siri, has been hired by Roku.
• The executive will lead the company's advanced technology department.

Reported by Bloomberg, Roku has hired Brian Pinkerton, Apple's former chief architect of Siri, into a senior management role leading its advanced technology department. In a statement, Roku has said that Pinkerton will be focused on "technical innovation and strategic software development across the platform."

Brian Pinkerton has joined the Los Gatos, California-based maker of TV set-top-boxes and software where he will focus on "technical innovation and strategic software development across the platform," the company said on Tuesday. His work will be broader than voice control, which was his specialty at Apple, where he was the chief architect of Siri until November, according to his LinkedIn page. Pinkerton was also previously chief technology officer for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

According to the report, Roku has been expanding its efforts beyond its traditional streaming set-top box and build its technology directly into televisions.

Roku sells several streaming video players to access video content as well as sound bars, but the company has increasingly focused on expanding its software platform and the Roku Channel streaming service. It has also been pushing for its software to be built into lower-end TVs, ceding the high-end to software like LG Electronics Inc.'s webOS and Android TV from Alphabet Inc.'s Google.

Roku has recently begun rolling out support for AirPlay and HomeKit and has also supported Apple TV+ since last year.

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