E-commerce giant Amazon is likely to dominate the Internet of Things (IoT), smart home and artificial intelligence sectors in 2016. Over the last years, it has turned into one of the leading IoT industry players.
In October, the company introduced its Amazon Web Services (AWS) IoT platform that allows connected devices interact with each other as well as other devices. Earlier in 2015, it purchased IoT startup, called 21emetry, that has created the platform for tracking and operating connected devices.
The company currently sells a wide range of home automation products, including smart locks, thermostats, sensors and controllers.
Last year, it unveiled a voice-activated speaker dubbed Echo. The device can provide various kind of information such as news, Wikipedia information or weather, on request of its user. Echo is connected to AWS and can be used via smartphones and tablets. The latest weekly update to the Amazon Echo brings a number of new features to the speaker, including Star Wars knowledge to answer your questions and you can now find out if you are on the naughty or nice list.
Earlier this year, Amazon launched an Internet-connected Dash button that enables users to order such daily items as razors and washing powder. The kit is expected to increase the overall number of online household goods buyers, significantly simplifying the process of purchase. Once the users want to make a purchase, they can push the button and wait for the confirmation, after what the goods will be delivered within a couple of days.
Given Amazon’s potential in the sphere of IoT and artificial intelligence, it could definitely compete with such companies as Facebook, Google and Apple.
According to Adobe’s forecasts, Amazon Echo is the “most admired” voice assistant. In comparison with Apple Siri, Google Now and Facebook M, it has received more positive reviews. Amazon Echo (67%) is followed by Google Now and Siri (45% each), Windows Cortana (38%) and Facebook M (18%).
Speaking of mentions in social media between July and November 2015, Google OnHub reached 130,000 mentions, while Amazon Echo hit 70,000 ones. Meantime, Amazon Dash was mentioned 65,000 times.
The company has recently announced that its Echo product will be sold at more than 3,000 stores during the holiday season. Given the fact that technological devices are among the items acquired most during the holidays, Echo will likely attract a large number of shoppers.
Meantime, there are also those users who are not satisfied with these IoT devices and smart home products. A few days ago, Motherhood published an interview with the person who created a parody account called Internet of Shit. According to the person, who desired to remain anonymous, the whole experience of using IoT products turned quite negative.
“I have maybe six or seven IoT devices at home – sort of unintentionally – and dealing with them disconnecting, resetting themselves or just doing something was driving me crazy,” the person said.
“I assume at some point there will be a shakeout and IoT actually might become less prevalent, but for now we’re in that “let’s shove it in anywhere it’ll fit” phase.”
