"Amazon" articles

Voice-enabled technologies have experienced massive growth in the consumer market since the introduction of Siri in 2011. The momentum in voice technologies is similar to the Internet boom in the 1990s. Companies who did not get on board and create a web presence, especially in commerce, fell behind to their competitors. The voice-first movement may elicit the same effect. For companies to capitalize on the current market opportunity, they must consider enabling a voice experience with...

Amazon and Netflix went head-to-head at the 2017 Golden Globes Sunday night, as the OTT video services’ original content was up for several awards. Original content has become an increased focus for OTT video services. Original content provides streaming services with a less expensive option to accumulate new content compared to acquiring licenses from outside sources. In addition, with over 190 OTT video services in North America, original content can create differentiation among...

Much like last year at CES, Amazon, without a booth or formal attendance at the show, is still a dominant presence with Alexa. With companies unveiling both built-in Alexa products and integrations, Amazon is extending its lead as a way to tie together the smart home with voice-enabled capabilities. Some announcements from this year’s show include the following alliances with varying companies and Alexa: Ford – One of the largest U.S. manufacturers of cars, Ford...

The personal assistant device market took off in 2016. Google Home joined Amazon Echo in time for the holiday sales season, and Amazon sold out of its Echo and Tap models in the run-up to Christmas. We expect this market to grow substantially in 2017, with increasing consumer adoption rates and new market entrants. With its announcement at CES  of Hub, a smart robotic personal assistant speaker, LG is the next to enter this space.   To compete with Amazon Echo and...

With news that Amazon is officially sold out (online) of Echo and Tap products until after the holidays, it looks like the smart speaker with personal assistant technology category has found its legs. Parks Associates forecasts 6 million U.S. sales for the category in 2016, which would double U.S. sales from 2015. Several trends are driving the smart speaker/personal assistant device market. First, consumer familiarity and use with personal assistant software are one the rise,...

Descriptions of Microsoft’s upcoming Home Hub are surfacing, joining the debate over which voice control hub to buy—Amazon Echo or Google Home. Microsoft’s version, however, won’t be delivered in the form of a coffee table or bookshelf cylinder. It will be delivered as a feature of Windows 10, running on a PC or Surface tablet. The fact that Microsoft is delivering its product in the form of software suggests that it be accelerating this evolution of device interfaces to...

Data breaches that expose sensitive data of millions of customers and cost large companies millions of dollars are now pervasive in the news.  As cyber-criminals formulate new ways to attack, many companies and consumers are now more aware of the vulnerabilities involved in providing and using connected products and services. Despite the fact that cybercriminals are consistently devising new attack strategies, device manufacturers and consumers are yet to pull out all the stops...

Today’s launch of Amazon’s standalone streaming music service , Amazon Music Unlimited, will definitely have an impact for the streaming music industry. Amazon announced a standard $9.99 per month price, but a $2 discount for Amazon Prime members and a $3.99 per month rate for Amazon Echo owners. The Amazon Echo offering does not include the ability to listen on alternative devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and computers. Parks Associates research indicates a...