My guest today is Dave Limp, the senior vice president of devices and services at Amazon – or, more simply, the guy in charge of Alexa. Dave’s group at Amazon also includes the Kindle e-reader, the Ring and Blink security camera systems, the Eero wifi router, and a host of other products that connect to Amazon services. We wanted to know what the business behind Alexa looks like — Amazon sells Echo products at basically break even, it runs the Alexa for all of them for free, and it employs thousands of engineers who work on it. How does that make money? How might it make money in the future? How should we think about Alexa competing with other smart assistants, and for what kinds of business? The answers were not what you’d expect.
Links:Why the global chip shortage is making it so hard to buy a PS5Amazon's new Ring Alarm Pro combines a security system with an Eero RouterSay Hello to Astro, Alexa on wheelsAmazon is now accepting your applications for its home surveillance droneAmazon Glow is a video chat gadget with built-in games to keep kids engagedAmazon’s new Echo Show 15 is meant to hang on your wallAmazon’s new Kindle Paperwhite adds a bigger screen, longer battery life, and USB-CAmazon starts making its own TVs with new Fire TV Omni and 4-SeriesAmazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max review: the one to buyHow to connect Alexa to Spotify, Apple Music, and moreAmazon's race to create the disappearing computer
Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22483986
Credits:This episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, Alexander Charles Adams, and Andru Marino. And we are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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