Astro is leaving its job to spend more time with family.
Amazon informed customers and employees Wednesday morning that it plans to discontinue its Astro for Business program, less than a year after launching the robot security guard for small- and medium-sized businesses. The decision will help the company focus on its home version of Astro, according to an internal email.
Astro for Business robots will stop working Sept. 25, the company said in a separate email to customers, encouraging them to recycle the devices.
Businesses will receive full refunds for the original cost of the device, plus a $300 credit “to help support a replacement solution for your workplace,” the email said. They will also receive refunds for unused, pre-paid Astro Secure subscription fees.
Announced in November 2023, the business version of Amazon’s rolling robot used an HD periscope and night vision technology to autonomously patrol and map up to 5,000 square feet of space. It followed preprogrammed routes and routines, and could be controlled manually and remotely via the Amazon Astro app.
The devices started at $2,350. One of the early criticisms was the complicated nature of the related security subscription offerings from Amazon and its Ring division, with three layers adding up to as much as $179/month.
Amazon hasn’t made any role reductions as a result of the decision to discontinue Astro for Business, a spokesperson said, noting that impacted employees will shift their focus to consumer robotics products for the home. The company declined to say how many customers are impacted by the decision.
Sudden change of course
The move marks a reversal by Amazon in a sector poised for significant expansion in the years ahead. Estimates of the global market for robot security guards vary widely, but tailwinds include ongoing labor shortages, cost savings vs. human security guards, and the growing capabilities of the technology.
Other players in the security robot market include Cobalt Robotics, Knightscope, and SMP Robotics, as well as divisions of larger companies such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and BAE Systems.
In an internal email to Amazon’s consumer robotics organization Wednesday morning, Lindo St. Angel, vice president of Amazon Devices, wrote that he remains a “big believer” in the long-term benefits of robots for Amazon’s customers, noting that advances in generative artificial intelligence add to the potential opportunity.
“I am increasingly convinced the progress we’re making in home robotics is where we should focus our resources,” St. Angel wrote in the email to employees. “To do this, and accelerate our progress further, we’ve made the decision to wind down the Astro for Business program to focus our efforts entirely on building the best consumer robotics products for the home.”
Amazon’s consumer robotics organization, known internally as “CoRo,” has been part of St. Angel’s division since the departure last year of Ken Washington, vice president of consumer robotics, for a senior executive role at Medtronic.
The broader Amazon Devices & Services division has also gotten a new top leader, with former Microsoft executive Panos Panay replacing Dave Limp, who is now CEO of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture.
In a statement Wednesday, an Amazon spokesperson echoed the emails to employees and customers, saying the company is “fully committed to our vision of bringing world-class consumer robotics solutions to the home.”
The initial version of Astro was launched for home users on an invite-only basis in 2021. It sells for $1,600, but remains available on an invite-only basis under the Amazon Day1 Editions program.
No direct conversion to home robot
For companies facing the discontinuation of their Astro security guards, there’s no official option to convert an existing Astro for Business robot into an Astro home robot. In its email to customers, the company encouraged the use of its Amazon Recycling Program, through which it will cover the cost of shipping and recycling.
However, Astro for Business customers will receive an automatic invite to purchase a separate home version of the robot via the Astro Day 1 Editions program, according to the email sent to customers Wednesday morning.
Amazon first said it was testing Astro for business scenarios in September 2022, more than a year before officially launching Astro for Business, in November 2023. The application for businesses was viewed at the time as a potential answer to early criticism that the home version of Astro was “a solution in search of a problem.”
In addition to home security, the consumer version of Astro can deliver messages, carry items in a small cargo hold, navigate autonomously, play media, and interact with users via the company’s Alexa voice assistant.
Amazon has not given a timeline for making Astro generally available to home users. The company says feedback from customers in the Day 1 Editions program has informed several new features and enhancements.
Amazon offered three subscription layers for Astro for Business customers.
- A $60/month subscription plan called Astro Secure for programming routes and receiving alerts.
- An optional $20/month Ring Protect Pro subscription to save video history for up to 180 days, and connect to Ring contact sensors.
- An optional $99/month subscription, Virtual Security Guard, that gave human agents the ability to access the Astro device remotely to investigate incidents and alert emergency services if needed.
Amazon says customers won’t be charged any further subscription fees for Astro Secure as of today, and they will receive a refund for any unused, pre-paid subscription fees. Astro Secure will similarly be discontinued for Astro consumer users who were using the service for security patrols in the home.
The email to business customers says, “On 9/25, your Astro for Business device will no longer function and your personal data will be deleted from the device. Any patrol or investigation videos recorded by Astro will still be available in your Ring app until your video storage time expires or your Ring Protect subscription ends.”
Here’s the full text of St. Angel’s internal email to employees:
https://ift.tt/0maeqiZ July 03, 2024 at 04:18PM GeekWireFrom: Lindo St. Angel
To: CoRo org
Subject: Update on Astro for BusinessTeam,
It’s now been a year since CoRo moved into my organization, and it’s been a rewarding experience learning about the team and the business. I have tremendous respect for this team, what you’ve built for our customers, and your mission to deliver world-class consumer robotics solutions.
Much like you all, I am a big believer in the long-term benefits robots will offer our customers, and advancements in generative AI make this only more exciting. I am increasingly convinced the progress we’re making in home robotics is where we should focus our resources. To do this, and accelerate our progress further, we’ve made the decision to wind down the Astro for Business program to focus our efforts entirely on building the best consumer robotics products for the home.
There’s a lot of work to be done, but I am excited for this change and where it will lead us on the next stage of our journey. If you have any questions about this shift and how it pertains to your role, please reach out to your manager.
Lindo
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