Amazon brings its home robot to businesses | TechCrunch
Nov 15, 2023 - techcrunch.com
Amazon has announced Astro for Business, a repurposed version of its Astro robot designed for security in small- and medium-sized businesses. The robot can create multiple security monitoring routes and send alerts when it detects the sounds of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms or glass breaking. However, the service is not cheap, starting at $2,349.99, and requires additional subscriptions for full functionality, including a $20 per month Ring Protect Pro plan for video history and syncing with Ring alarms, a $60 per month Astro Secure plan for patrolling and alerting features, and a $99 per month plan for human agent support and monitoring.
Astro for Business is currently only available in the U.S. and includes a four-month trial of Ring Protect Pro and Astro Secure. The move to repurpose Astro for business use comes after Amazon's struggle to break into the home robotics market, with Astro being absent from the company's annual devices and services showcase this year and remaining an invite-only product two years after its unveiling.
Key takeaways:
Amazon has announced Astro for Business, a repurposed version of its Astro robot designed for security in small- and medium-sized businesses.
The robot has new features such as the ability to create multiple security monitoring routes and send alerts when it hears the sounds of alarms or glass breaking.
Astro for Business is priced at $2,349.99, with additional costs for features such as video history, syncing with Ring alarms, and human agent support and monitoring.
The product is only available in the U.S. at launch and includes a four-month trial of Ring Protect Pro and Astro Secure.
