by Amazon, recognizing the challenges in penetrating the home robotics market, has decided to cater to a different audience by launching Astro for Business. This new offering repurposes the Astro robot as a security solution for small- and medium-sized businesses. Astro for Business includes several additional features, such as the ability to create multiple security monitoring routes and send alerts in response to smoke and carbon monoxide alarms or glass breaking.
Anthony Robson, Head of Product for Amazon Astro, stated, “Traditional security solutions can be too static or expensive for what businesses need. We think Astro for Business can help with that.” However, despite its benefits, Astro for Business comes with a price tag. Starting at $2,349.99, the service requires additional subscriptions to enjoy its full range of features.
To save video history and sync Astro with Ring alarms and motion detectors, customers must subscribe to Ring Protect Pro at an additional cost of $20 per month. Astro’s patrolling and alerting features, known as Astro Secure, also incur a fee of $60 per month. Furthermore, human agent support and monitoring will set businesses back an additional $99 per month, necessitating subscriptions to Ring Protect Pro and Astro Secure.
Although Astro for Business is currently only available in the United States, it does come with a four-month trial of Ring Protect Pro and Astro Secure. However, businesses should be aware of the accumulating costs associated with accessing these services.
Given the high price point of Astro for Business, it appears to be Amazon’s attempt to extract as much value as possible from the Astro robot. Notably, Astro was absent from Amazon’s annual devices and services showcase this year. Additionally, Ken Washington, Amazon’s former VP of Consumer Robotics, recently left the company, and Astro remains an invite-only product two years after its initial unveiling.
Astro’s purpose remains somewhat elusive, as my colleague Haje noted in an op-ed. Nevertheless, Amazon’s venture into the corporate sector with Astro for Business underscores the company’s ongoing commitment to exploring the potential of home robotics.
Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
