Amazon’s Latest Bid To Control The Home: In-Door Delivery

Today in a press release, Amazon announced the November 8 launch of Amazon Key, a service for Amazon Prime subscribers that facilitates unattended in-home deliveries. 

“Amazon Key gives customers peace of mind knowing their orders have been safely delivered to their homes and are waiting for them when they walk through their doors,” said Peter Larsen, Vice President of Delivery Technology, Amazon. “ Now, Prime members can select in-home delivery and conveniently see their packages being delivered right from their mobile phones.” 

Amazon Key launches alongside the Amazon Cloud Cam, which the company revealed in another press release. 

The Amazon Key In-Home-Kit, which includes Amazon Cloud Cam and a smart lock compatible with the service is available for preorder, starting at $249.99, said the press release.  Users will be able to monitor in-home deliveries through the Amazon Key app on their phones or through other compatible devices. 

Amazon Key also offers keyless access for the friends and relatives of users, said the company.  In the future, third-party service providers — such as cleaners or pet sitters — will be integrated directly through the application. 

The Cloud Cam can interact with other smart home devices, like the Amazon Echo and Fire TV, and users can display the camera feed on any device in their houses that has a screen.  Amazon also stated that users can customize Cloud Cam notifications and store clips for further review. 

“Cloud Cam has all the features you need to monitor your home, including a 1080p Full HD camera, night vision, two-way audio and free storage for clips — and with the secure AWS cloud powering Cloud Cam’s advanced computer algorithms and intelligent alerts, the service is always getting smarter,” said Charlie Tritschler, VP, Amazon Devices. 

According to Amazon, basic Cloud Cam service comes with access to 24 hours of recorded clips, which are stored in the AWS cloud, and supports up to three cameras.  An additional subscription will allow users to attach up to 10 cameras and increase storage capacity for recordings. 

Basic subscriptions come with Person Detection, which uses the Cloud Cam’s motion detection to distinguish between human activity and other movement, and Zones, which allows users to designate parts of their home where motion should be ignored.  Business Wire reported that Extended and Pro subscriptions will also be available for users who want additional support. The price point for a single Cloud Cam device is $199.99, Amazon stated.  The smart home becomes available on the same day as Amazon Key service, Nov. 8.