How Amazon Is Using the Internet of Things? – Smart Speakers, AWS IoT and More

In today’s world of hyperconnectivity, the Internet of Things (IoT) is the basis for many companies to drive their business forward. Amazon – the world’s largest online retailer and a leading cloud services provider also uses IoT technology to innovate for a better customer experience. In this blog, we will explore how Amazon is using IoT to collect insights, make informed decisions, gain a competitive advantage, and grow faster. To get a better perspective on applications of IoT in Amazon, let’s consider how Amazon is integrating IoT into the following:

• Smart Speakers
• Smart Home Automation
• AWS IoT – Overview & Services

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Applications of IoT in Amazon

Let’s take a look at how Amazon is applying Internet of Things technology to transform its products and services.

1. Smart Speakers

Amazon’s Echo devices are the most popular smart speakers available in the market today. These smart speakers have a virtual assistant, Alexa. Apart from listening to music on Amazon’s internet connected speakers, you can do a variety of other things. Alexa can help customers with everyday tasks, entertainment, and controlling their Alexa connected devices. It can order products offered on Amazon Prime. It can also order third-party products and services such as Domino’s pizza or ola ride.

Must Read: Best Online Resources to Learn IoT

2. Home Automation

Amazon is expanding its presence in homes beyond smart speakers. Many leading manufacturers offer IoT and Alexa built-in devices. These include smart TVs, refrigerators, wearables, door locks, security cameras, and smart lights. These devices let customers talk with Alexa through a microphone and speaker. Using IoT, these devices connect to the Internet and perform the desired action. These devices can work alone or together with other devices to offer a smart home experience.

Also Read: Top AWS Interview Questions and Answers

3. AWS IoT – Overview & Services

AWS IoT is an Amazon Web Services cloud platform. It offers cloud services that connect IoT devices to other devices and AWS cloud services. Amazon Web Services IoT collects, stores, and analyzes data from billions of connected devices and sensors. This data helps in industrial, consumer, commercial, and automotive workloads.

It helps customers solve their business problems. It enables businesses to securely connect their products, collect data, and take intelligent actions.

Now let’s take a look at some of its services:

1. AWS IoT – Device Software Services

AWS IoT Greengrass

It is software that provides cloud capabilities to local devices. With Greengrass, devices can collect and analyze data, react to local events, and connect securely with each other on local networks.

AWS IoT FreeRTOS

It is an open-source, real-time operating system for microcontrollers. It enables small, low-power edge devices easy to program, deploy, connect, manage, and secure.

AWS IoT ExpressLink

It is Amazon’s connectivity software powering different hardware modules, which are developed and offered by AWS Partners.

2. AWS IoT – Control Services

AWS IoT Core

With this service, customers can connect billions of IoT devices. They can route a huge number of messages to AWS services without managing infrastructure.

AWS IoT Device Defender

This service secures the entire fleet of customers’ IoT devices. It monitors the IoT configurations to ensure that they don’t deviate from security best practices.

3. AWS IoT – Analytics Services

AWS IoT Analytics

This service creates analytics of huge volumes of IoT data. The used doesn’t have to worry about the cost and complexity of building an IoT analytics platform. It offers analytics and insights to make more intelligent decisions for IoT applications and machine learning use cases.

AWS IoT Events

It helps in easily detecting and responding to events from IoT sensors and applications.

Must Read: AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud: Which One Should You Learn?

What Data do Voice Assistants Collect?

Smart devices and voice assistants collect a huge amount of data about their users and the performance of the products. They listen to your commands and record your requests. They also collect data when you connect your smart assistant to other apps and smart devices.

These recordings may be stored and accessed by other human ears. These recordings can be used so that voice assistants can get smarter in the future. The data may also be used to add new features.

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Conclusion

In this article, we discussed how Amazon is using IoT to access big data sets to collect data and gain insights into customer behaviors and product performance. With IoT, Amazon is becoming even more innovative in giving its users more choice, more convenience, better services, and more security.

Furthermore, Amazon and IoT are together enabling businesses to:

• Speed up innovation
• Scale, grow and save money
• Provide a better customer experience
• Secure IoT applications

Amazon will continue to shape the technological world by working with IoT technology.

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FAQs on AWS IoT

Q1. What are the benefits of AWS IoT?

Ans. AWS (Amazon Web Services) offers IoT (Internet of Things) services to connect and manage a huge number of devices. Business customers can gather, store, and analyze IoT data for different purposes. AWS IoT enables businesses to build intelligent solutions and innovate quickly.

Q2. What are the different AWS IoT services?

Ans. Amazon offers AWS IoT services in different categories:

• Device software: FreeRTOS, Greengrass, ExpressLink
• Connectivity and control services: Core, Device Defender, Device Management, FleetWise
• Analytics services: Analytics, SiteWise, Events, TwinMaker

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