One question that you might be asking yourself after the recent holidays is “how many Amazon devices were sold?” Amazon’s press release on December 26, 2017 states that they had their best season yet, selling “tens of millions of Alexa-enabled devices worldwide.” The PR also states, “Echo Dot and Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote were not only the top-selling Amazon devices this holiday season, but they were also the best-selling products from any manufacturer in any category across all of Amazon.”
While Amazon’s ‘tens of millions’ number might not seem like a lot (coming from one website), consider the evolution of shopping online versus in-store. According to Pew Research Center for Technology and Research, 79% of Americans shop online. It’s kind of a big deal! An even bigger deal is the interest in home technology from homeowners and shoppers online. This has promoted advancements that will impact consumers, manufacturers and integrators.
The results from Amazon’s report will serve as a clear regard that voice command utilities, such as Lutron or Sonos Control are in high demand. The opportunities within this demand are huge for integrators. While shopping online for voice activated devices becomes more available, the demand for the capabilities and creativity of an integrator increase more and more.
Consider that if consumers are buying into small devices that sit on kitchen countertops, settings such as live events, churches, and hospitals will start to demand the sophistication and expertise that AV Installers provide. Soon, it will be hard to find a home, business, or building without voice control.