Amazon Speaker News

Amazon’s Alexa-powered Echo smart speaker was the

shopping site’s biggest-selling item during the 2017 holiday

season, and a few months ago data suggested Echo smart

speakers are now selling in greater numbers than similar

devices made by Google and Apple.

Aiming to build on its success with Alexa and Echo, and to

make further advances with artificial intelligence technology,

Amazon has built a team of 10,000 employees — that’s ten

thousand — dedicated to developing the platform.

The revelation came on Tuesday, November 13 via Dave

Limp, senior vice president of Amazon devices, during an

event at a Wall Street Journal tech event in California.

Just as remarkable is the speed at which the team has

gro

wn, doubling in size in the space of only 12 months as

Amazon ramps up efforts to increase Alexa’s smarts and

design better speakers.

In the last year, Amazon has launched a number of new

Echo speakers, as well as the Echo Auto device that puts

the digital assistant inside cars. It also recently unveiled the

AmazonBasics Microwave that lets Alexa take care of your

cooking (Echo speaker required).