Amazon Astro — Amazon’s adorable household robot that hasn’t been released to the public yet — got a new family member today with the launch of Astro for Business. A pilot program for the homebot started last year, and it looks like the unique gadget is ready to launch after its success.
Astro for Business differs from standard Amazon Astro in several big ways. Firstly, it is specifically designed to serve as a smart security solution for small and medium businesses. This means that complicated security systems can be eliminated in favor of these mobile robots. This unique product combines AI software with hardware like a periscope camera to help prevent break-ins and quickly alert you if something goes wrong.
Three subscription plans are available for Astro for Business, allowing you to optimize its performance to your specific needs. The cheapest plan is Ring Protect Pro for $20 per month, introducing 180 days of video history and the ability to sync Astro with your Ring Alarm. Astro Secure costs $60 per month and adds autonomous patrol to Astro, while the Virtual Security Guard plan costs $99 per month and allows professional agents to respond to alerts from Astro.
Astro for Business costs $2,350 and comes with a four-month free trial of Ring Protect Pro.
While it’s great to see Astro for Business getting a mainstream release, it’s a little strange that the original Amazon Astro is still available by invitation only. The robot is designed to do many of the same things as Astro for Business – including acting as a security guard – but we don’t have an exact release date from Amazon yet.
In any case, the arrival of Astro for Business signals good news for consumer-oriented Amazon Astro, as both share almost the same DNA. We’ve reached out to a representative for comment on Amazon Astro’s release date and will update this story when we hear back.
For now, you’re limited to requesting an invite or taking Astro for Business.
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