TechTheDay

Amazon has always been one of the biggest tech companies. They’re mainly known for selling stuff online and they kept being the leader when it comes to e-commerce up to the present. They’ve also entered the cloud computing business and invested in lots of other technology and services, mainly in the distribution of written works, music, and movies via Fire (formerly Kindle Fire) and Amazon TV. They’ve also tried to enter the smartphone business as well, but that went really bad.

And now they’re making another attempt that had a good part of the Internet, or at least the target customers of this brand new venture, very wary: they’re now trying to enter home service and security, and it all starts with their new Amazon Cloud Cam.

Cloud-based Security

Sounds familiar? Probably because Nvidia is also developing a cloud-based security service that combines cameras, IoT, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. Amazon’s new service is kind of similar to it. The Cloud Cam is a smart security camera that’s integrated with Alexa and any Alexa device. The camera can detect movement quite well and will alert the user if it senses any. It can also see through the darkness with it’s infrared. All the footages are captured in 1080p full HD and can be viewed from your smartphone. The footages are stored freely for 24 hours, but you can add more to the $119.99 basic price tag if you want the video clips to be stored longer. It also has a two-way audio that lets you speak to the people and lets them talk to you back.

Which brings us to their new service: the Amazon Key. Using an Amazon Key compatible Cloud Cam, a compatible smart lock and downloading the Amazon Key app, users can now let Amazon leave the delivery inside their homes. The delivery personnel notifies Amazon if they have arrived, Amazon notifies you if the delivery has arrived, and you can choose whether to let him in or just have it left in front of your door. If you choose to let them in, Amazon will give their personnel the key to unlock the smart lock, the delivery personnel will unlock the door, leave the package beside your door, and leave. And you can be sure of what’s happening because the camera is going to record all of it.

And that’s not all: Amazon Key can be used to give other people you trust to enter your home the passcode. It can be a person delivering your groceries, your babysitter, the cleaners, etc.

Not All Systems are Perfect

It sounds really convenient, but some people started expressing concerns about letting strangers in when they saw the ad. Indeed, there are a lot of ways for this to go wrong. Since the camera is connected to the internet, hackers would have an easier time hacking into the camera where they can freeze or disable the camera. Then there are the safety concerns about smart locks: how effective are they compared to regular locks and how easier is it to “pick” a smart lock compared to a regular lock?

Amazon says that their people can be trusted. “These individuals are thoroughly vetted, with comprehensive background checks and motor vehicle records reviews,” according to their website.

Conclusion

Convenience versus safety. This is what Amazon will be facing against as they promote this new service. It’s an uphill battle where they must be able to win their customer’s trust that this system isn’t foolproof. but if there’s one thing for certain, it’s that all electronic and internet-related systems are not foolproof. With major hacking happening across the world and data that were once safe are now found to be in danger of being compromised, this seemingly brilliant venture might end up flopping like their smartphone.