Amazon Discontinues Astro for Business Robot, Invests €10bn in German Cloud Infrastructure and Logistics

Amazon has made the decision to discontinue its Astro for Business security robot, which was created for small- and medium-sized businesses. The company first introduced the robot for domestic use in 2021 and later expanded its use to various business sectors like retail and manufacturing last year. An Amazon spokesperson mentioned in an email that the decision to end support for Astro for Business was made to accelerate progress and ongoing research to improve the in-home robot.

The Astro for Business robot, priced at $2,349.99, was designed to provide continuous monitoring for businesses. Customers have been informed that the robots will cease operations as of September 25, 2024. To assist customers in finding alternative workplace solutions, Amazon is providing a $300 credit and will refund any prepaid Astro Secure subscription fees starting from July 3, 2024. The product was only available in the US.

In addition to this news, Amazon recently announced a €10bn investment in Germany to enhance its cloud infrastructure and logistics network. This investment is expected to create 4,000 new jobs in 2024, bringing Amazon’s total permanent workforce in Germany to over 40,000. Part of a larger commitment to Germany, totaling €17.8bn, includes a €7.8bn investment in AWS European Sovereign Cloud. The AWS European Sovereign Cloud is set to launch its first AWS region in the State of Brandenburg by the end of 2025.

It’s important to note that this information is for general informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as advice. It’s recommended to seek professional or specialist advice before making decisions based on the content published.

The original article “Amazon halts Astro for Business security robot” was published by Verdict, a brand owned by GlobalData.

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