Tag: amazon

Why Amazon Wants Twitch

Posted on by Lab Team

In an interesting turn of events, Amazon has officially closed a $970 million deal to acquire Twitch, after Google apparently dropped its billion-dollar bid a month ago. At first glance, the ecommerce giant and the live-streaming game platform have little in common, but a closer examination reveals that Amazon has been courting the gaming market for a while. It makes perfect sense: Twitch was increasingly running into licensing issues as it grew in size, and it needed a big partner to support its development, making Amazon a good fit.

If Google had closed the deal, Twitch would have predictably become YouTube’s “little brother.” At Amazon, however it has the chance to become the video mainstay due to its lack of user-generated or live video platform. And now that the acquisition has been made official, the online video landscape could be radically shifted.

Amazon Challenging Square With New Payment Service

Posted on by Lab Team

Amazon new credit card processing service for small businesses, known as Amazon Local Register, marks Amazon’s continued expansion into mobile payments following its recent Amazon Wallet launch. This could seriously undercut Square’s current market dominance by offering a lower processing rate and a $10 smartphone cardreader. As the payment war heats up, more competitors can be expected to join.

How Amazon Is Testing Its New Original Shows

Posted on by Lab Team

When it comes to producing original content, Amazon is often overshadowed by its major competitor Netflix, but it’s quickly catching up. Their populist method of letting the audience decide the fate of its new pilots, for instance, points to an innovative way for the entertainment industry to give audiences what they want. Another new thing Amazon is trying this year is to take a page out of the Netflix playbook by attaching big Hollywood names to its original contents. How these efforts measure up to the dominance of Netflix, however, remains to be seen.

CBS: Tapping Into The OTT Market?

Posted on by Lab Team

CBS is said to be jumping into the over-the-top (OTT) market by allowing its production division, CBS Studios, to develop shows directly for streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon. As evidenced by the streaming deal they struck with Amazon last year for their summer hit “Under the Dome”, CBS has been clearly eyeing the potential in teaming up with the Internet-based challengers for a while now.

This move serves as a testimony to the growing importance of OTT services in the industry, and CBS seems to recognize that maybe there may be room for many competitors in this fractured market.

Barnes & Noble Teams Up with Google to Take On Amazon

Posted on by Lab Team

Following yesterday’s announcement that Amazon is expanding its same-day delivery program, Google and Barnes & Noble are joining forces to compete with their rival. Starting today, book buyers in selected urban areas can opt for same-day deliveries from local Barnes & Noble stores for orders placed through Google Shopping Express.

As its brick-and-mortar sales continue to decline, Barnes & Noble desperately needs to up its digital game to meet the shifting purchasing habits of book lovers and save itself from the threats posed by Amazon’s current dominance in online book shopping. How this alliance would challenge the online book market is still too early to tell, but it’s only logical that Google is now B&N’s new best friend.

Amazon Expands Same-Day Delivery to Six More Cities

Posted on by Lab Team

After initially launching in L.A., Phoenix, San Francisco, and Seattle, Amazon is now expanding its same-day delivery program to six more cities, New York City included. For an additional charge of $5.99, Amazon Prime customers can opt to have their new purchases delivered to them before the end of day, provided the orders are made before noon. If it succeeds in the long-term, the digital retail giant is set to eliminate one of the few advantages physical retail stores still have over Amazon.

Find Out Which OTT Streaming Apps Are Coming To Fire TV

Posted on by Lab Team

On top of the large number of over-the-top services that Fire TV already supports, a new array of branded video streaming apps, including WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH Disney Jr., MLB.TV, Animal Planet L!ve, and the WWE Network, are all coming to the Amazon’s platform. Adding to its exclusive deal with Rovio to bring Angry Birds Family to Fire TV, it is obvious that Amazon is stocking up Fire TV’s content by drawing from diverse sources—welcome news to its customers.

Why Amazon Is Expanding Into The Local Service Market

Posted on by Lab Team

For years, Amazon has been dominating global ecommerce by being the “everything store” of Internet. But one thing has been notably absent from Amazon’s offerings: services. Sure, you can buy customized 3D-printed toys from Amazon with just a few clicks, but you can’t use it to schedule a plumber to come and fix your toilet. That may be about to change.

According to Reuters, Amazon is reportedly closing in on the local services market that includes everything from handyman work to childcare. Its established infrastructure and existing relationship with online shoppers would make it a strong contender in local service market.

Amazon Introduces Dedicated Web-store For 3D Printed Products

Posted on by Lab Team

As the need for customizable goods continue to rise, 3D printing is ascending from a niche novelty to one of the hottest trends in tech right now. Now digital retail giant Amazon is hopping in on the hype and introducing a new web store portal specifically dedicated to 3D printed goods. By partnering with a few suppliers including Mixee, Scupteo and 3DLT, Amazon is set to make 3D printed items easily accessible and commercially viable. The market trend in online retail has seen a growing endorsement of direct production and selling, especially suitable for one-offs and small orders, which truly puts each individual customer’s need front and center. And that’s an edge that mass-produced retailers will never have.

Amazon Quietly Launches Consumer-Facing Mobile Payment App

Posted on by Lab Team

Amazon has unveiled Amazon Wallet, its consumer-facing mobile wallet app, on both Amazon Appstore and Google Play without much fanfare. For now, the app has yet to support actual mobile payment or even store credit card information, instead limiting its functions to digitally storing gift cards and membership cards. Amazon has long hinted at its ambition at dominating basically every facet of e-commerce, and this app, while still in beta, is a good indication of Amazon’s aspiration in establishing itself in the e-payment field.