Big news for all of you guys with Ring.

Amazon.com Inc. AMZN +0.60% acquired Ring, maker of video doorbells, in a deal valued at more than $1 billion, a person familiar with the transaction said, giving the online giant a bigger foothold in the burgeoning internet business of home security.

The acquisition, believed to be Amazon’s second biggest after its roughly $13.5 billion purchase of Whole Foods last year, is the latest in a string of moves that signal the company’s ambitions to enter a staggering variety of markets. From its start as an online bookseller in Chief Executive Jeff Bezos’s garage more than two decades ago, the company has expanded into delivering its own packages, building a dominant cloud computing services business and becoming a brick-and-mortar grocer overnight with its acquisition of Whole Foods.

The latest deal plays to Amazon’s efforts to control the devices that power smart homes, an area in which it is becoming a dominant player. Certain Ring doorbells and cameras already connect with its virtual assistant, Alexa.



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Package theft has become an increasing problem for e-commerce companies as consumers order more online. Amazon has responded with solutions including package lockers and apartment buildings’ package hubs. Late last year, it launched its Cloud Cam security camera combined with its “Amazon Key” product, which allows its delivery drivers to deposit packages into customers’ homes via a smart lock system.

The Ring acquisition also increases Amazon’s threat to Alphabet Inc . GOOGL -0.01% ’s home automation unit, Nest Labs, which Google acquired for $3.2 billion in 2014. Nest is a leading player in the smart-home security field and makes internet-connected thermostats, smoke detectors and security cameras that work with both Google and Amazon’s virtual assistants.

According to Research and Markets, the global home security market is expected to reach $51.5 billion by 2022. The firm predicts the do-it-yourself segment of the market will grow the fastest, as installation gets cheaper and easier.

Amazon’s acquisitions break with the online retail giant’s typical strategy of building out its own solutions. In December, Amazon bought wireless home-security camera maker Blink for an undisclosed sum. In acquiring Ring, Amazon buys a technology that allows homeowners to see, hear and speak to anyone at the door via their smartphones, tablets or PCs. Ring also makes security cameras.


Stock prices of ADT Inc . ADT -6.47% , a security company, fell 5% to close at $11.60 per share on the deal news, which was reported earlier Tuesday by GeekWire, and they were again lower in after-hours trading.

Amazon and the four-year-old Santa Monica, Calif.-based Ring announced the deal Tuesday in brief statements that provided no financial details. Ring also said in its statement that it will be able to achieve more by teaming up with Amazon.

Ring was valued at around $1 billion in its last round of private investment, including the amount of the funds it raised, said the person familiar with the transaction.

The person said the Ring acquisition was larger than Amazon’s acquisitions of Twitch Interactive, a popular internet video channel for broadcasting, and online shoe retailer Zappos.com, both of which closed for roughly $1 billion.

Write to Laura Stevens at laura.stevens@wsj.com and Douglas MacMillan at douglas.macmillan@wsj.com

https://www.wsj.com/articles/a...doorbells-1519768639

Shows what those guys on Shark Tank know....they all rejected it.

Unless they go all Apple on me and start phasing out my Gen2 Ring this is merely a curiosity as a user. Still love it, BTW!

As an AMZN owner, this is an interesting move indeed. The speculation of them integrating further iterations into their inside-delivery service model plans has some merit. Personally I barely let family inside my house when I'm not there, but if there are enough idiots who actually WANT to give this access then who am I to stop them?

Be interesting to see if they include the cloud video storage with the Prime membership.

I bought one and returned it as it was just way to large for my door. Could not get it mounted and looking proper.

I am going to give the Nelly’s Security a doorbell a go a it is much more narrow but also is compatible with Blue Iris and the Ring is not.

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
Unless they go all Apple on me and start phasing out my Gen2 Ring this is merely a curiosity as a user. Still love it, BTW!

As an AMZN owner, this is an interesting move indeed. The speculation of them integrating further iterations into their inside-delivery service model plans has some merit. Personally I barely let family inside my house when I'm not there, but if there are enough idiots who actually WANT to give this access then who am I to stop them?

They probably want to integrate facial recognition of their delivery drivers into Ring and wireless door locks, so that when they deliver a package to the door, the door will automatically unlock if the delivery driver's face is recognized as legit.

This way they can confirm when your orders get delivered. I certainly wouldn't buy one now, they get more scary every day. Skynet shit.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
This way they can confirm when your orders get delivered.

I certainly wouldn't buy one now, they get more scary every day.

When I reviewed the video of an Amazon delivery driver dropping a package on my front porch a few weeks ago, the driver took a picture of the package on my porch after he laid it down. Not sure if he just did that on his own, or had been instructed to do it.

quote:

Originally posted by SIG4EVA:

The latest deal plays to Amazon’s efforts to control the devices that power smart homes, an area in which it is becoming a dominant player. Certain Ring doorbells and cameras already connect with its virtual assistant, Alexa.

And I want absolutely nothing to do with that.

not going to happen at my place. No Alexa, no Siri...they deliver a package, it stays outside - they do not get carte blanche access to my house

my family doesn't get that

quote:

Originally posted by italia:

When I reviewed the video of an Amazon delivery driver dropping a package on my front porch a few weeks ago, the driver took a picture of the package on my porch after he laid it down. Not sure if he just did that on his own, or had been instructed to do it.

A few weeks back at work, one of my guys did some work in an appartment where there was a whole bunch of cash laying out on the dresser. He took a picture of it when he was done working to prove it was still there when left. Of course I teased him about it, "How does that prove you didn't just take it after you took the picture?" Same here, what does the video really prove other than that they bothered to go to your house.

quote:

Originally posted by italia:

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
This way they can confirm when your orders get delivered.

I certainly wouldn't buy one now, they get more scary every day.

When I reviewed the video of an Amazon delivery driver dropping a package on my front porch a few weeks ago, the driver took a picture of the package on my porch after he laid it down. Not sure if he just did that on his own, or had been instructed to do it.

This is SOP for Amazon's in house logistics division. The picture is in your notification of delivery. It actually comes in handy when you have a really lazy driver who can't come all the way up and place it at your door. I've had them tossed halfway down the sidewalk, at the side of the stairs etc and the pic helps provide a clue.

Coincidentally, I bought and installed a Ring unit for my front door three weeks ago, and have been very, very pleased with it.

No delivery idiots are entering my house.

Originally posted by SIG4EVA:

The latest deal plays to Amazon’s efforts to control ... Certain Ring doorbells and cameras already connect with its virtual assistant, Alexa.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
Be interesting to see if they include the cloud video storage with the Prime membership.

I bought one and returned it as it was just way to large for my door. Could not get it mounted and looking proper.

I am going to give the Nelly’s Security a doorbell a go a it is much more narrow but also is compatible with Blue Iris and the Ring is not.

The Pro is a good bit slimmer than the Ring 2 I think. Which did you try?

quote:

Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
Be interesting to see if they include the cloud video storage with the Prime membership.

I bought one and returned it as it was just way to large for my door. Could not get it mounted and looking proper.

I am going to give the Nelly’s Security a doorbell a go a it is much more narrow but also is compatible with Blue Iris and the Ring is not.

The Pro is a good bit slimmer than the Ring 2 I think. Which did you try?

Pro. I have about an 1” or flat space. The door frame has a bunch of decorative bevels and could not get it too look right.
I am going to try to make a bracket/cap for that section of the door frame without it look weird or out of place.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:

Pro. I have about an 1” or flat space. The door frame has a bunch of decorative bevels and could not get it too look right.
I am going to try to make a bracket/cap for that section of the door frame without it look weird or out of place.

I had to do exactly that on our new home, but it can work. The advantage to us was that rather than it being perpendicular to door it now is angled in about 5 degrees, actually gives an even more clear view of folks.

Bezos:

WiFi cameras never quite work out for me. Too many interruptions in the video.

I prefer wired IP cams. Most of the experts here agree based on past threads.

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:

Pro. I have about an 1” or flat space. The door frame has a bunch of decorative bevels and could not get it too look right.
I am going to try to make a bracket/cap for that section of the door frame without it look weird or out of place.

I had to do exactly that on our new home, but it can work. The advantage to us was that rather than it being perpendicular to door it now is angled in about 5 degrees, actually gives an even more clear view of folks.

Black - they actually have some options for this at AMZN: link