The Amazon Echo, known as ‘Alexa’ to its owners, received a lukewarm reception when it was first launched. But it seems as though Echo was just in its fledgling ugly duckling phase and is currently in the process of turning into a swan.
When you think about what constitutes a smart home, you might think about Nest, which offers smoke detectors, security cameras, and thermostats as the gateway to a connected home, or Apple’s Home Kit, which promises users the ability to connect products and appliances at home like never before. But while these companies have promised a lot, to this point, they're seeing stiff competition in the form of Echo, which has been gaining on them, making steady process.
According to Forbes, Amazon’s Echo can now connect to and control smart devices from Belkin, WeMo, Philips Hue, SmartThings, Insteon, and Wink. Amazon still has a lot of growing to do, but anyone interested in the future of smart homes will more likely than not being paying attention to the device known as Alexa.