Amazon buys ‘Eero’ mesh router startup, adding fuel to its in-house Alexa smart home ecosystem ambitions

Amazon has announced its plans of acquiring ‘Eero’, the startup that is focussed on mesh home routers. Eero makes use of a mesh network to produce wireless routers and extenders that provide better coverage for home Wi-Fi networks and makes it easy to have fast and reliable Wi-Fi all over the house. Eero routers are designed to overcome coverage and dead zone issues encountered through traditional routers. Multiple access points are used to provide coverage to an entire home or apartment with a strong Wi-Fi signal.

Amazon says that this deal will “help customers better connect smart home devices.” It will make it easier to set up Alexa-compatible gadgets if Amazon also controls the router technology.

Amazon SVP Dave Limp said in a press release that “We are incredibly impressed with the Eero team and how quickly they invented a WiFi solution that makes connected devices just work. We have a shared vision that the smart home experience can get even easier, and we’re committed to continuing innovating on behalf of customers.”

While the deal is good news for Amazon investors, many Eero users have expressed their disapproval of the deal. Amazon has faced criticism about how Alexa listens in people’s homes, and can be a threat to user privacy. Existing Eero users have voiced their concerns along the same lines:

https://twitter.com/steveriggins/status/1095081742736605184

https://twitter.com/TimSchmitz/status/1095103321407397888

https://twitter.com/DerekWallace/status/1095088112554921984

Eero support has tried to put customers worry to rest with a tweet, saying, “Eero does not track customers’ internet activity and this policy will not change with the acquisition”.

Eero is not the first router startup to be acquired by Amazon. Amazon has acquired startups like Ring and Blink, in recent years, with a vision to launch its own in-house Alexa smart home ecosystem. Details of the deal have yet to be disclosed.
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