'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
Amazon's friendly robot helper Astro will now double as a security guard for your business
Amazon's WALL-E looking household robot, Astro, was announced a year ago and has been available exclusively by invitation since. The robot has functioned as a household handy helper, both monitoring your home security and also following you from room bringing Alexa's assistance and items directly to you. Now, Astro is rolling out of your home and into your business to work as a security guard.
SEE: From Echo to Astro, what Amazon's device strategy is really all about
At Amazon's invite-only media event today, the tech-giant announced the Ring Virtual Security Guard with Amazon Astro, a new role for Astro, which will now double as a security bot for your business.
The integration will utilize all of Astro's existing advanced technology such as Intelligent Motion, autonomous patrols, and smart alerts as well as Ring tech such as Ring Alarm and Alarm Pro which will allow it to investigate a scene when a Ring Alarm is triggered.
Ring says this product is meant to offer business owners peace of mind when they lock up for the night with one-site night patrol that is less expensive than the human security guard alternative.
"We envision a world where robots can deliver an innovative, cost-effective on-site security solution, which could complement—or even replace—the need for on-site guard patrol during off-hours," says Ring.
SEE: Of product and promise: Amazon's Astro pursues a new robotics category
Business owners will also have the opportunity to add a Ring Protect Pro subscription to their robot, which will enable Astro to autonomously patrol your property while your Ring Alarm is armed in Away mode. When a Ring Alarm is triggered, agents will be able to remotely operate Astro to get closer to the scene and use the Two-Way Talk feature to talk to an intruder.
Although neither Amazon nor Ring have disclosed exactly how much the Ring Protect Pro subscription will cost specifically for Astro, Ring's website advertises that the Ring Protect Pro subscription starts at $20/month or $200/year per location.
The Ring Virtual Security Guard with Amazon Astro will first be tested with a small group of business customers in the upcoming months. Details on when it will be generally available will be available in the future after taking into consideration the test group's experiences.
SEE: Getting to know Amazon's Astro
This isn't the first collaboration between Ring and Astro. If you are selected to purchase the Amazon Astro for Households which retails at $999.99, you are eligible for a six-month free trial of Ring Protect Pro which allows Astro to Astro proactively patrol, investigate activity in your home and save videos in Ring's cloud storage for up to 180 days.