Amazon has had its hits and misses in the hardware market over the years, and its earbuds indicate that the e-commerce giant seeks to get its Alexa virtual assistant into another category of devices, which could help developers drive engagement for their Alexa interfaces. Amazon’s dominance in smart speakers has enabled it to attract a number of developers, with skills on the platform numbering more than 70,000. This week, the first HIPAA-compliant skills were introduced to help users book health appointments and manage prescriptions with their voice.
