Amazon has decided to discontinue Astro for Business, a security robot designed for small and medium-sized businesses, just seven months after its launch.
In an email sent to customers and employees on Wednesday, and provided to TechCrunch, the reason for shelving Astro for Business is simple: Amazon wants to focus on its home version of Astro. Launched in 2021, the home version offers home security, pet detection, message delivery, a shipping container capable of holding up to 4.4 pounds, and more.
“We are fully committed to our vision of bringing world-class consumer robotics solutions into the home,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a prepared statement. “To accelerate our progress and ongoing research to make Astro the best home robot, we have made the decision to end our support of Astro for Business. We are excited about the home experiences we are creating for Astro, and look forward to sharing more in the future.”
Astro for Business robots will no longer be operational as of September 25. The company recommends that customers recycle security robots through Amazon Recycling ProgramWhich will cover the shipping costs.
While the company did not specify how many of its business customers were affected by the outage, it’s clear that there weren’t enough customers for Amazon to continue investing in hardware.
The Astro for Business robots, which were priced at $2,350, came with three subscription plans. The Astro Secure subscription, priced at $60 per month, offered features like programming paths. Amazon also offered two optional subscriptions, allowing users to pay $20 per month for features like Ring alarms and motion detectors, and an additional $99 per month for human agent support and monitoring.
As of now, businesses will no longer be charged the Astro Secure subscription fee. Amazon has also announced a $300 credit for affected customers, which can be used to support an alternative solution for your workplace. Additionally, customers will be refunded for any unused Astro Secure fees previously paid.