Amazon Astro gets a day job with Astro for Business

By Jon Bitner November 15, 2023

Astro for Business in patrol mode. — Amazon

Amazon Astro — the adorable household robot from Amazon that’s yet to see a public release — is gaining a new family member today with the launch of Astro for Business. A pilot program for the homebot began last year, and it looks like the unique gadget is ready to go live following its success.

Astro for Business differs from the standard Amazon Astro in some big ways. For one, it’s specifically designed to work as a smart security solution for small and medium-sized businesses. That means it’s possible to do away with complex security systems and instead opt for this roving robot. The quirky product combines AI software with hardware such as a periscope camera to help prevent break-ins and quickly alert you if something goes awry.

Three subscription plans are available for Astro for Business, allowing you to optimize its performance to your specific needs. The cheapest package is Ring Protect Pro at $20 per month, introducing a 180-day video history and the ability to sync Astro with your Ring Alarm. Astro Secure costs $60 per month and adds autonomous patrolling to Astro, while the Virtual Security Guard package costs $99 per month and lets professional agents respond to alerts from Astro.

Astro for Business patrolling near bikes. — Amazon

Astro for Business costs $2,350 and comes with a free four-month trial of Ring Protect Pro.

While it’s great to see Astro for Business getting a mainstream release, it’s a bit peculiar the original Amazon Astro is still available by invitation only. The robot is largely designed to do many of the same things as Astro for Business — including acting as a security guard — but we’re yet to get a firm release date from Amazon.

At any rate, the arrival of Astro for Business signals good news for the consumer-oriented Amazon Astro, as the two share much of the same DNA. We’ve reached out to a representative for comment about an Amazon Astro release date and will update this story when we hear back.

For now, you’ll be limited to requesting an invitation or picking up Astro for Business.

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Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…

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