In this episode, Teri describes the milestones and accomplishments at the six-month anniversary of the launch of Alexa in Canada. We cover the highlights of Amazon Alexa news, as well as the Alexa in Canada website, podcast, flash briefing and community.

Happy Six-Month Anniversary!

Today marks the six-month anniversary of the launch of Alexa in Canada blog and so much has happened! Today I cover the milestones and accomplishments of Amazon as well as an update in the Alexa in Canada community, from a consumer perspective.

Amazon Accomplishments!

  • A post by Voicebot.AI reports that 7% of people in the US had access to smart speakers after 3 months on the market; compare that with today, 8% of Canadians have access to a smart speaker in less than one year. There is tremendous growth and adoption of this technology.
  • Amazon launched 3 Echo Devices in Canada in December 2017: Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Plus.
  • Amazon launched the Echo Spot in Canada in April 2018.
  • Amazon is constantly obtaining more market share in the smart speaker sector.
  • Amazon acquired RING, a smart doorbell, to bolster it’s smart home portfolio of products. Look for ongoing developments in this area, particularly with the launch of the Echo Spot in Canada (i.e. you can see on your Spot what your doorbell is seeing).

Alexa Updates

  • Alexa routines in Canada initially were very limited; now they have tremendous functionality. Amazon has done a great job of bringing these features to Canada.
  • Answering consumers’ requests, Amazon brought music alarms to Canada. Alarms can now be set to music through Alexa.
  • The relatively new “Announcements” feature is proving to be very popular.
  • Alexa has, and continues to, become more and more intelligent in short periods of time.

Alexa in Canada – The Six-Month Update!

Alexa in Canada had a great first six months and we accomplished so much together. Here are the highlights.

  • We launched the AlexaInCanada.ca website in November 2017.
  • We created the Complete List of Alexa Commands which includes hundreds and hundreds of commands.
  • We now have reviews of top Alexa Skills in Canada.
  • The Tutorials Page is live, which includes everything from how to setup your Echo device, to how to setup your routines.
  • The Devices page was created to provide recommendations for the best Alexa-controlled devices.
  • The Deals page was created to bring your attention to the best sales and deals on Alexa-related products.
  • Alexa in Canada: The Voice Experience Podcast launch was a great success. We have had thousands of listeners in over 25 different countries. Thanks to everyone that left a review on iTunes! We also joined the VoiceFirst.FM network, and joined a lineup of other excellent voice-first podcasts.
  • I have had the privilege of interviewing some fantastic guests on podcast – thought leaders, influencers, personalities in the Voice-First space.
  • The Voice in Canada Flash Briefing has had an incredibly successful launch, already being listened to tens of thousands of times in over 12 countries. The flash briefing is the #1 rated flash briefing and news skill in the entire Canadian Amazon skills store. Thank you for all your incredible reviews! Flash briefings are “prime real estate” in the voice-first world and here is a tutorial on how you can create your own flash briefing.
  • The Alexa in Canada COMMUNITY Facebook group continues to grow at a rapid rate! We are now approaching 1000 members. There is lots of interaction and people are helping each other on a daily basis. Thank you to everyone for making this such a thriving place to interact with other Canadians Alexa users!
  • Our Instagram account continues to grow as well. Please feel free to follow us on Instagram here (AlexaInCanada).
  • Our Twitter accounts are also growing quickly. This is actually probably the best place to interact with me on a regular basis. Feel free to follow me personally @DrTeriFisher or Alexa in Canada @AlexaInCanadaCA.
  • I am proud to represent Canada at the Voice of Healthcare Summit. To see my upcoming speaking engagements, check out the Speaking Page here.
  • Subscriptions to the website community have been growing at an incredible rate, and our first freebie – a one page cheat sheet to help you determine which Echo device is the best for you – is now available to you when you sign up! Get it here:

Thank you!

Once again, a special thank you to you, the listeners and supporters of the Alexa in Canada community! These six months have been a wild ride, and we’re just getting started. Stay tuned for some exciting new developments coming up soon!

List of resources mentioned in this episode:

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