Dive Brief:
- In a move that seems calibrated to expand its influence in the Internet of Things (IoT), Amazon has acquired Denver-based startup 2lemetry.
- 2lemetry offers a software platform that tracks and manages internet-connected devices from clients such as Honeywell.
- 2lemetry’s capabilities could help Amazon expand into brick-and-mortar retail with beacon technologies and facial-recognition software.
Dive Insight:
Amazon is poised to fold another tech startup into a growing portfolio of capabilities enabling connectivity with “Internet of Things” (IoT) devices. Two years ago, the e-commerce and web services giant introduced Kinesis, which processes data in real time; 2lemetry might help Amazon integrate machine-to-machine applications, regulating appliances such as smart locks and thermostats with the data-management system and Amazon’s Echo smarthome system.
2lemetry could also be used to issue shoppers messages in retail environments with the help of beacon technologies. The company has also developed a facial-recognition software that could provide marketers with what the startup has called “real-life analytics.”