Amazon came to Australia late last year and while many were disappointed the range of Echo hardware devices weren’t immediately available, now they are. The devices are now on sale at Amazon.com.au (supported by a large promo banner at the top of the home page) and are shipping on February 1st.
The Echo dot is the entry level device and is priced at A$49.00, with free delivery. The most popular and most famous Echo is the standard Amazon Echo which is an affordable A$119.00, also free delivery and available in a choice of 3 fabrics to suit your decor. The largest is the Echo plus which is priced at A$199.00, you guessed it, free delivery.
What’s not available are the Echo devices with digital displays like the Show and the Spot, presumably, they’re on their way.
The Alexa website has also been updated to include Australia as one of the countries to choose your location from. Completing your address and timezone here opens the door to a wider range of Alexa skills and functions. For those who already own an Alexa device, like the SONOS One, this works today.
There are also some introductory deals, like buying 2x Echo’s for the price of A$199.00 which is a pretty sweet deal. Most Echo owners end up falling in love with the convenience of yelling commands across the room, so adding another in another part of your home makes a lot of sense.
Head to https://www.amazon.com.au to pre-order today.
To pair with the launch of Alexa in Australia, Seek has announced a collection of self-service APIs and tools which enable developers to create new ‘skills’ for Alexa.
Through the Alexa Skills Kit (ASK), SEEK is launching a host of skills allowing its users across Australia to use voice search to job search as well as access unique insights to help inform career choices.
SEEK is among some of the first Australian brands, and the first Australian employment marketplace, to build Alexa skills in Australia.
Managing Director ANZ at SEEK, Michael Ilczynski said,
“Voice is without a doubt the next big technology trend. Being one of the first brands in the country to develop Alexa skills gives SEEK an opportunity to experiment with what type of career content resonates with users through voice search technology”
SEEK Company Reviews and SEEK Jobs skills, as well as weekly SEEK employment market updates, will now all be available with Alexa, creating an innovative and comprehensive job searching experience. Any SEEK customer with an Amazon Echo will now be able to hear the latest jobs, find out what it’s like to work at a company and hear the latest employment news.
Michael added,
“We are incredibly excited to be the first employment marketplace in Australia to be able to offer voice activated job search and career insights for our customers with Amazon Echo and Alexa.
Australian’s are engaging with SEEK for more than just active job applying which is why we developed SEEK Company Reviews and SEEK employment market updates for Alexa.
This is a continuation of the commitment we have to investing in technology solutions that will connect Australians to the most up to date employment market and job information, to enable them to make informed career decisions.”
