#5 Unveiling Amazon's Evil Web: The Story of AWS, Alexa, and the Prime Ecosystem
How Amazon Stealthily Shapes Your Life Beyond Your Awareness?
Have you ever wondered what Amazon truly represents? It may be tempting to label it as a mere tech company or an e-commerce giant, but the truth is far more intriguing. One day, Amazon could very well control every facet of your life. How? Allow me to narrate this unfolding tale in today's newsletter.
Back in 1994, a young Jeff Bezos embarked on an audacious journey, founding Amazon with a $250,000 loan from his parents. In 1997, the company went public, and for a while, its stock soared. But then came the notorious dot-com crash in 2001, causing Amazon's stock price to plummet from a high of $100 to a mere $6. Yet, against all odds, the company persevered.
Among Amazon's diverse ventures, one of its most lucrative is Amazon Web Services (AWS), responsible for a staggering 74% of the company's total profits. The remaining 26% is derived from their e-commerce empire and other ventures.
But lurking in the background, there is a potent weapon in Amazon's arsenal – Alexa.
When you scrutinize Amazon's ecosystem, it's composed of two fundamental components:
AWS Operating Servers: To put it simply, AWS operating servers are an array of sophisticated computers, commonly referred to as tech servers. They provide users with boundless cloud-based storage and a toolkit to craft their own software. For instance, even a streaming giant like Netflix relies on AWS to store, stream, and recommend movies and web shows. Similarly, Slack uses AWS to facilitate audio and video calls, offering a lifeline for businesses to coordinate and communicate. Unbeknownst to many, Amazon possesses a treasure trove of data regarding what countless businesses are planning for the future, as one-third of all websites on the internet run on AWS servers.
Alexa: The dark and enigmatic side of Amazon's dominion. Alexa is an intricate apparatus, consisting of a 900 MHz transmitter and receiver, a microphone, and a speaker. Every directive you issue to Alexa is dispatched for processing within AWS. Subsequently, customer profiling takes place, leading to tailored music and entertainment recommendations, as well as product suggestions.
What most are unaware of is that even when your Alexa is not connected to the internet, it still surreptitiously transmits data to AWS. This is made possible by the 900 MHz transmitter and receiver, which functions independently of the internet. If one Alexa is placed within a certain range of another, they establish a connection through a sidewalk mesh. This network links all neighboring devices, transmitting your interactions to AWS even when your Alexa is offline. It's all part of the intricate web Amazon weaves for a more profound understanding of its customers.
The primary motive behind Amazon's relentless pursuit of making you a prime customer is to envelop you within their ecosystem. They achieve this through two distinct avenues:
For non-prime customers: Amazon imposes hefty delivery fees, compelling customers to subscribe to Amazon Prime, which offers a plethora of benefits, including faster delivery and access to the exclusive world of Prime Video.
Prime Video: The allure of exclusive movies and TV series available only to Prime members serves as a powerful magnet, drawing you further into Amazon's sphere.
Once ensnared in Amazon's ecosystem, sooner or later, you'll find yourself drawn to Alexa, and this is when Amazon truly unveils its grand design.
Thanks for reading my newsletter. If you haven’t already done, subscribe it here:
Share it with your friends and family.
Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arinverma