Amazon plans big push for voice control service

Seattle

AMAZON surprised a lot of people when its Echo, a US$180 smart speaker, became a hit, giving them a novel way to play music, switch on the lights in their homes and set thermostats with voice commands.

Amazon, though, has much bigger plans for the technology behind Echo. It wants the Alexa Voice Service, which powers Echo, to be an ingredient in devices around the home and beyond, even if they are not made by Amazon.