The IoT turf war is flaring up again between Amazon and Google.
The AI and streaming-media goliaths went at it late last year after Google blocked YouTube access by users of Fire TV and the Echo Show. The action, in retaliation for Amazon’s sales ban on Chromecast and Google Home devices, was eventually resolved, or so it was believed.
Now comes word from Business Insider that while the Chromecast negotiations were taking place, Amazon informed Google’s soon-to-be-realigned Nest team that it won’t be carrying any of the brand’s newest thermostats or home security gear — a decision that reportedly came from founder/CEO Jeff Bezos himself.
Turns out Amazon was likely finalizing a deal during that December stretch for its own big-name smart-home company, Ring, which it later agreed to acquire for more than $1 billion.
In response, Google will end sales of all Nest products through Amazon once the inventory for any current listings is depleted, BI reported.
The latest skirmish underscores the high-stakes race for smart-home domination as virtual assistants Alexa and Google Assistant scramble to win the hearts, minds and habits of consumers. The struggle extends to shopping, music and video streaming, and even advertising as Amazon seeks to muscle in on Google’s (and Facebook’s) blistering digital ad businesses. Stay tuned …
