Amazon’s Echo team is working on a software development kit, setting the stage for outside developers to create third-party apps for the intelligent, talking home speaker.
The company disclosed the plans in an email to Echo users today. “For those who want to help shape Echo’s future, the team is working on an SDK to help hobbyist and enthusiast developers create new apps and experiences,” the message said, pointing developers to a signup page to participate in a limited beta ahead of the SDK prior to its public release.
Amazon’s move signals that the Echo has gained enough traction with customers, and internally, to justify making it a platform for outside apps, even if just for hobbyist and enthusiasts. An Amazon spokesperson declined to provide additional details in response to GeekWire’s inquiry, so details such as the timing of the SDK’s release, and the APIs that will be exposed to developers, aren’t yet clear.
Echo remains an invite-only product, available for $99 to Amazon Prime members and $199 to others.