Image Courtesy: The US Sun
According to the Associated Press, Amazon’s Key for Business, a system that allows delivery workers to obtain entry to apartment complexes without being buzzed in, has been deployed in thousands of buildings across the United States. The business is allegedly attempting to get the system installed in additional buildings by offering incentives such as free installations and $100 gift cards.
The technology is intended to make it easier for Amazon’s delivery drivers to deliver to residential buildings. Rather than having to be buzzed in by residents or a concierge, a driver may utilise the Amazon Flex app to get temporary access to lobbies. Packages can thus be delivered to households directly or safely left behind in a mail room or with a doorman. According to a technical breakdown of the system released in 2019, Amazon claims that in a test run, the technology boosted the success rate of first-time deliveries from 96 percent to about 98 percent.
The technology debuted as a pilot in 2018 before becoming live the following year. However, unlike a comparable system from Amazon that individuals may install in their homes, Key for Business is installed by building managers who are apparently under no duty to notify their tenants when the system is in use. This raises security worries for residents regarding an internet-connected entrance device that allows Amazon-vetted vehicles unfettered access to their properties.
According to reports, Amazon is working hard to increase the number of buildings where the system is deployed. According to the Associated Press, it is marketing Key for Business to building managers and collaborating with locksmiths to provide free installations. An Amazon spokesman did not immediately reply to a request for comment from The Verge, and declined to confirm the overall number of installations to AP.
In addition to making deliveries easier and perhaps faster, the technology may provide Amazon’s delivery drivers with a competitive advantage over competitors. Buildings are unlikely to implement comparable systems for several delivery firms, encouraging its inhabitants to choose Amazon in the end.
