Amazon Key: Just a Few Key Concerns

The introduction of Amazon Key as an in-home delivery service stretches trust just a bit too far.

James M. Connolly, Contributing Editor and Writer

October 26, 2017

1 Min Read
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Trust is a pretty important thing in business. Trust keeps customers coming back. It gives brand marketers a key word that might be second in value only to "quality." And, it plays a central role in data collection and analytics. If people don't trust you enough to share their data with your company that puts the kibosh on your big data analytics efforts.

Trust also is a strange beast in terms of being relative. Who I trust and what I trust them with is likely to be very different from your "who" and "what." Plus, our level of trust varies over time, whether we are talking about business relationships, news sources, or friends. Someone who I might not trust today earns my trust over time. If those who I do trust today violate that trust, they aren't likely to win it back.

So, Amazon's introduction of Amazon Key -- an in-home delivery system -- yesterday struck me as stretching trust just a little too far. Here's how it works: Amazon Prime customers will be able to install an Amazon Cloud Cam that triggers Amazon Key (priced at $249.99 to start), which unlocks their door if they aren't home when the right parcel delivery person approaches their door.

[Read more about Amazon Key on AllAnalytics.com.]

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About the Author

James M. Connolly

Contributing Editor and Writer

Jim Connolly is a versatile and experienced freelance technology journalist who has reported on IT trends for more than three decades. He was previously editorial director of InformationWeek and Network Computing, where he oversaw the day-to-day planning and editing on the sites. He has written about enterprise computing, data analytics, the PC revolution, the evolution of the Internet, networking, IT management, and the ongoing shift to cloud-based services and mobility. He has covered breaking industry news and has led teams focused on product reviews and technology trends. He has concentrated on serving the information needs of IT decision-makers in large organizations and has worked with those managers to help them learn from their peers and share their experiences in implementing leading-edge technologies through such publications as Computerworld. Jim also has helped to launch a technology-focused startup, as one of the founding editors at TechTarget, and has served as editor of an established news organization focused on technology startups at MassHighTech.

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