Alexa Failing?

 How true re Alexa?   Had heard of the layoffs. 

 Amazon Alexa is a “colossal failure,” on pace to lose $10 billion this year

 By Ron Amadeo  11/21/2022 7:32 pm  Categories:Tech   in ArsTechnica

Amazon is going through the biggest layoffs in the company's history right now, with a plan to eliminate some 10,000 jobs. One of the areas hit hardest is the Amazon Alexa voice assistant unit, which is apparently falling out of favor at the e-commerce giant. That's according to a report from Business Insider, which details "the swift downfall of the voice assistant and Amazon's larger hardware division."

Alexa has been around for 10 years and has been a trailblazing voice assistant that was copied quite a bit by Google and Apple. Alexa never managed to create an ongoing revenue stream, though, so Alexa doesn't really make any money. The Alexa division is part of the "Worldwide Digital" group along with Amazon Prime video, and Business Insider says that division lost $3 billion in just the first quarter of 2022, with "the vast majority" of the losses blamed on Alexa. That is apparently double the losses of any other division, and the report says the hardware team is on pace to lose $10 billion this year. It sounds like Amazon is tired of burning through all that cash.   .... ' 

Amazon CEO says layoffs will extend into next year

More indications of supply chain and demand issues

Amazon CEO says layoffs will extend into next year  by Haleluya Hadero  in TechExplore 

The mass layoffs that began in Amazon's corporate ranks this week will extend into next year, CEO Andy Jassy said Thursday.

In a note sent to employees, Jassy said the company told workers in its devices and books divisions about layoffs on Wednesday. He said it also offered some other employees a voluntary buyout offer.

"I've been in this role now for about a year and a half, and without a doubt, this is the most difficult decision we've made during that time (and, we've had to make some very tough calls over the past couple of years, particularly during the heart of the pandemic)," Jassy wrote in the memo.

Seattle-based Amazon, which has been cutting costs in various areas of its business in the past few months, is undergoing an annual review process to figure out where it can save more money. Jassy said this year's review is "more difficult" due to the economic landscape and the company's rapid hiring in the last several years.

Other tech companies—many of which had gone on hiring binges in the past few years—have also been trimming their workforce amid concerns about an economic slowdown. Among others, Facebook parent Meta said last week it would lay off 11,000 people, about 13% of its workforce. And Elon Musk, the new Twitter CEO, has slashed the company's workforce in half this month.  ... ' 

Tech Workers Long Got What they Wanted?

How true?

Tech Workers Long Got What They Wanted. That's Over

The Wall Street Journal, By Katherine Bindley, July 15, 2022

Technology workers who once could name their salaries and expect to be allowed to work from anywhere increasingly are encountering resistance from both startups and tech giants. Amid fears of a recession, more employers are slowing their hiring, rethinking remote jobs, and even rescinding some job offers. Companies like Microsoft, Netflix, and Twitter recently reported layoffs, and Google announced plans to pull back on hiring for the remainder of the year. Recruiters, however, say highly skilled workers in areas like machine learning and artificial intelligence still have an advantage. Further, CompTIA reported more than a half-million tech jobs were posted in June, marking a 62% gain over the same time a year ago. ... '