Amazon's Leader On Alexa, Echo and Other Devices Plans To Leave

Dave Limp, a longtime executive at Amazon who oversees the unit that makes Echo smart speakers and the Alexa voice assistant, plans to retire "before the end of the year." The Seattle Times reports: In a note to employees, also posted on Amazon's corporate blog, Limp wrote that he'd been working in consumer electronics off and on for more than 30 years. "I love it, but I also want to look into the future through a different lens," he said. "I am not sure what that future is right now, with the notable exception that it won't be in the consumer electronics space." Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy said the company would announce Limp's successor "in the coming weeks."

Limp's division was among those affected by an unprecedentedly large round of layoffs that affected 27,000 people. "I remain excited and quite optimistic about the products and services we're building in Devices and Services -- we're at the relative beginning of what's possible and what I believe these businesses will add for customers and the company," Jassy said.

Limp by name

[boundary]

Yeah ok you can finish it.

Good time to pull out

[Anonymous Cward]

Mr. Limp knows the competition is going in hard and he that wont be able to keep up.

Re:

[BeepBoopBeep]

Competition has nothing to do with this, speaker division doesnt make money, it looses a ton. Dont know what google does with all the data it collects in its speakers as well. Apple probably barely breaks even with its speakers. Competition in a money pit is dumb.

Re:

[groobly]

You mean that Limp is up against stiff competition?

Exec come exec go

[LindleyF]

Now, if the TL leaves, that might matter.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

TL ? [wikipedia.org]

TL ??? [urbandictionary.com]

Re: Exec come exec go

[LindleyF]

Tech lead. Although, the timeline leaving would also be bad. ("Time is made out of circles. That is why clocks are round!")

limp sales of amazon fire phones

[williamyf]

Coupled with stiff losses in the echo division force the out.

pun intended

Prescient

[aaarrrgggh]

"I am not sure what that future is right now, with the notable exception that it won't be in the consumer electronics space."

That statement both troubles me and offers hope.

Needs a killer app to get people

[ageoffri]

I got in on the early release of the first Echo and have serval newer models at home now.

The biggest thing that any of the Echo's lack is something amazing, like spreadsheets made computers great at the office. Then the Internet made home computers amazing for the general population.

Now we use our Echo's for playing music, kitchen timers, showing our Ring doorbell, showing our Blink cameras, and lastly controlling some smart plugs for lights. If we weren't renting I'd do more automation.

Give us the genera