LAS VEGAS, Jan. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Whirlpool
Corporation announces a new collaboration with Amazon that will
usher in a suite of home appliances responsive to voice control. In
early 2017, new smart appliances launching across the company's
portfolio of brands will feature voice control capabilities through
Alexa enabled devices.[1]
By helping families adjust the temperature of their oven or
change their wash cycle with their voice, the voice control
capabilities through Alexa devices will simplify and improve
consumers' busy lives.
"As we continue to explore innovative solutions, we always want
to do so with consumers' habits and needs in mind," said
Brett Dibkey, Vice President of
Integrated Business Units at Whirlpool Corporation. "As demand for
a smart home ecosystem grows, consumers are looking for a wide
variety of new ways to interact with their appliances, whether it's
on-product, digitally with an app, or through voice control."
Consumers will be able to use their Amazon Alexa devices to ask
Alexa to help with a host of tasks on appliances across the
Whirlpool Corporation portfolio:
- Consumers can ask Alexa to pause and start washers and
dryers; turn on/off quiet mode; tell the dryer to run the
Wrinkle Shield™ option; ask if the washer or dryer is
running; and ask for the time remaining on a wash or dry
cycle.
- In the kitchen, consumers can use Alexa to interact with
smart ovens to set and adjust the cooking mode, temperature
and time; ask whether the oven is on; ask how much time is
remaining on the oven timer; ask for the current oven temperature;
set, start and stop the oven timer.
- Consumers can also interact with refrigerators to turn
on/off maximum ice and maximum cool settings; ask for refrigerator
filter status; ask for current refrigerator temperatures; and set
pantry drawer temperature modes.
"Now any customer with a far-field Alexa enabled device can
control most smart appliances made by Whirlpool Corporation, simply
using their voice," said Rob
Pulciani, Director, Amazon Alexa. "Our customers will love
the added convenience of hands-free controls while they're prepping
for dinner or finishing that last load of laundry."
The collaboration of Alexa expands on the success of Whirlpool
Corporation's relationship with Amazon, which also includes Amazon
Dash Replenishment in laundry and kitchen products. The
collaboration has proven popular with busy consumers, who have
benefitted from the ease and simplicity of automatic reordering of
products and never having to experience that 'ran out of it'
moment. In early 2017, this capability will be extended to more
appliance models across the Whirlpool Corporation portfolio.
"We're eager to continue working with Amazon as it is a leader
in e-commerce and automated replenishment, as well as voice
control," Dibkey said. "The capabilities this relationship brings
to our portfolio of appliances reinforces Whirlpool Corporation's
commitment to purposeful innovation."
Whirlpool Corporation will first showcase the new Amazon Alexa
capabilities—available through the Whirlpool skill on Alexa enabled
devices like Echo and Echo Dot—on nearly every Whirlpool brand
smart appliance on display at this week's CES® 2017 in Las Vegas. From January
5-8, CES attendees can experience the new Alexa skill at
booth #41730 in the Smart Home section, located at the Sands Expo
Center.
The Whirlpool skill for Amazon Alexa will be available in early
2017.
[1] Requires WiFi and account creation. App features and
functionality subject to change. Subject to Terms of Service
available at: www.whirlpool.com/connect. Data rates may apply.
About Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is the number one major
appliance manufacturer in the world, with approximately
$21 billion in annual sales, 97,000
employees and 70 manufacturing and technology research centers in
2015. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul,
Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, Jenn-Air, Indesit and other major brand
names in nearly every country throughout the world. Additional
information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com, or
find us on Twitter at @WhirlpoolCorp.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/whirlpool-corporation--amazon-team-up-to-deliver-next-generation-voice-controlled-appliances-300384836.html
SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation