Dive Brief:

• E-retail giant Amazon has opened availability of its Echo personal assistant to everyone after testing it out by invitation only starting last November.

• Shipping of the device, a bluetooth speaker that answers questions and takes voice-activated commands, including easy shopping on Amazon, starts July 14.

• The device has garnered favorable tech reviews and costs $179.

Dive Insight:

Amazon’s Echo, unlike its Dash button or even its phone, has wowed many tech writers with its abilities right out of the box, its sleek design, and overall performance. Echo plugs into a wall, is a speaker that plays music via several apps, is easily interrupted to take commands, and integrates with Google Calendar. Plus, the $179 price tag puts it fairly within reach. 

Whether it’s a hit will be seen from how well it sells now that it’s available to anyone. If it is, Amazon is one step closer to bypassing retailers to give customers the ability to order household goods from Amazon with just a command. This streamlined commerce could seriously impact sales at traditional brick-and-mortar and e-commerce retailers, eliminating the need to go to the store or even online to fulfill a want or need. 

Echo's initial reception shows how Amazon’s constant search for and development of the next big thing does pay off once in a while.