Amazon Echo

. Why is a static voice controlled device better than a mobile voice controlled device? What integration should Sonos pursue. A static device in one room or a mobile one.

Short answer is if you are controlling something attached to your house then the controller should be attached as well... or at least in close proximity. The last thing you want is to not be able to control something because somebody grabbed the primary controller and took it with them to the grocery store or whatever.

For people who always carry a smart device on their person (no not everybody does) then having that as an option to act as a secondary controller can be very handy but there always needs to be a primary controller that stays close to the thing being controlled. Ideally that primary controller will be voice activated.

The other side of that is having to have a static device in every room. Tablets, phones and you name it can have a Sonos controller. I use an old phone and a cheap tablet as remote controls in addition to apps on everything else.
Your primary controller can be any device. That a static voice control may be a preferred method does not by its nature make it ideal and/or robust (especially if it relies on internet access) until it can control everything you want it to control. That does not mean that the desire is not a valid wish list item.

Echo is currently a restricted device which has spawned two further devices. Which of these will be dominant. Will it create any "standards". Does Amazon support its own devices? When will it, and what, roll out globally. These are the crucial questions and actions to see any "pie in the sky" wish become more firmly grounded. What mobile developments are there for automation? What other devices are there? The big manufacturers haven't joined the party yet who will have devices to sell rather than content.

That Echo has, on its home turf, been very succesful and no doubt it will repeat that elsewhere. Whilst there is the element that Sonos needs to keep up with developments rather ignores the opposite premise that Echo not only needs to keep up with itself but to continue to lead - an area Amazon has not shown itself to be very good at, after all it only wants to sell you content - and drive automation. But that has not yet been found in any Amazon product. Content vs devices. Meanwhile the competition looms. Even in the face of competition does Amazon really care provided you continue to buy music etc that will integrate with whatever you buy.

BoredofBalham I see your point, and agree that there are still a lot of unanswered questions surrounding the Echo. Amazon does have a VERY spotty track record with hardware, with Echo being their only success after the Kindle. I also don't think it would be very hard for Google or Apple to create a competing device, and I often wonder why they haven't yet. Regarding international expansion, I think it is only a mater of time before they expand it to the rest of the English speaking world. I use mine in Asia and it works great (minus the Prime features, and Uber). They haven't given any indication they are working on other languages, but I'm sure it is already in the works. If Amazon is willing to pay millions of dollar for Superbowl ad, they are in this for the long run.

Cheap phone controller, primary mobile controllers,etc will not work for the masses. People do not want to take 10-30 sec just start music, turn on the lights. I had Hue lights for 2 years and my family used them as 'dumb' bulbs because nobody wanted to go through the hassle of using the app. Now with Echo and a couple Hue switches on the wall, we are finally using the full functionality of the lights. Like upstatemike said, nobody wants 'mobile' in home automation (although mobile will always play a roll). In your house, you should be able to walk around in your birthday suit, with your hands busy, and control everything, quickly, the same way, every time, no matter what has been moved around. With that you can focus on more important things 😛 . Nobody wants a 'smart' house, if controlling it takes more effort than a 'dumb' house.

The first time you walk in the front door with your hands full, and you can turn on the lights, play the news, ask for the weather forecast, start a Spotify playlist, all while taking off your jacket, you will see that an Echo like, always on device, is the future. Sitting on the couch and want to dim the lights? Alexa to the rescue. Cooking and want to convert 10oz into liters? Alexa. Timer? Tomorrow's calendar? Going to bed and want to run off AC, TV, lights, and lock front door? Alexa does all that while you are bringing your glass to the kitchen. Much to my chagrin, after only 3 weeks, my wife now uses Echo exclusively, and never open the Sonos app anymore. She lets me do that if I insist on better sound, multi room.

Back to your other point, should Sonos hop 100% on the Echo boat now? Probably not, but for me to continue investing in Sonos, I will need to see indications that they are starting to lay the groundwork for full iot integration. Logitech Harmony, Smartthings, Hue, smart switches, door locks, various sensors, Echo, IFTTT can all work together. Sonos was ahead of its time by removing the need for a central audio system, and implementing still unrivaled sync technology. now they need to get their act together and show they can keep up with the next revolution. Improve the API, add some way for Sonos to be controlled from the cloud, add third party casting. That might mean giving up support of all features on legacy devices, or coming out with a hub type device that can add a little cpu horsepower to the Sonos echosystem. But things are changing very quickly, and Sonos is losing its edge very quickly.

Sonos CEO's response - http://blog.sonos.com/news/industry-in-transition-invest-in-future

Very good news to hear! So the new microphones added to Play:5 gen 2 can mean an Alexa in every room with a sonos. Also, I think with true play, the mics might help tune themselves like I believe Bose does with home theater.

Download the Yonomi app. Echo now controls Sonos.

Sonos CEO's response - http://blog.sonos.com/news/industry-in-transition-invest-in-future

its been two months, any update Sonos on when official sonos/echo integration is coming?

Sonos CEO's response - http://blog.sonos.com/news/industry-in-transition-invest-in-future

its been two months, any update Sonos on when official sonos/echo integration is coming?

You must be joking! Do you have ANY idea how long it takes just to ramp up an integration project of this scope, much less get it funded, designed, developed, tested, documented, deployed, etc? I don't think so... Maybe six months from now.

its been two months, any update Sonos on when official sonos/echo integration is coming?

1) Sonos never gives timelines, release dates, or detailed roadmaps. The next time you hear about this will be the public beta.

2) Even if Sonos did do #1, you should familiarize yourself with the average software development cycle. A large scale revamp such as this is at the very least a 6 month development course, preceded by at least that number of months planning (which may or may not have taken place already). Nothing major gets done in 2 months in the software world. Matter of fact, the vast majority of the time, nothing minor gets done in 2 months; if you actually want it to be tested and release worthy.

Patience grasshopper. Patience.

its been two months, any update Sonos on when official sonos/echo integration is coming?

1) Sonos never gives timelines, release dates, or detailed roadmaps. The next time you hear about this will be the public beta.

2) Even if Sonos did do #1, you should familiarize yourself with the average software development cycle. A large scale revamp such as this is at the very least a 6 month development course, preceded by at least that number of months planning (which may or may not have taken place already). Nothing major gets done in 2 months in the software world. Matter of fact, the vast majority of the time, nothing minor gets done in 2 months; if you actually want it to be tested and release worthy.

Patience grasshopper. Patience.

thats funny you mention SDLC. i actually have been developing software for the better part of 25 years so i get timelines, patience, etc.
i would hope sonos was well along the path of a release before their CEO's public blog post and the revamping of the organization.
they have already said its coming, they should have a timeline, a plan, a schedule.

i will take your point though of patience and hope that sonos does a really nice integration with echo and its worth the wait.