Amazon Echo / Dot and Sonos Integration

great reply. now you are a Sonos hero.
but I remember a statement about "beta at the end of 2016 , live in 2017"

Last I checked, it is still 2017. Seems like they are right on target.

Seriously, Sonos doesn't give specific dates for the very reason that if they were to predict March of 2017, you would be here today saying "Where is it!!!???" Instead, Sonos keeps quiet and relies upon internal software testing goals, rather than publicly announced dates. Both the public and Sonos benefits from this, in that their software is tested properly before release. Unless you would rather it be released when the public expects it, regardless of whether it actually works?

actually it is still 2017 but the beta would take on 2016...
Sonos doesn't give specific dates but that does not prevent me from saying "where is it ?" because although not specific, they had sort of a statement/promise.

and I would rather prefer them release a beta buggy or incomplete. (that's my own preference, not everybody would prefer) some things may be developed while in beta.

(Though they probably never actually switched. Nobody really does.)
I'm always amused by the "... or the bunny gets it" threats.

Didn't someone here switch to HEOS because they were promised a Windows Phone app was in the works?

How's that working out for them? (Though they probably never actually switched. Nobody really does.)

great reply. now you are a Sonos hero.
but I remember a statement about "beta at the end of 2016 , live in 2017"

Last I checked, it is still 2017. Seems like they are right on target.

Seriously, Sonos doesn't give specific dates for the very reason that if they were to predict March of 2017, you would be here today saying "Where is it!!!???" Instead, Sonos keeps quiet and relies upon internal software testing goals, rather than publicly announced dates. Both the public and Sonos benefits from this, in that their software is tested properly before release. Unless you would rather it be released when the public expects it, regardless of whether it actually works?

[...] But the statement I've written is not a certain date. Beta was supposed to arrive at december 2016. Now nearly 3 months have passed. Of course, I am worried. Maybe they have dropped the project for some reason ?
So I would be very happy if some Sonos authorative person could take up the subject and inform their customers.

Here's a kind of official statement regarding Sonos Direct Control, however, drawing a parallel I'd say the beta will take place when both sides, Amazon & Sonos, are ready for action. Besides, didn't you just say "Developing such features is a very huge work […]"? So let them do their job.

I don't recall that specific quote, but being involved with software development, as well as many betas, I've always taken that kind of marketing speak with a grain of salt. The simple fact is, at the beginning of a development process, they have an idea/plan as to when things will come together. However, also in software development, there's an adage, attributed to Field Marshall Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf, that says "No battleplan ever survives contact with the enemy." It's as true in software as it is in war. And just because some wonk said X date doesn't mean that there's a 100% chance of them being correct. Sometimes software takes a turn for the "wha?", and it takes a while to work through the issues. I suspect just as soon as they are able, they'll start the beta. I really don't think that they're holding back anything, just to get a rise out of us. But I'm also fairly sure that "is it done yet" posts, over, and over, ad nauseam don't really provide anything useful, other than to irritate the folks who moderate (and read) these boards. And frankly, the engineers I work with don't take kindly to having their elbows joggled with "the customer wants it now!". They're busy trying to make it ready for the customer.

And I reject the nomination as hero. I'm just an experienced software development person, familiar with these types of situations.

When they feel like the software is in a state to be tested?

I do t understand why he keeps saying we are able to control Sonos via Alexa in US. That capability is being developed and available currently nowhere.

It's not official support but I have (limited) control of Sonos by Alexa via SmartThings. It's primitive though and I'm eagerly awaiting the official support from Sonos. I have one Echo and seven Dots ready and willing ...

I do t understand why he keeps saying we are able to control Sonos via Alexa in US. That capability is being developed and available currently nowhere.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the content of these comments but then 'native integration' is a somewhat vague term.
My only interest is to be able to control sonos via voice commands to the Alexa service. This works in the US but not elsewhere (well actually, can be made to work in the UK but via a somewhat convoluted process). Personally, I can't see why Sonos would want to incorporate the puny Amazon speakers into their music service offering.

Seems, though, that Sonos are not in the driving seat. Alexa and Sonos integration works fine in the US but nowhere else which suggests that whilst Sonos have done everything they need to do to make it work Amazon wont release it for use elsewhere. That's an interesting relationship. Personally, for me Sonos is the best option for piping music around my home and I wont be looking to replace it anytime soon but if Google gives me voice control of Sonos in the UK before Amazon then my Amazon echos will go straight into the bin.

Based on the leaked memo, I'd say the switch is flipped. From the memo:

"We must challenge ourselves to stay ahead of the curve. Being great doesn’t always require being first, but when it comes to the home music experience, we must be the pioneer. More companies are jumping into our space because they see the big opportunity ahead. What got us here won’t alone get us through the next phase."
"First, we must have a bias towards action."
"Second, we must innovate boldly."

I'm sensing a theme toward moving more quickly.

Hopefully innovating boldly yields some awesome new products and features (not just Alexa or HDMI on playbar etc)