Amazon to buy video doorbell-maker Ring

SAN FRANCISCO – Amazon is acquiring video doorbell-maker Ring in a move that further solidifies its presence in the home technology and delivery market.

Ring, based in Santa Monica, Calif., is one of the more popular video doorbell companies, launching the genre in 2011. The deal comes as Amazon tries to make its Alexa voice assistant a hub for the connected home and reduce problems with its delivery operations, including package theft. The price was not disclosed.

Ring’s Wi-Fi-enabled doorbells use motion detectors to know when someone approaches a door, then sends video and sound to the homeowner’s smartphone.

The service could potentially be combined with Amazon’s Key service, which gives Amazon Logistics delivery personnel permission to unlock a customer’s door for five minutes. Using the Cloud Cam, a new Amazon device shoppers first buy, the entire delivery is live-streamed to the customer and also sent as a video snippet.

Founder Jamie Siminoff created the original Ring product in his garage and launched the product at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2011.