We are excited to announce an important update to the Alexa Voice Service (AVS) that will enable you to enhance the user experience on your Alexa-enabled products.

Alexa Voice Service (AVS) is an intelligent and scalable cloud service that adds voice-enabled experiences to any connected product – all you need is a microphone and speaker. Users can simply talk to their Alexa-enabled products to play music, answer questions, get news/local information, control smart home products, and more. And with the free Amazon Alexa app, users can easily control and manage their products from anywhere!

Last year, we launched a developer preview of AVS to introduce you to the benefits of voice-powered experiences. With this update, we are making architectural improvements that include updated APIs and message structures, Amazon Alexa App (iOS and Android) support and the ability to send server-initiated messages.

Here are some of the new features:

Volume Control: Ability to adjust and mute/unmute volume on your product using voice or buttons.

Ability to adjust and mute/unmute volume on your product using voice or buttons. Media Control: Ability to control media playback (e.g. play/pause) on your product using voice or buttons.

Ability to control media playback (e.g. play/pause) on your product using voice or buttons. Timers and Alarms: Ability to create and manage timers/alarms on your product using voice.

Ability to create and manage timers/alarms on your product using voice. Amazon Alexa App Enhancements: Control volume, media playback (e.g. Amazon Music, Audible), as well as manage timers/alarms on your product using the Amazon Alexa App.

If you are a device maker, service provider or application developer interested adding rich and intuitive experiences to your products – AVS is the right choice for you!

Get Started Today

Learn how to integrate Alexa into your product with the Getting Started Guide. If you already have a solution, see the API Migration Guide (v20160207). For more information on Alexa-enabled devices and getting started with Alexa, check out the following resources:

Have Questions? We are here to help! Visit us on the AVS Forum to discuss specific questions with one of our experts.

- @amit