• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Amazon is once again venturing into the world of cutting-edge consumer tech—with renewed focus and a big-name hire. The company has quietly formed a new team called ZeroOne, and it’s being led by J Allard, a veteran best known for helping launch Microsoft’s Xbox game console.

According to CNBC, Allard has been brought on to create “breakthrough” consumer products, a tall order in an industry where Amazon has experienced both soaring highs and disappointing misfires. Job postings reveal that the ZeroOne team are working on both hardware and software and are spread across Seattle, San Francisco, and Sunnyvale, California.

Amazon’s job listings for ZeroOne hint at the scope of its ambitions. One applied scientist role describes work on “a new smart-home product”, while a product marketing listing simply mentions “an Amazon device”. Other roles include senior-level positions in customer insights and applied science, suggesting a full-spectrum push into new tech categories.

ALSO READ: Instagram Finally Lets You Post 3:4 Photos Without Cropping: Here's What It Means

While Amazon has had hits like the Kindle and Echo smart speakers, it has also struggled to consistently deliver game-changing hardware. Misfires like the Fire Phone, the Halo fitness band, and the Astro household robot still loom large in its hardware history. Most of Amazon’s successful devices to date have come from Lab126, the company’s long-standing hardware R&D division based in Silicon Valley.

The launch of ZeroOne comes two years after Amazon made another high-profile hire: Panos Panay, formerly of Microsoft, who now leads Amazon’s Devices & Services (D&S) division. Panay—who spent 19 years at Microsoft and helped spearhead the Surface line—replaced former hardware chief Dave Limp, who left to become CEO of Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company.

Panay’s arrival was a surprise in Silicon Valley, and while he’s overseen updates like the colour e-ink Kindle and helped launch the Alexa Plus voice assistant, Amazon’s hardware pipeline has remained relatively quiet under his leadership. He’s appeared publicly at recent product launch events, suggesting he’s now the visible face of the D&S division.

Now, with Allard onboard, Amazon appears to be sharpening its hardware focus again. Allard brings deep experience to the role—he spent 19 years at Microsoft, where he was technology chief of consumer products before leaving in 2010. Beyond the Xbox, he also worked on the Zune, Microsoft’s short-lived MP3 player that aimed to compete with Apple’s iPod.

ALSO READ: Summers Are Here And These Smart AC Tips Will Help You Cool Efficiently And Save You From A Hefty Bill

Whether Allard and the ZeroOne team can deliver another Kindle- or Echo-level success is still uncertain. No product launches or timelines have been announced yet, and details remain vague. But the timing is notable: Amazon’s devices division has seen multiple rounds of layoffs over the past few years, including 100 job cuts earlier this year alone.

Amazon may be banking on Allard’s track record in hardware innovation to turn things around—and perhaps finally create the next big thing in consumer tech.