Whirlpool Corporation & Amazon Team Up to Deliver Next Generation Voice-Controlled Appliances

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Jan 03, 2017, 02:02 ET

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Whirlpool Corporation announces a new collaboration with Amazon that will usher in a suite of home appliances responsive to voice control. In early 2017, new smart appliances launching across the company's portfolio of brands will feature voice control capabilities through Alexa enabled devices.^[1]

By helping families adjust the temperature of their oven or change their wash cycle with their voice, the voice control capabilities through Alexa devices will simplify and improve consumers' busy lives.

"As we continue to explore innovative solutions, we always want to do so with consumers' habits and needs in mind," said Brett Dibkey, Vice President of Integrated Business Units at Whirlpool Corporation. "As demand for a smart home ecosystem grows, consumers are looking for a wide variety of new ways to interact with their appliances, whether it's on-product, digitally with an app, or through voice control."

Consumers will be able to use their Amazon Alexa devices to have Alexa ask Whirlpool to help with a host of tasks on appliances across the Whirlpool Corporation portfolio:

Consumers can have Alexa ask Whirlpool to pause and start washers and dryers; turn on/off quiet mode; tell the dryer to run the Wrinkle Shield™ option; ask if the washer or dryer is running; and ask for the time remaining on a wash or dry cycle.
In the kitchen, consumers can have Alexa ask Whirlpool to interact with smart ovens to set and adjust the cooking mode, temperature and time; ask whether the oven is on; ask how much time is remaining on the oven timer; ask for the current oven temperature; set, start and stop the oven timer.
Consumers can also have Alexa ask Whirlpool to interact with refrigerators to turn on/off maximum ice and maximum cool settings; ask for refrigerator filter status; ask for current refrigerator temperatures; and set pantry drawer temperature modes.

"Now any customer with a far-field Alexa enabled device can control most smart appliances made by Whirlpool Corporation, simply using their voice," said Rob Pulciani, Director, Amazon Alexa. "Our customers will love the added convenience of hands-free controls while they're prepping for dinner or finishing that last load of laundry."

The collaboration of Alexa expands on the success of Whirlpool Corporation's relationship with Amazon, which also includes Amazon Dash Replenishment in laundry and kitchen products. The collaboration has proven popular with busy consumers, who have benefitted from the ease and simplicity of automatic reordering of products and never having to experience that 'ran out of it' moment. In early 2017, this capability will be extended to more appliance models across the Whirlpool Corporation portfolio.

"We're eager to continue working with Amazon as it is a leader in e-commerce and automated replenishment, as well as voice control," Dibkey said. "The capabilities this relationship brings to our portfolio of appliances reinforces Whirlpool Corporation's commitment to purposeful innovation."

Whirlpool Corporation will first showcase the new Amazon Alexa capabilities—available through the Whirlpool skill on Alexa enabled devices like Echo and Echo Dot—on nearly every Whirlpool brand smart appliance on display at this week's CES® 2017 in Las Vegas. From January 5-8, CES attendees can experience the new Alexa skill at booth #41730 in the Smart Home section, located at the Sands Expo Center.

The Whirlpool skill for Amazon Alexa will be available in early 2017.

[1] Requires WiFi and account creation. App features and functionality subject to change. Subject to Terms of Service available at: www.whirlpool.com/connect. Data rates may apply.

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is the number one major appliance manufacturer in the world, with approximately $21 billion in annual sales, 97,000 employees and 70 manufacturing and technology research centers in 2015. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul, Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, Jenn-Air, Indesit and other major brand names in nearly every country throughout the world. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com, or find us on Twitter at @WhirlpoolCorp.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation