Hear the name “Alexa” today and you likely don’t think about a human but instead a smart home device and ecosystem created by Amazon. It has made its way into the modern day vernacular in the way many other brands have done (Kleenex, Xerox, etc.) While this product was developed by and for Amazon, the company started out as a retailer, not a product development business. The success of Alexa should be a prime example for other vertical businesses — such as hospitality, Quick Serve Restaurants (QSRs), big box retailers, auto rental companies, OEM companies, and commercial and residential developers — looking for ways to be more innovative, grow the brand and create new revenue streams, to consider bringing smart electronic product design and development in-house.