Amazon in 2013: innovation at break-neck speed

The Amazon innvation factory is spinning at full speed. Just take a look at the sheer number of 2013 press releases. They can be ordered in this fashion:

• New stores:
• US: Entertainment Collectibles, 50+ Active and Healthy Living, Art, AmazonSmile (dedicated store where portion of purchase price goes to charity)
• Canada: Beauty, Health & Personal Care, Toys & Games, Groceries, Auto, 
• Delivery:
• Physical:
• Opening several large fulfillment centers across the US (1 in NJ, 2 in Cal, 3 in Texas, 2 in Florida, 1 in Maryland, 1 in Wisconsin)
• AmazonFresh (grocery delivery) trial in the US
• Sunday delivery in selected cities for Prime members
• Combining physical and digital delivery:
• AutoRip (free MP3 versions of CDs and LPs bought from Amazon)
• Kindle MatchBook (low-cost Kindle editions of books bought on Amazon)
• Print:
• licensing deals with Valiant
• own imprints (Jet City Comics, Kindle Singles Interview)
• Day One (weekly digital magazine, 20 $/yr)
• Streaming music:
• Cloud Player for Ford cars
• for iPad
• Streaming video:
• content deals for Prime Instant Video members (A+E, PBS, CBS, FX, Scripps, MGM, NBCUniversal, Viacom, Disney, Warner Bros, Oceanhouse, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
• distribution deals (Nintendo Wii)
• original content production
• Games:
• licensing deals with EA
• Devices (Kindle):
• Paperwhite (gen 6 r-reader)
• Fire HD and Fire HDX (tablets).
• OS: Fire OS 3.0 (Mojito)
• Other:
• Amazon Coins (virtual currency for apps, games, in-app purchases)
• Login with Amazon (single sign-in)
• Amazon Storyteller (turns script into storyboard)
• Second screen: X-Ray for Movies (based on IMDb)
• Kindle Worlds (UGC based on licensed characters and stories)
• Mayday Button (free live, on-device tech support for Kindle Fire users)
• Login and Pay with Amazon (for partners sites)
• Amazon Source (wholesale for book stores)
• Many developer services from Amazon Web Services
• Acquisitions:
• IVONA Software
• Goodreads (books social net)
• TenMarks (web-based math programs)
• Liquavista (screen tech)
• Evi (speech recognition)

The unsurprising conclusions:

• Innovation at break-neck speed. For physical and digital goods: print, music, video and games. Focus is on e-books and streaming video. So, expect more streaming audio (music subscription) and games?
• Infrastructure provider for its own but also wholesale (developers, 3rd-party sellers).
• Growing list of services and subscription-based services, many around Amazon Prime. On last count, there were 215 mln active Amazon customers and 10 mln Prime subs.
• Devices are limited now, possible additions: smartphone (project Smith), STB (code name Cinnamon), gaming console, etc.
• Expansion focuses on existing markets (Canada, Australia, Mexico). When will a new market be added?
• More acquisitions coming?
• Streaming audio service?
• Intel's connected STB unit Intel Media?
• Non-US e-commerce company?

UPDATE December 27, 2013:

• Delivery:
• fulfillment centers in Windsor (CT), Wroclaw (Poland)
• plans Prime Air (aerial 30 minute delivery by drone)
• pop-up stores in malls
• AmazonFresh expands to San Francisco
• Payments:
• launches 1c shipping for wine in the US (direct-to-consumer)
• credit card patent
• expands Amazon Coins to UK, Germany
• Amazon Coins can now be gifted
• Fire tablets can now be paid in installments
• Print:
• launches StoryFront imprint (shorts)
• Streaming music:
• launches Cloud Player for BMW and Mini
• Streaming video:
• distribution deal Lovefilm for Xbox One
• content deals Prime Video with PBS, A24
• launches Prime Instant Video in Japan
• all original content to be shot in 4K from 2014
• launches Storybuilder (digital notecards and virtual corkboard for writers)
• Devices:
• Fire OS 3.1 for tablets
• Membership:
• Prime adds 1m subs in 3rd week of December
• AWS:
• launches WorkSpaces (virtual desktop)
• expands to China
• Acquisitions:
• GoPago (partly: tech and team only)