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Irobot Case

Satisfactory Essays

iRobot, the maker of the widely popular and innovated Roomba vacuum cleaner, has made some big announcement this week. The company wants to sell home map data to some of the tech industry’s biggest companies.

According to TechCrunch, the company is keen on reaching a deal to sell its mapping data to the three tech giants, Apple, Amazon and Google. The company has said that its made its Roomba vacuum cleaner compatible with Amazon Alexa and CEO Colin Angel believes that Roomba’s data could provides those tech giants with much-needed data from the smart home.

iRobot, a close look at the smart home specialist
Founded in 1990 and based in Bedford, Massachusetts, iRobot is an advanced technology company that been founded by MIT graduates who …show more content…

Angle said that the planned data mapping is still opt-in. Angle claimed that his company takes privacy and security very seriously. He also added that his company will always ask permission when collecting and storing map data. But the CEO won’t detail how that opt-in would take place.

Other iRobot-related news
The Japanese telecommunications and internet corporation Softbank Group announced that it has taken a significant stake in the Massachusetts-based Roomba vacuum maker, according to a recent Bloomberg report.

The Japanese giant has built its less than 5 percent holdings in the American robotics firm, which reportedly has a market value of around $2.4 billion. This is the first time Softbank has made some investment in the robotics space. The Japanese giant has been snatching robotic firms this year with its technology-focused investment arm Vision Fund.
Last month, Softbank has announced plans to buy Alphabet’s Boston Dynamics for an undisclosed amount. And just earlier this month, the group’s Vision Fund has led a $114 million investment in a San Diego-based AI-focused firm Brain Corp., which reportedly develops self-driving tech for the robotic

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