Since 2013, August Home’s mission has been to build smart devices that help customers live safely and securely in their homes. To reach that goal, the company has created a variety of innovative door locks, doorbell cameras, keypads, and bridges.

We introduced Alexa pioneers who are creating magical voice experiences that make Alexa smarter. These developers are reaching and delighting customers through tens of millions of devices with Alexa. And they’re helping redefine the way customers interact with technology.

Honeywell built two Alexa skills using the original Smart Home Skill API—one for its Total Connect Comfort app that is used to remotely control its thermostats, and one for the newer Lyric line of smart home devices. These skills gave users voice control over basic thermostat operations.

Tellables has created three popular kid skills for Alexa. In fact, Tellables' Tricky Genie skill for Alexa has been so successful that the company earned money for building a top-performing skill.

Walter Quesada says he has been “obsessed with building for voice” ever since the Amazon Echo was first released.

“Ever since Amazon Echo came out, I’ve been learning about ways it can fit into different scenarios, both in my professional life and in my free time,” says Quesada.

Sam Machin is a self-taught developer who started tinkering with voice in the early days of the Alexa Voice Service (AVS), which enables developers to integrate Alexa directly into their connected products.

“The announcement of Amazon Echo in Germany offered us a wonderful opportunity to gain experience with Alexa and voice technology,” says Hannes Hegewald, product manager at Kitchen Stories.

„Der Launch von Amazon Echo in Deutschland hat uns die wunderbare Möglichkeit geboten, mehr über Alexa und Voice Technologie zu lernen,“ sagt Hannes Hegewald, Produktmanager bei Kitchen Stories.

Alexa Champion April L. Hamilton has been building Alexa skills since the Alexa Skills Kit became available in 2015. As one of the original Alexa developers, Hamilton created two of the first skills released for the Echo.

Logitech built a smart home skill for Alexa to work with its Harmony remotes. Customers say simple commands, such as “Alexa, turn on the TV,” or “Alexa, play a DVD,” and Alexa sends the request to the Harmony skill.

Nickelodeon's skill places kids behind the counter at the Krusty Krab diner to take orders they then have to remember. The SpongeBob Challenge skill features 70 characters from the show including Patrick, Plankton, and Mr. Krabs.

To delight and educate kids, Sesame Workshop launched an Alexa skill that features Elmo, one of Sesame Street’s most famous characters. Now, with a parent’s consent, kids can say, “Alexa, Ask Sesame Street to call Elmo” and start engaging with the Muppet character via voice.

Nestlés' GoodNes skill is accompanied by a unique GoodNes visual guide, which connects to consumers’ web browser on their computer or tablet to offer what Nestlé calls a “visual voice browsing” experience.

The Royal Opera House skill for Alexa delivers performance information whenever customers ask. Customers can simply say, “Alexa, ask the Royal Opera House what’s on this weekend,” and Alexa responds with the information customers need to plan ahead for shows.

The opportunity lies not in the individual devices but in creating seamless experiences for homeowners, says Bethesda Systems President Jon Stovall.