We recently wrapped up AWS re:Invent 2018, where the Alexa team engaged with the largest gathering of global Amazon developers. With over 100 technical sessions, this was Alexa’s biggest AWS re:Invent ever. Our favorite sessions included hands-in training workshops, interactive chalk talks, breakout sessions, and builder sessions to help developers dive deep into various voice design topics.

If you weren’t able to attend all the Alexa sessions you wanted this year, or you were following AWS re:Invent activities at home, we’re excited to share that the presentation slides and recordings for breakout sessions are now available for you to enjoy.

Check out the videos below to watch our top Alexa sessions from AWS re:Invent. We also share a variety of resources applicable to each session to help you start applying the concepts shared during the session right away. 

Alexa Everywhere, a Year in Review

Chief Alexa Evangelist Dave Isbitski (@thedavedev) gets you up to speed on the current voice-first movement and conversational AI trends. He also shares a demonstrations of some of the latest Alexa features and devices. Learn about the new Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) multimodal framework, the Alexa Presentation Language (APL), Alexa skill fulfillment and consumables for customers, and some of the latest device offerings utilizing the Alexa Voice Service (AVS) and the new Alexa Gadgets Toolkit.

Related Resources:

• Get the presentation slides
• Learn about Alexa-hosted skills to build, edit, and publish a skill without leaving the Alexa Developer Console
• Learn more about the Alexa Presentation Language, a new design language that allows you to build interactive, multimodal Alexa skills and customize them for different Alexa-enabled devices
• Explore the AVS Device Software Development Kit (SDK), which is an SDK for commercial device makers to integrate Alexa directly into connected products
• Create fun and delightful Echo-connected accessories with the Alexa Gadgets Toolkit

Make Money with Alexa Skills

Alexa Evangelist Jeff Blankenburg (@jeffblankenburg) talks about how you can leverage Alexa in-skill purchasing (ISP), Amazon Pay, and developer reporting tools to help unlock premium digital content in a custom voice experience. You will discover how in-skill purchasing gives customers and developers the flexibility to make payments through consumables, subscriptions, and one-time entitlements.

Related Resources:

• Get the presentation slides
• Get started with in-skill purchasing
• Check out our ISP sample code on GitHub to learn how to leverage in-skill purchasing to build a one-time purchase and a subscription in an Alexa skill
• Get an overview of the different types of in-skill products you can offer in your Alexa skill

Learn from the Field: Best Practices for Making Money with Alexa Skills

Watch as Alexa Product Manager Neelam Saboo and Max Child, founder of Volley and creator of Alexa skills Yes Sire and Song Quiz, walk you through the process of designing and adding in-skill purchasing to your skills. Max shares Volley’s in-skill purchasing journey, lessons learned, and best practices.

Related Resources:

• Get the presentation slides
• Read the case study to learn how in-skill purchasing is taking Volley’s thriving voice business to the next level

Use Alexa to Reach Millions of New Customers by Developing for Multiple Screens

This session introduces the Alexa Presentation Language (APL), a new design language that makes it easy to develop interactive voice and touch experiences that are portable to any Alexa-enabled device with a screen. Watch as Arunjeet Singh, senior product manager for Alexa skills, and Alexa Champion Steven Arkonovich, who developed the popular skill Big Sky, as share how Arkonovich used APL to make a voice-first skill visually rich and even more engaging.

Related Resources:

• Get the presentation slides
• Learn more about the Alexa Presentation Language, a new design language that allows you to build interactive, multimodal Alexa skills and customize them for different Alexa-enabled devices
• Check out our APL code samples on GitHub
• Watch our on-demand webinar Getting Started with the Alexa Presentation Language to learn the basics of APL
• Watch our on-demand webinar on Advanced Template Building with the Alexa Presentation Language to watch an Alexa evangelist build an APL skill live using advanced techniques
• Check out these 10 tips for designing Alexa skills with visual responses
• Read the case study to learn how Steven Arkonovich enhanced his voice-first skill with visuals and touch using APL

Smart Home Skill API: Connect Any Device to Alexa & Control Any Feature

In this session, Rick Carragher – Director of Alexa Smart Home, and Mark Aiken - Principal Software Engineer, walk you through the updates to the Smart Home Skill API, featuring new capability interfaces you can use as building blocks to connect any device to Alexa. You will also learn how to create Alexa skills that contain multiple interaction models to provide a seamless customer experience.

Related Resources:

• Get the presentation slides
• Learn more about Alexa smart home skills
• Learn about which types of devices are supported with the Smart Home Skill API

Three Lessons from “Escape the Room” on Making Money with Your Alexa Skills

Games push the boundaries of tech, enabling us to learn from them for a wide range of use cases. In this session, Gal Shenar, founder of Stoked Skills, and Paul Cutsinger (@paulcutsinger), head of developer education at Alexa, talk about designing and implementing in-skill purchasing for successful game skills like “Escape the Room” and “Escape the Airplane.”

Related Resources:

• Get the presentation slides
• Read the case study to learn how Gal Shenar is using in-skill purchasing to set his growing voice business up for long-term success
• Get started with in-skill purchasing
• Check out our ISP sample code on GitHub to learn how to leverage in-skill purchasing to build a one-time purchase and a subscription in an Alexa skill
• Get an overview of the different types of in-skill products you can offer in your Alexa skill

Alexa Skill Developer Tools: Build Better Skills Faster

Dylan Zwick (@pulselabs_cpo), chief product officer at Pulse Labs, joins Paul Cutsinger to share the suite of Alexa developer tools you can use to increase productivity when coding, deploying, testing, debugging, and collaborating with others on your skill.

Related Resources:

• Get the presentation slides
• Check out this roundup of developer tools
• Check out our blog on how to test your in-skill products for a great customer experience

Voice Assistants Beyond Smart Speakers: Integrate Alexa into Your Unique Product

Alexa Voice Service Solutions Architect Donn Morrill walks you through a deep dive into the system architecture for voice-enabled products with "Alexa Built-In." Watch to learn how to choose the right hardware and software tools, ensure great customer experience with test and certification guidelines, and leverage qualified solution providers to get your products (smart speakers to headphones, screen-based devices to smart home, and more) to market faster.

Related Resources:

• Get the presentation slides
• Learn more about the Alexa Presentation Language, a new design language that allows you to build interactive, multimodal Alexa skills and customize them for different Alexa-enabled devices
• Explore the AVS Device Software Development Kit (SDK), which is an SDK for commercial device makers to integrate Alexa directly into connected products
• Select qualified hardware solutions for your unique product at our Alexa for Device Makers page
• Get started today by building your first Alexa Built-in prototype on Raspberry Pi at our AVS tutorials page

Keep Learning with the Alexa Team

Stay in touch with the Alexa team on Twitch to keep learning about voice-design trends and skill-building best practices. Connect with Alexa on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. To get the latest Alexa developer news delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter. 

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