Amazon's Prime Air team to test fifth and sixth-generation aerial vehicles soon
New York: The annual letter of Jeff Bezos, Chief Executive of Amazon offered a glimpse into Amazon's internal workings and its future goals, which includes grocery services and the much-discussed drone delivery.
He also outlined Amazon's offerings, including its fresh grocery business called Prime Fresh that is being offered for five years in Seattle and expanded to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
After making a hubbub about testing delivery by aerial drones in December, the company said its Prime Air team is testing fifth and sixth-generation aerial vehicles and in the design phase on generations seven and eight.
In December, Bezos also stated that Amazon has also started working on creating unmanned aircraft to deliver packages, but it would take many years to advance the technology and for the Federal Aviation Administration to create the necessary rules and regulations.
Amazon also offers employees money to leave the company, a program called Pay to Quit, modeled after a similar program at Zappos. Once a year, the company offers $2,000 to quit, adding $1,000 a year, up to a maximum of $5,000.
"The goal is to encourage folks to take a moment and think about what they really want," added Bezos. "In the long-run, an employee staying somewhere they don't want to be isn't healthy for the employee or the company."
Amazon.com Inc has changed the consumer shopping landscape, transforming itself into the largest US online retailer, selling books, gadgets and most everything else, usually at cheaper prices than its competitors.The Seattle company has long focused on spending the money it makes to add business and expand into new areas, from movie streaming to e-readers, grocery delivery and most recently a set-top streaming device called ‘Fire TV’.
Investors have largely forgiven thin profit margins and zeroed in on the company's solid revenue growth and long-term prospects. The company also said that the results of its net income and revenue results fell short of expectations.
