Ring Virtual Security Guard with Amazon Astro

Bringing Innovation (and Robots!) to Ring for Business

By Ring on September 28, 2022

Many neighborhoods are made up of not just homes, but also businesses that help bring communities together. For a small business owner, protecting your livelihood is just as important as protecting your home — and thousands of new businesses are turning to Ring for security devices and services each week. From donut shops to dry cleaners, or breweries to boutique hotels, we’re inspired by the ways businesses can adopt and implement our products and services to help keep their livelihoods safe.

But at Ring, we like to invent — and we know we can do more to offer truly innovative, first-of-its-kind products that will help give business owners peace of mind when they lock up for the night. That’s what drives us as we continue to introduce new capabilities to support the growing community of business owners who rely on Ring. So I’m excited to announce the launch of a new security option for these customers who want a totally new, more mobile solution — the integration of Ring Virtual Security Guard with Amazon Astro.

Why are we integrating Virtual Security Guard with a robot? Well, it’s pretty simple — for some businesses, having on-site patrol is essential, but it’s also expensive. We envision a world where robots can deliver an innovative, cost-effective on-site security solution, which could complement — or even replace — the need for on-site guard patrol during off-hours.

This integration will bring together Astro’s unique capabilities, including Intelligent Motion, autonomous patrols, and smart alerts, with camera motion event monitoring by Rapid Response. It’s integrated with Ring Alarm and Alarm Pro, so when your Ring Alarm triggers, Astro can investigate while a monitoring agent observes the scene through Astro’s onboard camera and takes appropriate action. With a Ring Protect Pro subscription Astro can also autonomously patrol your property while your Ring Alarm is armed in Away mode, and as part of our vision, if your Ring Alarm is triggered, agents can remotely operate Astro to get a closer look at something, or use Two-Way Talk to inform an intruder that authorities have been called.¹

We’ll begin rolling this out to a small group of business customers in the coming months.

Security as Innovative as Your Business

The integration with Astro is the latest in a growing list of solutions enabling businesses with the benefits of Ring. We have a wide variety of customizable options for businesses of all sizes, including:

Ring Virtual Security Guard: Virtual Security Guard ² adds camera motion event monitoring from Rapid Response to your enrolled cameras when your Ring Alarm is in Away Mode. When motion triggers a camera to start recording, an agent will check the motion event and take appropriate action, such as check in on the Live View. Agents can use Two-Way Talk to help deter unwanted activity or request emergency dispatch if needed while also alerting you as the business owner. Virtual Security Guard is now available in early access and will be more widely available in the coming months.

ONVIF-Compatible Camera Capabilities: Many businesses already have an existing camera system installed to keep an eye on things but no way to easily view feeds on the go. Earlier this year, we announced the ability to add supported ONVIF-compatible cameras to the Ring app, simplifying access to feeds and streamlining control in one place. With supported ONVIF-compatible cameras, a Ring Alarm Pro base station, a compatible Ring Protect Pro subscription, and enrollment in Professional Monitoring, you can get the convenient features Ring is known for without buying more cameras. You’ll also be able to enroll supported ONVIF-compatible cameras in Virtual Security Guard for even more functionality.³

Devices Designed for Business: Businesses often have specific security needs, and we are looking at how our devices can be more helpful in a wide variety of use cases. For example, up to $1 billion a year is lost to theft on construction sites across the United States. Ring Jobsite Security brings together the backup battery and 24/7 internet backup⁴ features of Ring Alarm Pro with easy-to-install cameras to provide on-site security at construction projects that may not have electricity or internet access.⁵ Ring Jobsite Security is now available on Ring.com and Amazon.com.

Advanced Features and Functionality: We continue to focus on inventing features that are more helpful to you, blending into the background when you don’t need them and sending alerts when you do. To get more context around motion events and more specific alerts using radar sensors, install a Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro or Ring Spotlight Cam Pro. To exclude specific areas from detecting motion at all, use customizable motion and privacy zones to prevent your camera from recording what you don’t care about. To remind you to arm your Ring Alarm when you leave for the night, and to disarm before you walk in every morning, activate Geofence in the Ring app. What’s more, you can add Shared Users to give trusted employees access to device controls and features.

Whether you own a coffee shop, car dealership, jewelry store, or salon, your business deserves the same protection your home gets when you use Ring Alarm. Just as we have done for our residential customers, we continue to create customizable solutions you can tailor to your business’ needs. I’m excited to continue innovating with businesses in mind, all in the spirit of our mission to make neighborhoods safer.

Learn more about Ring for Business solutions.

¹ A compatible Ring Protect subscription is required to enroll in the Ring Alarm professional monitoring service. The professional monitoring service is available only within the U.S. (all 50 states, but not U.S. territories) and in Canada (excluding Quebec). Ring does not own its own professional monitoring center. Smoke and carbon monoxide monitoring is not available for commercial properties. See Ring alarm licenses. Additional permit or false alarm fees may apply depending on your local jurisdiction. Additional charges may apply in areas that require permits or guard response service for alarm verification.

² Virtual Security Guard is available only within the U.S. (all 50 states, but not U.S. territories). It is an add-on service that requires enrollment and the following: a subscription fee per enrolled location, in addition to a compatible Ring Protect plan and a Ring Alarm system (all sold separately), and Ring Alarm professional monitoring. Rapid Response is the seller and provider of the camera motion monitoring service and agents. Ring bills your Ring account for this service. Virtual Security Guard subscription fee includes 175 monitored motion events per month. Opt into Extra Events for an additional cost. Virtual Guard services are only available with eligible outdoor doorbells and cameras. Learn more.

³ ONVIF-compatible cameras are not made by Ring. Not all ONVIF-compatible cameras have been tested for interoperability by ONVIF, and not all ONVIF-compatible cameras may be supported in the Ring app. Only ONVIF Conformant products are verified to be interoperable by ONVIF. Learn more about ONVIF and its ONVIF standard and compatibility information.

⁴ Compatible Ring Protect subscription required (sold separately). Extra data charges may apply. Cellular data is provided by a third-party carrier. Coverage, uptime, technology, and speeds will vary. Will require backup power if the power goes out. Learn more about Ring Alarm Pro. Ring Alarm Pro is designed to be used as a router, and using your Alarm Pro as an extender will prevent you from accessing many of the Protect Pro subscription features, including 24/7 Backup Internet.

⁵ Compatible Alarm sensors (separate purchase) are required for an automated professional monitoring response. Learn more about Ring Jobsite Security.