Xbox Cofounder J Allard Joins Amazon to Lead ZeroOne Team
Amazon has formed a new team called ZeroOne, led by Xbox cofounder J Allard, with the goal of developing ‘breakthrough’ consumer products. Allard, who previously worked on the Xbox game console and Zune MP3 player during his time at Microsoft, has been tasked with creating innovative hardware and software projects.
The ZeroOne team is spread across Seattle, San Francisco, and Sunnyvale, California, and is working on various projects, including a new smart-home product and an Amazon device. Job listings for the ZeroOne team include senior roles in applied science, product marketing, and customer insights.
Amazon has a mixed record when it comes to creating hardware products, with successes like the Kindle and Echo smart speakers, but also failures such as the Fire Phone and Halo fitness tracker. The company has a separate devices unit responsible for creating hardware products, and has brought in Microsoft alum Panos Panay to lead its Devices & Services business.
Allard’s experience in creating new hardware, including his work on Xbox and Zune, makes him a valuable addition to Amazon’s team. However, it remains to be seen what products ZeroOne will develop and when they will be shipped to consumers.
The formation of ZeroOne comes at a crucial time for Amazon’s devices unit, which has faced layoffs over the past few years. The company laid off 100 employees from the devices unit this year alone.
As Amazon continues to innovate and push the boundaries of consumer technology, the success of ZeroOne and J Allard’s leadership will be closely watched by industry observers and consumers alike.
