Remember that drone delivery service from Amazon you’ve been hearing about? Well, the company is finally getting to do some testing in preparation even if the actual implementation of the program could still be a ways off here in the U.S.

Amazon is partnering with the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority to test the technology, since U.S. regulations don’t allow drones to operate beyond the handler’s line of sight. Aside from testing the distance of those flights, Amazon also wants to test the ability to avoid obstacles and the ability for handlers to operate multiple drones at once.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that Amazon is going to start using drones for delivery purposes anytime soon. There still seems to be a fair amount of progress left to be made, especially since U.S. regulations still don’t allow the type of flying Amazon wants to be able to do. But this is a big step in that direction.

Is a Drone Delivery Service Offering in Your Future?

And it’s not just Amazon that’s going to feel the impact of this new technology. If the online mega-retailer is able to use drones to deliver packages to customers within a half hour, other companies will also want to work to keep up.

It’s probably not necessary for small businesses with limited budgets to invest in drone testing right now. But keeping up with technological advances can be a worthwhile exercise. If you fall too far behind competitors — no matter what the technology — your business could suffer.

[“source-smallbiztrends”]