You should have the following prerequisites to go through this recipe:

• You need an active AWS account. You need to follow Getting started in the recipes Your first AWS Lambda and Your first Lambda with AWS CLI sections from Chapter 1, Getting Started with Serverless Computing on AWS to set up Java, Maven, the parent project, serverless-cookbook-parent-aws-java, and AWS CLI, and may also read other notes there, including code usage guidelines, S3 bucket creation, and notes for Windows users.
• Knowledge of how to install and configure the Alexa skills Kit CLI. 
• An Echo device to talk to Alexa using the skill that we create. However, if you do not have an Echo device, you can use a simulator, such as echosim.io.
• A basic understanding of Java and Maven, and the steps for creating and invoking Lambda, as given in Chapter 1, Getting Started with Serverless Computing on AWS.