IoT gadget maker AcuRite shares reasoning for killing customers’ favorite app

Online complaints suggest that AcuRite has customers who are content with My AcuRite’s capabilities. However, maintaining the app long-term isn’t sustainable for AcuRite, Bovee said. “The technology behind My AcuRite is obsolete and can no longer be maintained,” he said. AcuRite is declining to maintain two apps in order to save money but also due to “long-term supportability,” the executive said. “Even if [My AcuRite] continues to function for many users, the underlying systems require ongoing maintenance, updates, hosting, monitoring, security support, and compatibility work as phones, operating systems, cloud services, and third-party integrations continue to change,” Bovee said. There’s financial and technological reasoning in Bovee’s statements, but releasing a new app to support new endeavors that many customers may not want is questionable. It’s unfair for a customer who has already paid for a device marketed with specific software to suddenly have to pay to share data with Weather Underground, just so AcuRite can introduce new features the customer has never needed before. Also troubling is AcuRite’s decision to start forcing the new app (based on online discourse, AcuRite originally told customers it would close My AcuRite on May 15), before AcuRite NOW was on par with My AcuRite. Being forced onto a new app is more manageable if it’s equal to, or, dare I say, an obvious improvement over, one that’s worked for years. On the other hand, connected device makers also struggle to find ways to get people to spend money more than once. Often, that means releasing more capable products, which could require a more advanced app, and forcing a subscription model. AcuRite’s new app is the product of a challenge looming over smart gadget makers and their early adopters. Many of these companies are still grappling with how to maintain their businesses in the long term. And these devices’ smart capabilities mean users are in the lurch when a vendor decides to change the way it does business—like by forcing ads onto products, bricking older devices, suddenly charging a subscription fee, killing offline functionality, or releasing a maligned, incapable app. After years of carefree use, it’s easy to overlook how quickly smart device manufacturers can change the rules of how you use your property. But if the rules change in a way that feels abrupt and intolerable, it may also be a good time to start seeing what else is on the market. I don’t expect smart device makers to remain stagnant, but moving forward shouldn’t mean leaving longtime customers behind.