Companies ending support for both hardware and software is not a particularly new event. It happens all the time, sometimes causing plenty of waves as consumers and business customers realise that they'll no longer be provided with useful software patches and firmware updates. A manufacturer deliberately bricking hardware though?... now that's pretty rare. This week Logitech have provoked the ire of consumers and the loud chorus that is Reddit's /r/technology forum as it was revealed that the Harmony Link hub would apparently be forcibly EoL'd early next year, despite selling units of the model as recently as this year.

Logitech's Harmony Link is small device which acts as an IR blaster interface between TV/AV equipment and your smartphone, allowing you to control those devices from a dedicated smartphone app. Originally launched in 2011, subsequent software iterations required connection to MyHarmony.com for configuration (according to the Harmony Link FAQ).

In September a Harmony Link user posted in the official support channels asking for clarification of an email they'd recently received regarding their Link. The email, reproduced below, stated that their 'Harmony Link will no longer function after this date'.



A Logitech representative later confirmed that "the product will no longer function March of 2018", and "depending on the warranty status – we offered replacements or a discount towards a new Harmony Hub or any Harmony remote." The EoL status was apparently down to the expiration of a 'technology certificate license' in March, a license which Logitech will not be renewing.

Both happened prior to this latest flare-up. Yesterday evening a further statement outlined Logitech's position:



It's fair to say that both the support channel and /r/Technology are incandescent at this news, fueled further by the discovery that the words Class Action Lawsuit were being censored on the page. Ending support is one thing, but forcibly bricking hardware without providing replacements is quite another. Many are also naturally concerned that fewer consumer protections in the US will have left consumers without warranty coverage, and that the offer of a 35% cost reduction on a replacement Harmony Hub is derisory.

More broadly, this has flagged up the issue of hardware being sold 'as a service' demanding ongoing access to 'the cloud'. In 2016 Google Nest remotely shut down the Revolv Hub after acquiring their rival company in 2014, and as companies sell devices marketed under the 'Internet of Things' banner (including services such as Alexa and Amazon Echo) users should be aware that access in perpetuity is far from guaranteed.

That's cold comfort for Harmony Link users, especially those who may still be ignorant of Logitech's announcement. The offer of a free Hub will placate some warranty holders, but signing up to another service which - as evidence suggests - may be pulled at any time should rightly put many off. It's also a far cry from a company who built a reputation for excellent support and hardware quality.


SOURCES: Logitech Harmony Link Support Page, Reddit.