When Cisco
Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO)
started its restructuring last year, it wasn't hard to pick ūmi as likely cut.
Like the Flip camera, ūmi was part of Cisco's push to put video networking in
consumers' hands. But some of us contended from the start that this didn't have
to be Cisco's job. It's not as if video's success was a question, especially
with the iPhone having already become a big deal.
So, it's not surprising to hear the ūmi product is discontinued, as Cisco confirmed to Business Insider on Tuesday. The service will
live on, so those who did spend $600 on a unit (or a drastically lower price, if
they bought later) will still be able to pay $25 per month to keep the units
alive.
Cisco did make the ūmi look nice. Here's part of a demo they did at the 2010
launch -- filmed on a Flip camera, by the way:
But ūmi's price tag, and the thought of paying for it as an ongoing service,
seemed like too much from the outset.
The goal of getting high-end telepresence into consumer hands might not be
worthwhile, anyway. At the 2010 ūmi launch, Cisco executive Marthin de Beer
likened the experience to chocolate -- something you had to experience in order
to get hooked.
But I have to wonder if expectations for video calling will shrink just as
they have for telephone calls. We put up with bad reception, speakerphones and
the use of smartphones in crowds, because it's more convenient to make calls in
those situations. Likewise, video doesn't have to be studio-perfect if all
you're doing is asking, "What's up?" or trash-talking a friend during the Super Bowl.
For most of us, as Business Insider points out, Skype is good enough.
What's interesting is that Cisco is not done with the consumer segment. The
company still plans to appear at CES next week, and I'd have to guess they'll be talking abut
Videoscape, which got introduced at the last CES.
Posted in: ICT
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