Logitech Says It Has No Plans for a Subscription-Based 'Forever Mouse'

[coffeemilktea]

The mouse mentioned is not an actual or planned product but a peek into provocative internal thinking

Well if they wanted to be "provocative," I guess it worked: this was probably the most anyone's talked about Logitech in years. 😛

 

[TechRemarker]

Of course. It made no logical sense. As implied that companies "choose" not to create forever products, and that simply increasing the initial cost and adding and ongoing cost would allow for a product to last forever. Like with a car, you pay a lot and pay ongoing costs, but it still eventually needs to be replaced even if you could technically keep replacing parts. For the forever mouse, they weren't talking about creating new unknown materials that never wear, just perhaps higher quality than normal and making easier to repair. And of course many people do keep their mouses essentially forever without needing to pay ongoing costs. So yes, was just CEO trying to think of ways to make more money without thinking it through or did think it through but was hoping investors wouldn't.

 

[iMac The Knife]

Give it a few years and they will flip-flop on this in order to increase their bottom line, mark my words. To counter Gordon Gekko...greed, for lack of a better word, is bad.

 

[ShiftHappens]

You’ll own nothing and be happy

"Imagine no possessions - I wonder if you can. No need for greed or hunger. A brotherhood of man..."

Now I get this sustainability thing!

 

[Stella]

Kind of wondering if Logitech were putting out a feel for this.. obviously, and rightfully so, it didn't go down well at all.

The Logitech mice I've had have lasted for years with regular use and I've replaced them before they've died... so isn't that 'forever', already.

 

[Arran]

So they took fright and cancelled the subscription mouse, huh?

Gee thanks Macrumors crowd! Now I have to start worrying about my mouse, again 😉

 

[icanhazmac]

BS, they got caught in a mosh and had to say something! Sub mouse is probably real and in the pipeline.

 

[antiprotest]

Damage control for a CEO who sounds like she is out of touch with how tech consumers think and behave. Prior to Logitech, she was in Unilever. It is as if she noticed so many things are going subscription and going green, and it's just a good idea to jam these things together and shove the costs on to the consumers and yank some long-term revenue for the company. Consumers see through this and are not having it. The strange thing is, she must be a consumer herself, and she didn't think there would be push back against something absurd like this?

 

[StudioMacs]

Well, what they write is a polite form for:
„our CEO has no clue about our products, but likes to use the word „subscription“ a lot“

During the same interview, the CEO mentioned the circleview doorbell wasn’t sold anymore (it’s still for sale on the Logitech site), so it seems like the CEO really doesn’t have a clue…

 

[Gengar]

A subscription for a damn mouse? They’ve lost their minds. 😂

I’m glad the backlash was swift and put an end to that nonsense.

 

[bviktor]

Read: just the usual A/B testing.

 

[BarrettF77]

They are totally going to do this or at least try and I’m going to avoid Logitech now for even considering it.

The corp greed knows no ends

 

[varezhka]

And this is why we keep certain C-suites away from media. They don't know the actual product plans or what should or shouldn't be shared, so they just blab any neat things they heard in the hallway or a random idea that pop into their head to impress the interviewer. Oftentimes they have no bearing to what the company is actually doing. There's nothing more dangerous than a CEO who heard a new buzzword on TV.

 

[laptech]

It shouldn’t have taken a full week for them to deny the article. Logitech PR allowed this story to grow legs.

It did not have any legs to grow until the media twisted Faber's words to make it look like that it was her that had come up with the idea of subscription for the forever mouse. Then of course it got traction because people reading the media articles assumed (wrongly) that the company chief was looking to financially exploit it's users by introducing a mouse subscription. This was never the case.

 

[MacKid]

If you take the time to actually listen to the podcast you will find that it is actually the podcaster Nilay Patel that puts the idea of a subscription mouse into the head of Logitech's chief Hanneke Faber which she then run's with. At no point in that podcast do you hear Faber being the first one to suggest forever mouse subscription. Patel is the one that does it and then you can hear Faber just goes with the flow saying she thinks it's a good idea, an idea put into her head by Patel.

Therefore there needs to be very clear reporting on this because at no point did Faber make the suggestion of a subscription model for a forever mouse, that suggestion originated from podcaster Nilay Patel. Faber just happened to agree with him.

The post from MR just shows how Faber's comments on the forever mouse have been distorted by the media.

Who cares, the rest of the podcast is sprinkled with her criticisms of Logitech’s previous leadership for not charging ongoing fees in enterprise to use their video conferencing software, and for their shopping carts averaging $26. The “forever mouse” as a luxury timepiece analogy is clear even without the “subscribe to your mouse” ragebait; it’s super clear she envisions a future where Logitech is dropping limited edition gold-plated Louis Vuitton mouse collabs and Porsche Design carbon fiber mechanical keyboards.

In the forever mouse answer she said it would have “great software and services” and “can you come up with a service model” after knocking the old CEO for not charging for software. We know what “services” are.

The point is she’s newly in control of an object her customers use and touch and rely on every day and smells an opportunity to 2x or 5x the value she can extract per head. Maybe she’s not wrong, but you can’t pretend Nilay was putting words in her mouth

 

[markgpearse]

One day I'll have to pay a license fee for my fingers on my trackpad

 

[Tevos]

Corporate reps statements/opinions/musings are as truthful as Kremlin propaganda. In Moscow saying is: Never believe anything until Kremil denies it.

Reading this has exactly same vibes.

 

[laptech]

Who cares, the rest of the podcast is sprinkled with her criticisms of Logitech’s previous leadership for not charging ongoing fees in enterprise to use their video conferencing software, and for their shopping carts averaging $26. The “forever mouse” as a luxury timepiece analogy is clear even without the “subscribe to your mouse” ragebait; it’s super clear she envisions a future where Logitech is dropping limited edition gold-plated Louis Vuitton mouse collabs and Porsche Design carbon fiber mechanical keyboards.

In the forever mouse answer she said it would have “great software and services” and “can you come up with a service model” after knocking the old CEO for not charging for software. We know what “services” are.

The point is she’s newly in control of an object her customers use and touch and rely on every day and smells an opportunity to 2x or 5x the value she can extract per head. Maybe she’s not wrong, but you can’t pretend Nilay was putting words in her mouth

This is why Logitech PR has come out and said what they said because people that have listened to the podcast think they know what Faber is saying without actually knowing what she is saying. They then misreport it and those that read the media articles are then given a narrative that is wrong, hence the backlash forcing Logitech to issue a statement.

 

[arkitect]

Damage control for a CEO who sounds like she is out of touch with how tech consumers think and behave. Prior to Logitech, she was in Unilever. It is as if she noticed so many things are going subscription and going green, and it's just a good idea to jam these things together and shove the costs on to the consumers and yank some long-term revenue for the company. Consumers see through this and are not having it. The strange thing is, she must be a consumer herself, and she didn't think there would be push back against something absurd like this?

Agreed.
You'd think they'd realise, wouldn't you?

But I suspect people like CEOs and other super rich live in such a rarified world they have no idea what real life is like. The bottom line is all that counts and we the customers are the milch cows.

Same goes for our politicians.

Yes, I am cynical… but realistic.

 

[MNWildFan]

I just can’t comprehend what ongoing software updates would be useful for mice in the first place!

Exactly!

It's a mouse, aside from some macros and such that you can program into it, what else would you really need for constantly updating software?

 

[MrGimper]

"now that literally every tech media outlet laughed heavily in our face"

 

[Complex757]

So how much longer is she going to be CEO?

 

[Reverend Benny]

I think its a pretty cool idea and if they ever should move forward with the idea I would assume something an offer like...

* You don't pay anything upfront, but sign a contract for the "mouse as a service" provided by Logitech.
* During the contract period, should the mouse break you get a new one sent out ASAP or delivered to your door.
* Montly fee of lets say £5

I look forward to a more "Someting as a service" future where we don't need to own things and companies see a winning in making products that last instead of only focusing on making profit at the point of sale.

 

[Someyoungguy]

I thought it would go nicely with my shoehorn subscription. My shoehorn subscription allows me to stay current with the latest shoehorn news and updates.

 

[aknabi]

Listened to it and had the feel that she was playing investor hype buzzword bingo with Nilay and was "winning" in a Charlie Sheen way.