IoT gadget maker AcuRite shares reasoning for killing customers’ favorite app
Keep the two non-“durable” applications
Online complaints suggest that AcuRite has customers happy with My AcuRite’s capabilities. However, maintaining the application long term is not sustainable for AcuRite, Bovee said.
“The technology behind My AcuRite is outdated and can no longer be maintained,” he said.
AcuRite refuses to maintain two applications in order to save money, but also because of “long-term supportability,” the executive said.
“Even if [My AcuRite] continues to work 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.
New online dashboard coming
As AcuRite announced the end of its first app, it also removed the online dashboard that allowed users to manage their devices through a web browser.
“Since the web dashboard, mobile app, cloud services, and device connections were all tied to the same old system, browser access cannot be maintained separately once the platform is retired,” Bovee explained.
He said AcuRite is planning a new web dashboard for AcuRite NOW, but he could not confirm the release date.
Despite customer frustrations, Bovee hopes the new app won’t cause longtime users to abandon their devices because AcuRite spent “a lot of money to bring these older weather stations” onto the new platform.
“We know the move to AcuRite NOW has not gone as smoothly as some customers hoped, and we understand the frustration that results. We do not dismiss these comments,” Bovee said. “We ask for patience as our team continues to resolve issues, improve usability, and develop the new platform. Our goal is to regain trust by making AcuRite NOW the best user experience in home weather stations.”
