Logitech forever mouse | Is it real or just a hype?
Logitech forever mouse is an invention that ended before it even began! In a statement provided, Nicole Kennon, Logitech’s head of communications, said, “There are no plans to launch a subscription mouse.” The idea of a subscription mouse seems like a novel idea, but in the end, it’s not a real thing.
The statement came in response to immediate backlash over a concept described by Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber, who shared her company's early concept of the "Logitech forever mouse" with Nilay Patel on the Decoder podcast. Faber described the potential mouse as a high-quality, software-driven mouse that would last as long as a good watch.
Logitech forever mouse just a misunderstanding
“I think a forever mouse is one of the things we’d like to get to,” Faber said at the time. The furor that followed the idea that Logitech might be planning to make you pay monthly for a computer peripheral was widespread.
Now, Kennon writes in response to inaccurate reports about the interview, Logitech's position is that "the mouse mentioned is not an actual or planned product, but a peek into exciting internal thinking about future possibilities for more sustainable consumer electronics."
(This was actually Logitech's second statement trying to alleviate the confusion caused by Faber's comments; the first was to reassure customers about its smart home cameras that they would not stop working, as Faber's comments included on the podcast.)
Subscription fatigue is real. Companies that offer ongoing software support for products like mice and keyboards clearly need to fund that, but the “subscription model” can’t be the default response for every CEO looking for new revenue streams.
What makes Logitech forever mouse special?
This was the response from Hannik Faber, CEO of Logitech, during the interview he conducted, in which he said the following:
Faber: Recently, in Ireland at our innovation center there, one of our team members showed me a forever mouse compared to a watch, it's a beautiful watch, it's not an expensive watch, but I don't plan on throwing away that watch at all, why would I throw away my mouse or my keyboard if it's a great quality mouse, well designed and software enabled ? The forever mouse is one of the things we'd like to get to.
Patel: What made the mouse a forever mouse? It was a little bit heavier, it had great software and services that they updated constantly, it was beautiful so I don't think we're necessarily that far away from that, but again, I just go back to cost, you sell me a mouse once, I'm probably paying $200 for it.
Obviously the business model is the challenge there, so software becomes more important when you think about it. Can you come up with a service model? In our video conferencing space, that's now a very important part of the model, and services are essential for enterprise customers.
Let's get to that in a second because it makes sense to me, you're selling managed services to enterprises, you're pricing support contracts for cameras and stuff, this is an ongoing need for businesses and I'm still clinging to "you'll sell me a mouse once and I'll get software updates forever."
Think of it like your Rolex, you’d love it, but Rolex has to hire software engineers to send me wireless updates forever, but the artifacts are like your Rolex, and given that we know the technology we’re attached to changes, they won’t be like Rolex in the sense that they should never change. They should be like a diamond-encrusted mouse.
This is the dialogue that took place in the interview with Faber. What do you think? Do you think that Logitech Forever Mouse is an idea and a complete failure, or is it just an advertisement for the company, or is it just dialogue and hints that do not exist? Tell us your opinion.