Ring CEO Steps Down As Free Features Now Require Subscription
The past week brought 2 major developments to Amazon's Ring, with its founder and CEO stepping down and the company now requiring a subscription for core features that were free for years.
In this note, we examine both of these moves and how they fit into a broader trend of subscription companies focusing more on profitability instead of user growth.
CEO ******** ****
** * *********-***** ****** **** "*** ********* ********** *** *********", ****'* ******* ****** ******** ******** that ** **** "***** [***] **** to ***** ******** *** ***** ** a *** ***" *** **** ** "will ***** ** ********* **** **** great ******** **** *** [*** ***] —and ***** **** * ****** **** free **** ***."
**** ******** **** ****, * *** issue ** *** **** **** **** actually ***** ** *** *******, *.*., how **** ** **** ** * graceful **** ******** ****** ** ******* commitment ** ***** ** ********* (*.*., "Chief ********" ** **** ******** ** honorific ****** ** *********** *****).
*** ****** ** *** ********* *** ******** ******** ********** ** the ** ** ********* ** ******* leading **** *** **** ****** ***********.
****** *** ***** ********* ********* ******** *** **** ********* ******** efforts.
****'* ******* **** **** *** **** of * **** *** * ****** ago:
** *** **** ****, **** ** old ****. * ****** **** ********** plan **** **** **** **** **** the ******* **** ** ***** **** the ***** ****** *** *** **** chapter.
Free ******** ****** **** ************
***** *** ****** *** ****** **********, in *** **** ****,**** ******* ********* *********** ********* ******** ********* *** ***** ******, through ************** ** ******** *****:
********March **, ****, a Ring Protect subscription will be required to access Ring Alarm in-app features in the US and Canada, including digital notifications and the ability to Arm and Disarm from your app. If you owned an Alarm before this date, your current device will keep these in-app features. If you did not own an Alarm, these features will now require a subscription.
*** **** ***** ***** *** ** not *** ** ***** $**.** *** year **** **** ** **** ** enable, ******* ** *** ****** ******* at ***** *****. *** ******* ********:
********* ******* * ************ *** *** and ****** ***** ***** ** **** using *** **** ****** ****. [***]
********* ******* * ************ **** *** siren ************* ******** **** *** **** Station ****.
** ******* ****** **** **** ****, now, * ***** **** ** *** at *** *****, *** ******* * subscription, ********* **** *** ** ************ to ***** *****.
**** ************* ******* *** ***** *********** of ****. ********** ******** **** *** ***** ***** sold*** ** *** ** $*** ****** you **** **** ** *** **** and ******* **** ***** ****, **** will *** ******* ****** ** ***** ~$40 *** ****.
Broader *****
** ******* **** ** **** ** a ******* ***** ** *********, ********* in ********, ******** **** **** **** acquisition **** ** *********** *************.
** ******'* ****, ***** ******** ************* ******** ******** **** ****** *****, ******* **** ** *** ************* and****** ******** ******** ** ***** ********* ******** ******. More ******* ** ******, ********** *** **** ********** ********** ********* *** *** ************.
**** ************** *** ***** * *** ************ service, *** **** *** *** *** Protect** *** *******, ****** *** ******* products **** ** ** ****, ***** to ******** ******* **** *************.
*** **** ************** ******* ** ****** ** ******** free *-*** ********** ***** ********* ****, ****** **** on ***** ****** **** ******** *****, as *** ******* **** ** ******** subscriptions *** **** **** *** ******** stock, *** *.*.,**** ***** ***** ***** ******* ******** Expectations ** ****.
Ring *******
********** ** *** ** **** ***, we ****** **** ****** **** ***** Ring ** ******* ******* *************, ** Amazon ***** **** ******** ******** ********** and * **** ******** ****** **** is ************ ******** **********. **** ***** be **** **** *** ******'* ******** rivals *** **** **** **** ********** to **** **** *** *******'* ********** prioritization ** ****** **** *******.
****** *** *** ********. ** *********, by "**********", * **** **** *** overall **** ****** ***** **** ******** as **** *** **** ****** *** want ***** ******* (**** ** ***) have ******* ****** ****.
*** ***********, ** *** ********* ****, this *** **** ***** *** ***** (e.g., ******* ****** *************, *.*.******** ***** ******** ****** - ******).
* ******* *** ** *** ****** a ******* ********** ***** ***** ** very **** ****** *****. ** ******** this **** ********** **** **** **** -********** ****** *****, ******** **** ******* To ***********
** ** ******* ******* ***** ** more ***** *****, *** **** ****** is ** ******** ******* ** * per-user *****. **** **** **** ** an ******* ** ***** ****. ***, Ring ***** **** ****** *** ******** them ******* ** *** ******* **** functionality *** ******* ***** ****** ** those *** ** *************.
* ** ******* ***** *** *********, “with ******** ******** ********** *** * home ******** ****** **** ** ************ reaching **********.” *** ******** ******** ********** are ******* *******, *******, *** *** share **** *********** ** *** ****** saturation *********? **** **** **** **** for ***********, *** *****, ***?