LogMeIn Free is dead and users of the service that allows one to access computers and files remotely need to pay or go.
The company announced the changes Tuesday through its official blog and reminded everyone that the clock is ticking. Users have seven days after their next log-in to decide whether they will purchase LogMeIn Pro.
"After ten years, LogMeIn's free remote access product, LogMeIn Free, is going away. We will be unifying our portfolio of free and premium remote access products into a single offering. This product will be a paid-only offering, and it will offer what we believe to be the best premium desktop, cloud and mobile access experience available on the market today," wrote LogMeIn strategic product operations vice president Tara Haas.
"Starting in January, we will gradually migrate users of LogMeIn-branded remote access offerings and Ignition-branded remote access offerings to a single, premium access product," she added.
The company clarified that those who bought LogMeIn Ignition for their iOS and Android devices will get discounts plus other perk when they avail of the Pro services to make sure their transition will be as easy as possible. LogMeIn will send notifications to Ignition customers this week.
The move of the company might be suicidal if the reactions of its current customer will be the basis.
"As a consequence of your attempt to pressure users into a paid subscription by means of free service discontinuation at very short notice, I would request that you delete my account completely," a user going by the name hacnet said it the LogMeIn forum.
Another user sees the decision as very disrespectful to its customers.
"While I appreciate you need to charge something, your lack of notice has seriously put me off your entire product range. I can't work with a company who don't respect their users, and pulls the rug out from under them without giving them time step off the rug," said Trikkit.
The thread as of reporting has reached 83 pages with only a few expressing that they understand the shift away from a freemium model.
"I used to uses you software to help my friend and family, free. Well, do you think I am going to charge them 50$ a year to help them from time to time? You are making a big mistake and the whole community is turning its back and you are the one and only to blame, I understand that, as an IT helpdesk, I'll have to pay. It's common sense. But to help your friends? I once choose your solution for its free side. Well, I guess I'm left all alone and I have to find another one. Plus, the way you did it? Sending an email the morning, saying your software is no longer free, the same morning... Totally disrespectful," wrote user refly1st.
The subscription scheme will give users access to at least two computers, mobile application for their iOS or Android devices, and desktop apps that can be used on PCs and Macs. Pro subscribers will get to enjoy premium features such as integration with popular cloud storage services such as Google Drive, SkyDrive, Dropbox, Cubby, and Box. It will also give users the ability to transfer files between the cloud and local drives, do remote printing, among others.
With LogMeIn Free dead, will we see customers logging out and migrating to other similar services?
