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D-Link Discontinues Komfy Switch/Camera And Cloud Service

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Julio Urquidi

News Editor
dlinkcomfydiscontinued.jpg

D-Link sent an email notification to its customers announcing the discontinuation of it Komfy Switch/Camera and cloud service in order to make way for new products in mydlink Camera product line.

In November of 2015, D-Link introduced the Komfy (DKZ-201S), a $300 smart switch that has a built-in Full HD 1080p 3 MP camera with a 130-degree wide-angle view and a 16 foot IR night vision range. Additionally, if you didn’t want to rely on a micro-SD camera to hold your footage, D-Link had a cloud storage option available.

The move to discontinue the Komfy is similar to the fate of other recent cloud-based smart products like the Nest-acquired Revolv, Comcast-acquired Skydog, and Netgear’s Viewzone products. The short product lifespan of these devices could leave customers wary of investing in smart home products, while also having to send pricey hardware out for disposal.

According to the D-Link’s message, both Komfy models (DKZ-201S/W – White and DKZ-201S/D – Black) will stop working, and support will cease, after December 30th, 2016. Refunds will be available to customers who can show proof of purchase, and a serial number, MAC address or registered account. Alternatively, D-Link can also exchange the soon-to-be-defunct Komfy for a Full HD 180-Degree Wi-Fi Camera (DCS-2630L).

Those customers that had their Komfy professionally installed can also get a refund of up to $100 with a receipt for services rendered.

The D-Link Komfy (DKZ-201S) refund offer runs until 12am PST, December 30th , 2016 - the same day as the end of the service. To submit a claim, call 1-800-326-1688.
 
D-Link should discontinue itself :p
 
I saw that coming.
 
At least DLink is doing good by its customers, issuing refunds.
 
At least DLink is doing good by its customers, issuing refunds.

But only if they know about it and only if they act before the end of the service and current year.
 
But only if they know about it and only if they act before the end of the service and current year.

They sent email notifications to customers. So, customers would have no excuse to miss it.
 
this be why i would never buy or use anything cloud only based , its just that simple
 
this be why i would never buy or use anything cloud only based , its just that simple

Services are fine (such as cloud storage, backups, etc...), because you can usually turn around and switch to a different one.

The problem is when you have to buy hardware, and that hardware becomes a brick the day the cloud service is shut down.
 
The eWaste aspect is a problem as well, with defunct hardware having to go "somewhere"... and this is likely not a consideration when developing products like this...
 
Services are fine (such as cloud storage, backups, etc...), because you can usually turn around and switch to a different one.

No, they're not. If anything, they're even more reason to not use 'cloud' for your data. When they turn the switch off, they're gone (and yes, it's happened before).
 
No, they're not. If anything, they're even more reason to not use 'cloud' for your data. When they turn the switch off, they're gone (and yes, it's happened before).

Then you better stop using Email, because unless you run your own mail server at home, it's very much a cloud service. Mails are stored on someone else's server. If they turn off their service before your POP clients retrieves them, "they're gone" too.

I don't see where the problem would be either if my cloud backup provider were to disappear, as I'd simply subscribe to another one, and reupload my data. You just need to make sure that any cloud-stored data is ALSO available elsewhere.

And I certainly couldn't host downloads for my firmware on my NAS at home. Last time Mediafire was providing me with statistical data, I was generating around 250 GB of monthly traffic from downloads. Cloud providers like Mediafire and Sourceforge are the ONLY way I could distribute my files.

Demonizing every single cloud service isn't the correct approach. Cloud technology in itself isn't bad. It's a matter of using it for the CORRECT reasons that's important.
 
in the past people used to run their own services like their own mail server, dns server and other things. The problem was that you got lots of spam to deal with as people were sending it out and receiving them. ISPs also ran their own servers too. Technically ISPs dont need to run their own services anymore so theres a huge cost reduction for them.

Setting up a cluster is not easy. My test bench is still in the worlds because of the hardware and software difficulties however you can be rest assured that a cloud service is more reliable than a single local server and some cloud services are there to stay. Google mail is a good example as they do offer customised versions for businesses/organisations and you can actually download your mail from it. If google mail goes you could simply export everything and go with a new provider or make your own server.

The problem is with physical hardware that gets made obsolete when the service goes. This isnt just with a cloud service but any service where the hardware requires a line to the provider to function is a bad decision.

The only cloud services that can be questioned is something like steam as when steam goes so to does your copy of the game but i believe they have set up measures incase it comes to that where you can download your own copy to keep forever.
 
The only cloud services that can be questioned is something like steam as when steam goes so to does your copy of the game but i believe they have set up measures incase it comes to that where you can download your own copy to keep forever.

Same applies to a lot of DRM-based products. Quite a few digital video reselers disappeared over the years, leaving you unable to playback any purchased video since their DRM servers are gone, and they won't provide you with a key to decrypt it. So the day you replace the PC on which you had downloaded a licence, you will lose access to that video.

I started purchasing a lot of music the day we were able to buy MP3 music instead of that DRM locked down stuff Apple was initially pushing through iTunes. For video, I rent movies on rare occasions from Google Play, but I would never buy any movie from them. I still prefer to buy discs for the (very rare) occasions where I want to actually own the movies (usually, special stuff like the LOTR movies, which I know I will want to re-watch in the coming years).
 
Then you better stop using Email, because unless you run your own mail server at home, it's very much a cloud service. Mails are stored on someone else's server. If they turn off their service before your POP clients retrieves them, "they're gone" too.

As a side note - speaking informally with a friend, a single Gmail WebUI session can involve over 30 different services hosted across hundreds of servers - pretty incredible stuff they do on the back end...
 
Then you better stop using Email, because unless you run your own mail server at home, it's very much a cloud service. Mails are stored on someone else's server. If they turn off their service before your POP clients retrieves them, "they're gone" too.

I don't see where the problem would be either if my cloud backup provider were to disappear, as I'd simply subscribe to another one, and reupload my data. You just need to make sure that any cloud-stored data is ALSO available elsewhere.

And I certainly couldn't host downloads for my firmware on my NAS at home. Last time Mediafire was providing me with statistical data, I was generating around 250 GB of monthly traffic from downloads. Cloud providers like Mediafire and Sourceforge are the ONLY way I could distribute my files.

Demonizing every single cloud service isn't the correct approach. Cloud technology in itself isn't bad. It's a matter of using it for the CORRECT reasons that's important.

Email is a service I use, but they don't have any data I care about. If the email service disappears, people will know to get in touch with me in other ways. The 'important' emails I receive and send from/to others? I keep a copy of them on my devices and I've always done this from email '1'.

If I was using a cloud for backup and they disappeared, I wouldn't be as nonchalant as you seem to be about it. :)

Not only would that make my copies the only copies in my possession, but I would be forced to create new backups once again. That is not acceptable at all. My time is worth a lot to me. And paying to a 'cloud' that may or may not be there tomorrow is a waste of my time from the word 'go'. If I'm going to have that data already backed up to a couple of places more, then the cloud doesn't even enter the picture (unless I want a tax write off, of course).

Hosting downloads is not the same thing either. That is really stretching it from my perspective here. That is exactly a 'service' that you could replace as you need to (and you've had to already, since I've joined, if I remember correctly). When one is failing your expectations, pick another (agreed 100%).

True, technology in itself isn't bad, just like anything else. But all 'cloud' based businesses today are not here to give the world what it pays for. They are simply here to make a ROI. If that ROI (or that golden parachute) increases by dropping what they promised mere weeks and months ago; they'll do it.

The correct reasons for using 'cloud' tech for consumers is few, if those consumers actually care about where their money is ultimately going. For medium, small and mom and pop businesses? Even fewer reasons, except for the one that snags most; 'less expensive'. And as it has proven to me time and again, 'less expensive' is almost always the worst 'deal' to go with.
 
The correct reasons for using 'cloud' tech for consumers is few, if those consumers actually care about where their money is ultimately going. For medium, small and mom and pop businesses? Even fewer reasons, except for the one that snags most; 'less expensive'. And as it has proven to me time and again, 'less expensive' is almost always the worst 'deal' to go with.

Hosted services is one thing - as this is what the customer sees...

How that service is implemented - that's the cloud stuff - and I think it does do a disservice to the customers, and to the folks that are doing cloud architecture... and it gives "cloud" a bad name...
 

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