Jide’s Android-powered Remix OS matured last year with version 2.0 and later Marshmallow-based 3.0. Creating a desktop-optimized Android, the company also made hardware and later partnered with others. However, development was notably quiet this year, and Jide has today revealed that it is moving away from the consumer space to focus on enterprise.
In a message on its website, Jide notes receiving an “increasing number of inquiries from enterprises in various industries, and began helping them build great tools for their organizations” over the past year.
Noting a “huge potential” to “revolutionize how these businesses operate,” the company is refocusing solely on the enterprise space moving forward. Due to the state of their “existing resources,” Jide is discontinuing current products:
…development on all existing products such as Remix OS for PC as well as products in our pipeline such as Remix IO and IO+ will be discontinued. Full refunds will be issued to ALL BACKERS via Kickstarter for both Remix IO and Remix IO+. In addition any purchases made via our online store that has remained unfulfilled will also be fully refunded.
Alas, that push seems to have been short-lived, since Jide took to its various social media profiles to announce that it would focus solely on the enterprise. Unfortunately for Remix OS fans, a result of the pivot is that Jide is “restructuring [its] approach” to the operating system:
"Over the past year, we received an increasing number of inquiries from enterprises in various industries, and began helping them build great tools for their organizations by leveraging Jide software and hardware. We see huge potential in the role that Jide can play to revolutionize how these businesses operate. And given our existing resources, we decided to focus our company efforts solely on the enterprise space moving forward."
Regardless of any hidden motivations, the decision means that development on Remix OS for PC has ceased. It also means that the Remix IO and IO+, set-top TV boxes that support 4K streaming and game-playing, will not be shipped to customers. Jide said refunds to Kickstarter backers and for general pre-orders will be issued starting August 15.
Lastly, Jide ended its message to its fans with the following:
“We’d like to take this moment to thank our incredible community, who’ve joined us on this journey in the last three years to help us build Remix OS. We very much believe that the future of computing is with Android and we’re excited for the role Jide will play in this amazing ecosystem.”
Jide wasn’t exactly clear as to whether or not it would continue to provide support for its existing hardware (Remix Ultratablet and Remix Mini), but seeing as how the company is essentially abandoning the consumer market in favor of enterprise solutions, we wouldn’t be surprised if this was dropped as well.
Comments
Post a Comment