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Ryan S
Ryan S
Retired Sonos Staff
Jan 22, 2020 3:20 PM UTC

End of Software Support - Clarifications

  • Dec 8, 2022 11:29 AM UTC
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End of Software Support - Clarifications

We announced yesterday that some of our oldest Sonos products will be moving into a legacy mode in May of 2020. Our commitment is to support products with regular software updates for a minimum of five years after we stop selling them, and we have a track record of supporting products far longer. 

Here is some public information we’ve shared, gathered into one place to respond to some of your questions in one easy thread, so that people can find the correct information easily.

Beginning in May, software updates and new features from Sonos will only be delivered to systems with only modern products.

After May, systems that include legacy products will continue to work as before - but they will no longer receive software updates or new features. 

Sonos will work to maintain the existing experience and conduct bug fixes, but our efforts will ultimately be limited by the lack of memory and processing power of these legacy products.

We don’t expect any immediate impact to your experience, but access to services and overall functionality will eventually be disrupted, particularly as partners evolve their own services and features. 

 

Customers with both legacy and modern products have time to decide what option is best for them. You can continue to use your whole system in legacy mode - in this case, it will stop receiving updates and new features. 

You will also be able to separate your legacy products from your modern products, so that the modern products can still receive updates and new features, and legacy products can still be used separately. We’ll have more information on how to do this in May when you can take that action.

Another option available to all customers with legacy products is to take advantage of the Trade Up program, which allows you to upgrade older Sonos products to modern ones with a 30% discount. Trade Up will be open to customers at any time should they decide to upgrade. 

We recognize this is new for Sonos owners, just as it is for Sonos. We are committed to help you by making options available to you to support the best decision for your home.
 

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate with asking.

Update 2/22: A message from our CEO

We heard you. We did not get this right from the start. My apologies for that and I wanted to personally assure you of the path forward:

First, rest assured that come May, when we end new software updates for our legacy products, they will continue to work as they do today. We are not bricking them, we are not forcing them into obsolescence, and we are not taking anything away. Many of you have invested heavily in your Sonos systems, and we intend to honor that investment for as long as possible. While legacy Sonos products won’t get new software features, we pledge to keep them updated with bug fixes and security patches for as long as possible. If we run into something core to the experience that can’t be addressed, we’ll work to offer an alternative solution and let you know about any changes you’ll see in your experience.

Secondly, we heard you on the issue of legacy products and modern products not being able to coexist in your home. We are working on a way to split your system so that modern products work together and get the latest features, while legacy products work together and remain in their current state. We’re finalizing details on this plan and will share more in the coming weeks.

While we have a lot of great products and features in the pipeline, we want our customers to upgrade to our latest and greatest products when they’re excited by what the new products offer, not because they feel forced to do so. That’s the intent of the trade up program we launched for our loyal customers.

Thank you for being a Sonos customer. Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. I hope that you’ll forgive our misstep, and let us earn back your trust. Without you, Sonos wouldn’t exist and we’ll work harder than ever to earn your loyalty every single day.

If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.

 

Patrick Spence
CEO, Sonos

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    Cisume
    Enthusiast II
    Jan 24, 2020 6:22 PM UTC

    Dear Mr Spence

    Can you please expand on your response to the backlash.  Are you guaranteeing that my old and new SONOS products will continue to work together?  All I want is to use my SONOS system exactly like I did before you changed everything in 2017.  That means:

    • no restrictive login,
    • no monitoring and profiling of my music and radio stations,
    • respect my privacy, and
    • I don’t want or need Alexa.

    For the participants on this forum, can I suggest that you go and read SONOS’s privacy policy and then ask why does SONOS need to know what music I am playing, where I am playing it (room and city) and why do you need to share that with everyone?

    In 2017 SONOS changed its terms of use, which were forced on us, to allow it to introduce the account login; which as we can all see now is a way of controlling our units. 

    The argument that legacy devices do not have enough computing power is not true - it worked perfectly fine prior to 2017 and that’s all I want.  If you strip out all the new “features” added since 2017 then it should work just fine.

    By all means fork your user experience into a system with basic features that just works as it did brilliantly prior to 2017 (simple streaming) or the new disposable world with lots of gimmicks.

    Agree 100%

    Seems it turned partly in a data mining operation.

     

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      Cchris
      Enthusiast II
      Jan 24, 2020 6:23 PM UTC

      Sorry, got my figures wrong.  Share price decline since this ill  thought out strategy was announced now stands at around 100 million dollars.

      Taking notice yet Sonos?

      Translate
        Quantocks
        Lyricist III
        Jan 24, 2020 6:24 PM UTC

        I have been a supporter of Sonos for years and have a pair of 1st gen 5s paired with a sub, a pair of 2nd gen 5s, a connect and a few bridges which I use for ethernet connectivity to other devices and as repeaters. In that time, I have persuaded three friends to kit out their homes with Sonos kit on the back of frequent software updates, ease of use etc. etc.

        I am now not looking forward to having to explain to them why you made the earlier announcement and have then changed your mind, at least for now. If you can change your mind once then you can change it again. Needless to say, I will not be recommending your products in future. There's a heck of a lot of reputation damage to be fixed so over to you…..

        Translate
          MJG61
          Lyricist I
          Jan 24, 2020 6:27 PM UTC

          What an absolute DISGRACE!

          Like thousands of other people I’ve invested heavily in SONOS equipment over the years and have been a massive advocate for how brilliant it is.

          I’m APPALLED at this decision AND by the way it’s been communicated.  This is commercial suicide - a ‘how to alienate (and lose!) thousands of loyal customers’ case study for future students, never mind the ‘disposable’ product position you have adopted in an age when environmental concerns are to the fore.

          Shame on you, SONOS and SHAME ON CEO PATRICK SPENCE IN PARTICULAR!  Get a grip and REVERSE this crazy decision while you can still salvage at least some respect!  And that means more than just a letter - it means finding a PROPER solution so that £000s of investment by loyal customers is respected and protected, not seen as a route to a forced upgrade programme.

          If you fail to take drastic action to restore your reputation, you will pay the commercial price!

          Show decisive leadership and ACT NOW!

          Translate
            andy_120
            Enthusiast II
            Jan 24, 2020 6:28 PM UTC

            Since this announcement a few days ago the share price has dropped 6.5%.

            Thats a billion dollars wiped off the company value.  A fair few “trade ups” would need to be sold to recover that.

            Hows about just going back to plan A and not treating your existing customer base like a cash cow adn expecting them to just suck it up that their home sound system which has been added to over the years is about to get ripped apart.


            Good thing Nicholas Millington, Chief Product Officer, sold 30% of his shares on January 2nd for $500,000.00 before the share price started going down.  Shrewd trader that Nicholas :wink: .

            http://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0001314727/5e4c0a01-abfa-4ea8-bf30-6a97f31fb24d.pdf

            Insider trading I think.

            Translate
              andy_120
              Enthusiast II
              Jan 24, 2020 6:28 PM UTC

              https://www.sonos.com/support/en-us/sonos-user-guide/index.html#t=sonos-user-guide%2Fsonos-user-guide%2Fsonos-user-guide.htm

               

              this is what I brought into sonos.

              Translate
                TheNomad
                Lyricist II
                Jan 24, 2020 6:29 PM UTC

                We announced yesterday that some of our oldest Sonos products will be moving into a legacy mode in May of 2020. Our commitment is to support products with regular software updates for a minimum of five years after we stop selling them, and we have a track record of supporting products far longer. 

                Here is some public information we’ve shared, gathered into one place to respond to some of your questions in one easy thread, so that people can find the correct information easily.

                Beginning in May, software updates and new features from Sonos will only be delivered to systems with only modern products.

                After May, systems that include legacy products will continue to work as before - but they will no longer receive software updates or new features. 

                Sonos will work to maintain the existing experience and conduct bug fixes, but our efforts will ultimately be limited by the lack of memory and processing power of these legacy products.

                We don’t expect any immediate impact to your experience, but access to services and overall functionality will eventually be disrupted, particularly as partners evolve their own services and features. 

                 

                Customers with both legacy and modern products have time to decide what option is best for them. You can continue to use your whole system in legacy mode - in this case, it will stop receiving updates and new features. 

                You will also be able to separate your legacy products from your modern products, so that the modern products can still receive updates and new features, and legacy products can still be used separately. We’ll have more information on how to do this in May when you can take that action.

                Another option available to all customers with legacy products is to take advantage of the Trade Up program, which allows you to upgrade older Sonos products to modern ones with a 30% discount. Trade Up will be open to customers at any time should they decide to upgrade. 

                We recognize this is new for Sonos owners, just as it is for Sonos. We are committed to help you by making options available to you to support the best decision for your home.
                 

                If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate with asking.

                Update 2/22: A message from our CEO

                We heard you. We did not get this right from the start. My apologies for that and I wanted to personally assure you of the path forward:

                First, rest assured that come May, when we end new software updates for our legacy products, they will continue to work as they do today. We are not bricking them, we are not forcing them into obsolescence, and we are not taking anything away. Many of you have invested heavily in your Sonos systems, and we intend to honor that investment for as long as possible. While legacy Sonos products won’t get new software features, we pledge to keep them updated with bug fixes and security patches for as long as possible. If we run into something core to the experience that can’t be addressed, we’ll work to offer an alternative solution and let you know about any changes you’ll see in your experience.

                Secondly, we heard you on the issue of legacy products and modern products not being able to coexist in your home. We are working on a way to split your system so that modern products work together and get the latest features, while legacy products work together and remain in their current state. We’re finalizing details on this plan and will share more in the coming weeks.

                While we have a lot of great products and features in the pipeline, we want our customers to upgrade to our latest and greatest products when they’re excited by what the new products offer, not because they feel forced to do so. That’s the intent of the trade up program we launched for our loyal customers.

                Thank you for being a Sonos customer. Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. I hope that you’ll forgive our misstep, and let us earn back your trust. Without you, Sonos wouldn’t exist and we’ll work harder than ever to earn your loyalty every single day.

                If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.

                 

                Patrick Spence
                CEO, Sonos

                I didn't get the apology email...anyway, let's be clear that now you've cut-out the retailer you offer us a paltry 30% discount on new gear which is less than the retailers margin, meaning more margin and cash for Sonos...shame your customers aren't buying it.  This move is transparent, cynical and smacks of desperation.  I said it yesterday and I'll say it again, you're treating your customers with contempt and destroying goodwill and brand loyalty that took years to nurture.  Business suicide.

                Translate
                  derekdavies
                  Contributor I
                  Jan 24, 2020 6:31 PM UTC

                  I’m not adding much to the thread as the anger and disappointment by all of us loyal Sonos customers are obvious. But I will add my voice and encourage all of you who read this to leave comments (shame on Sonos for delegating the other thread). 
                  I have like many here spent thousands. Back of the envelope well north of $5,000.

                  And I’ve been a huge Sonos advocate, convincing family and friends to check it out, with many of them signing on as they loved the product. And that’s the worst for all of us, the absolute shameless breach of trust. We love the product. Now we have been fooled in a massive way. Never was any word of “your product will one day be obsolete due to software” shown on Sonos ads or web site. Still doesn’t.
                  But we have all now learned of Sonos view on customer loyalty.
                  I’m done. Not a cent more for new Sonos products (that we all have to assume will be shelved in a other few years), and beyond that I will be active on the web, on retailer sites, encouraging customers to invite Sonos.

                  Guessing the new leadership thought they could be like Apple.  They thought wrong. They should think Boing instead, to understand customer reactions when loosing trust. This will be a Harvard Business Review case in a couple of years. A marketing 101 student gets the stupidness of this move.

                  ”It takes twenty years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” W. Buffett
                   

                  We announced yesterday that some of our oldest Sonos products will be moving into a legacy mode in May of 2020. Our commitment is to support products with regular software updates for a minimum of five years after we stop selling them, and we have a track record of supporting products far longer. 

                  Here is some public information we’ve shared, gathered into one place to respond to some of your questions in one easy thread, so that people can find the correct information easily.

                  Beginning in May, software updates and new features from Sonos will only be delivered to systems with only modern products.

                  After May, systems that include legacy products will continue to work as before - but they will no longer receive software updates or new features. 

                  Sonos will work to maintain the existing experience and conduct bug fixes, but our efforts will ultimately be limited by the lack of memory and processing power of these legacy products.

                  We don’t expect any immediate impact to your experience, but access to services and overall functionality will eventually be disrupted, particularly as partners evolve their own services and features. 

                   

                  Customers with both legacy and modern products have time to decide what option is best for them. You can continue to use your whole system in legacy mode - in this case, it will stop receiving updates and new features. 

                  You will also be able to separate your legacy products from your modern products, so that the modern products can still receive updates and new features, and legacy products can still be used separately. We’ll have more information on how to do this in May when you can take that action.

                  Another option available to all customers with legacy products is to take advantage of the Trade Up program, which allows you to upgrade older Sonos products to modern ones with a 30% discount. Trade Up will be open to customers at any time should they decide to upgrade. 

                  We recognize this is new for Sonos owners, just as it is for Sonos. We are committed to help you by making options available to you to support the best decision for your home.
                   

                  If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate with asking.

                  Update 2/22: A message from our CEO

                  We heard you. We did not get this right from the start. My apologies for that and I wanted to personally assure you of the path forward:

                  First, rest assured that come May, when we end new software updates for our legacy products, they will continue to work as they do today. We are not bricking them, we are not forcing them into obsolescence, and we are not taking anything away. Many of you have invested heavily in your Sonos systems, and we intend to honor that investment for as long as possible. While legacy Sonos products won’t get new software features, we pledge to keep them updated with bug fixes and security patches for as long as possible. If we run into something core to the experience that can’t be addressed, we’ll work to offer an alternative solution and let you know about any changes you’ll see in your experience.

                  Secondly, we heard you on the issue of legacy products and modern products not being able to coexist in your home. We are working on a way to split your system so that modern products work together and get the latest features, while legacy products work together and remain in their current state. We’re finalizing details on this plan and will share more in the coming weeks.

                  While we have a lot of great products and features in the pipeline, we want our customers to upgrade to our latest and greatest products when they’re excited by what the new products offer, not because they feel forced to do so. That’s the intent of the trade up program we launched for our loyal customers.

                  Thank you for being a Sonos customer. Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. I hope that you’ll forgive our misstep, and let us earn back your trust. Without you, Sonos wouldn’t exist and we’ll work harder than ever to earn your loyalty every single day.

                  If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.

                   

                  Patrick Spence
                  CEO, Sonos

                  I’m fed up seeing these stupid moronic quotes by Ryan S and Patrick Spence, that keep popping up - when you’ve got something different, constructive and sensible to say that will actually resolve the crass situation you have created...piss off!

                  Translate
                    John_54
                    Trending Lyricist I
                    Jan 24, 2020 6:31 PM UTC

                    Waste of time to express my complete distain and feeling of betrayal after spending thousands on what will soon be garbage , but here it is. There’s nothing I can do but to hope the worst for Sonos as it gets pushed out by companies now producing better products at lower prices.

                    I sincerely hope that your company soon ends up in the same garbage heap as your products.

                    Shame. shame, shame on you.

                    Translate
                      Lomas
                      Lyricist III
                      Jan 24, 2020 6:33 PM UTC

                      Since this announcement a few days ago the share price has dropped 6.5%.

                      Thats a billion dollars wiped off the company value.  A fair few “trade ups” would need to be sold to recover that.

                      Hows about just going back to plan A and not treating your existing customer base like a cash cow adn expecting them to just suck it up that their home sound system which has been added to over the years is about to get ripped apart.


                      Good thing Nicholas Millington, Chief Product Officer, sold 30% of his shares on January 2nd for $500,000.00 before the share price started going down.  Shrewd trader that Nicholas :wink: .

                      http://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0001314727/5e4c0a01-abfa-4ea8-bf30-6a97f31fb24d.pdf

                      It’s probably already been asked, but isn’t that type of activity illegal? Knowing sh1t is about to happen and offloading your stock before the market knows??

                      Yes, it very much is.  If you are aware of information that is likely to have a significant impact on share price, and act upon that information before it is made public, it is insider trading.  Which is certainly illegal.

                      So it’s off to NASDAQ authorities then unless he’d like to pay for my upgrades...but that’s blackmail I guess...hmmmm who have I learnt that from??

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