Logitech officially stop production of its Harmony remotes

 Logitech said on Friday it was shutting down its Harmony universal remotes, ending years of speculation that the devices were on the way out. Current stock models will be available while still in use, and the company says it will continue to provide support and provision for the Harmony remote control "as long as customers use it."

"While Harmony's remote locations continue to be available to various retailers, Logitech's advancement will no longer be able to make computers at Harmony," according to a blog post on Logitech's support page. “We expect that our customers will not be affected by this announcement. We plan to support our Harmony community and new Harmony customers, including access to our software and apps to set up and manage your remote controls. We plan to continue to update the platform and add devices to our Harmony database. Customer support and warranty will continue to be provided. ”

Logitech acquired Intrigue Technologies, the real maker of Harmony's remote control, back in 2004. Harmony remote controls were popular with consumers who wanted a single controller — cable, gaming console, and streaming devices. Some newer models can also be used with smart home devices.

Logitech's business has flourished during the coronavirus epidemic as people were working and studying at home; in January, the company reported that its third-quarter sales had risen 85 percent a year to $ 1.67 billion, enough to explode in its first Super Bowl sale.

But with the increase in broadcasting services over the past few years, general remotes are no longer as important as before. Logitech chief executive Bracken Darrell told The Verge in 2019 that Harmony was a small business of the company; He said the remote business was almost six percent the size of the Logitech keyboard business, for example.

“I think over time, you’ll have fewer and fewer people who feel like they really need that far away,” Darrell said at the time. He also added that the company has pleased Harmony hardcore users who like this device: “It is not uncommon for users to like something as many of our Harmony users do. We will always take care of them because we firmly believe that is part of the product commitment, ”Darrell told The Verge. “So we love Harmony for that reason. How long it will be there, I do not know. ”