In two separate announcements wireless-transfer memory card pioneer Eye-Fi sold its Eye-Fi Cloud service to Ricoh and a week later flagged that earlier version cards would be effectively obsolete from September 16.
All cards prior to the current Mobi and Mobi Pro range – some of which were being sold via official sources as late as March last year, and are still available on eBay outlets – are for the chop.
Earlier cards need to access the Eye-Fi server to complete the transfer from a card to a device and Eye-Fi will be closing that link in September, claiming Eye-Fi 1.0 and X2 cards need to be phased out ‘due to outdated technology and security concerns, and support for them will end in September 2016.’
It appears that the hardware business – manufacture and distribution of Mobi Pro cards – will stay with Eye-Fi.
‘This unique blending of technology and expertise creates new opportunities to enhance value for our customers,’ Ricoh wrote to Eye-Fi Cloud users, noting that the Eye-Fi Cloud team would transfer over to Ricoh.
The Eye-Fi Cloud service was launched in April 2014. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Eye-Fi Cloud allows photographers to sync and back up photos via the Eye-Fi website to PCs, Macs, tablets, and phones. Existing Eye-Fi Cloud users will not experience any service interruption with the change of ownership.
‘All Eye-Fi Mobi and Mobi Pro card users…will receive 100 percent identical Eye-Fi Cloud support under Ricoh’s ownership,’ Eyefi CEO Matt DiMaria told Photo District News.
Products impacted include all original X1 products (Original, Home, Share, Video, Pro), 4GB Geo and Connect X2 cards, 8GB Explore, Mobile and Pro Eye-Fi cards, 16GB Pro X2 cards Visioneer X2 and Sandisk X2 cards. Support will also be terminated for the Eye-Fi 1.0 Windows and Macintosh desktop software as well as iOS, Android and Web applications.
Eye-Fi advised that ‘users of these products should move to Mobi or Mobi Pro versions of the cards and migrate existing Eye-Fi data from the affected cards to Eye-Fi Cloud to ensure it remains accessible.’
Full details of products affected and instructions for migrating data can be found at http://x2migration.eyefi.com/hc/en-us/categories/202767868-EF-1-0-X1-X2-End-of-Life-Information
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