It should come as no surprise Dash Express network service would ultimately be terminated. In fact, I’m impressed that it’s been active this long given hardware discontinuation (11/08) and the RIM acquisition (6/09) in years past. However, we’ve nearly reached the end of the road — June 30th will be the last day Dash GPS owners will be able to access online services including traffic, Yahoo Local Search, and Send2Car.
As a refresher, Dash was notable as the first Internet-connected PND (via GSM service). It may have been large and had kinks to be worked out, but the Express provided all sorts of new, innovative mobile functionality. And I admired their audacity in taking on the establishment. Yet the world has dramatically changed since Dash was first conceived. And many of us now navigate via our (connected) smartphones. Which is probably why RIM, the Blackberry people, picked up Dash (for a song).
The Dash story is also partially my own – having been employed about 6 months when the powers that be pulled the plug on hardware and a large percent of the staff. Obviously it wasn’t the outcome I had hoped for or anticipated. And not a decision I agreed with. Sadly, due to the nature of things, it’s not appropriate to elaborate any further. Unless we’re chatting in person over a beer. ;)
Email to customers:
Dear XXXXXX,
We will be discontinuing service and support of the Dash Express product effective June 30, 2010, no new month to month subscriptions will be sold after today (May 24, 2010). Your loyalty to our product for the last few years is truly valued and appreciated.
We will issue prorated refunds to customers with an outstanding balance on their remaining pre-paid subscription. Our month-to-month subscribers will simply see their service expire automatically on June 30, 2010.
In order for us to process your refund, we will need you to verify/enter your mailing address here
We thank you for your support of the Dash Express product.
Sincerely,
Team Dash
Followup in the private Dash forums:
Today we announced to all of our active subscribers that we we will discontinue our service effective June 30th, 2010.
As many of you know, we stopped selling and manufacturing the Dash Express product in November of 2008. We maintained our existing traffic and connected features since that time to honor our existing customer base.
What this means to you on July 1st, 2010:
Your device will continue to operate as a stand-alone GPS device (you can navigate to an address)
You will no longer have any connected features (Tru Traffic, Yahoo! Local search, Send 2 Car, Dash Apps, etc)Again, we thank you for support of the Dash Express product.
Team Dash