Om Malek reports that Akimbo will be killing their hardware line and that current customers will given three months of free service before it’s turned off. Guess what I won’t bother reviewing this month (see above).
In lieu of set-top box services, Akimbo will focus on their software and web products going forward. Akimbo has offered Windows MCE support for some time (though also discontinued) and recently introduced a XP/Vista VOD software client in collaboration with Roxio. They will continue to license their interface and content to AT&T Homezone and seek out additional partners. And that’s probably the key to real money and their survival.
This move doesn’t really surprise me. Akimbo had the unfortunate luxury of being a little too early to the party and without a notable retail presence. But what really hurt them in finding a large customer base (and likely Moviebeam now and Vudu later) is the pricing scheme. Akimbo charged upfront for hardware, in addition to a monthly service fee, plus fees for premiere content. Ouch.