LogMeIn Free Remote Access Service Killed

LogMeIn (LOGM) will end its LogMeIn Free remote control service, the company announced in a blog post today.  Here are the details.

LogMeIn told customers that use the free service that their remote access machines will remain available for seven days from first login after January 21. After that the Free account will no longer be available. Pricing information for a Pro subscription will be provided to LogMeIn Free customers privately via email and in-product account messages.

LogMeIn Free Alternatives for Remote Access, Remote Control

LogMeIn said users who paid for the Ignition app for iOS or Android (priced at $29.99) will receive a special offer regarding what it is calling an account-level subscription to LogMeIn Pro.

LogMeIn’s actions today follow on last year’s effort by LogMeIn to limit the free service to those supporting 10 or fewer  desktops. Last year the company encouraged those who supported larger numbers of desktops to sign up for LogMeIn Central at a discounted price of $199 per year. Following the change last year, LogMeIn CEO Michael Simon told analysts during a quarterly earnings conference call that its “next-gen RMM business” was exceeding expectations for the quarter largely due to a business model change designed to convert users of the free product line into paying users, according to the transcript of the call posted at SeekingAlpha.com

In its announcement and FAQ posted today regarding the discontinuation of the Free version, LogMeIn said that that LogMeIn Central would remain available.

LogMeIn has offered a limited free version of its product since the company launched in 2003, pioneering the idea of Freemium services. Does today’s news mark the beginning of the end of freemium strategies? We’ll be watching.

Meanwhile, LogMeIn continues to gain momentum in the managed services space, recently announcing an expanded relationship with remote monitoring and management technology provider Continuum and a new channel program for MSPs and VARs.