Flip Video Unit Closed by Parent Company Cisco

About 18 months ago I was invited by the good folks at Curve Dental to take a look at their (back then) fairly new software. As a gift for spending some time with them, the company gave me an orange Flip video camera complete with the Curve logo emblazoned on it. At that point in time I'd seen & heard of Flip, but i'd never gotten my hands on one.

I was amazed at how easy the device was to use and how easy it was to carry. It was small, affordable, and easy to work with. Getting video off the thing and onto the web was almost easier than getting the video on it to begin with.

Before long I was seeing Flip cameras all over the place. The HD was "good enough" and it made getting video memories easy. The design including usage, the built-in USB plug, and the form factor made owning and using one a no brainer. You charged them directly off the USB connection to your computer which meant all you needed on the trip was your computer & the camera; no cables for transfer or battery charging,

I'm still carrying mine. It's almost always in a pocket of my Scottevest attire or in my Gendex messenger bag. It's almost always within an arm's length from me.

Now comes word from Cisco, the parent company of Flip, that they are ceasing production & shutting down the company. I find that incredibly interesting considering that Flip was purchased by Cisco 2 years ago for $590 million. In fact, here is part of the press release from the day the deal was announced back in 2009:

"The acquisition of Pure Digital is key to Cisco's strategy to expand our momentum in the media-enabled home and to capture the consumer market transition to visual networking," said Ned Hooper, senior vice president of Cisco's Corporate Development and Consumer Groups. "Pure Digital has revolutionized the way people capture and share video with Flip Video. This acquisition will take Cisco's consumer business to the next level as the company develops new video capabilities and drives the next generation of entertainment and communication experiences."

So... while I'm sure that Cisco probably has some good business reasons for shelving Flip, I'm certainly going to miss them. Frequently when a technology fails, you can understand why. This is one of those times when I just don't get it. I'll continue to use my Flip until it dies and I may just buy another as a backup... just in case.