Cisco says goodbye to Flip Video – Sad news for qualitative
Cisco announces closure of Flip Video business, leaving qualitative researchers without their go-to product for video self-ethnography.
Cisco announced on April 12 that they will shut down their Flip Video business. While this may be a good thing for their business model, it’s a sad day for those of us who loved sending the cameras out to participants to record snippets of their lives. With free shipping from online suppliers, nothing could have been easier. Simple, elegant design and ease of use meant these could be sent to virtually anyone: I had senior citizens recording themselves at ATM machines for one project, having a great time!
Now that video is built into so many handhelds, we will just have to recruit for that. But it will not be as easy, or as charming.
Having a single camera and format also simplified the process of managing the videos, and made it easier to help anyone having trouble.
I even use my FLIP to record individual highlights at face-to-face events — so much better than the ceiling mounted camera, but still not as intimidating as having a big camera in the room.
I guess we’ll cope, but it was sure fun while it lasted.
Cisco’s announcement is here: Cisco Restructures Consumer Business.
About Susan Abbott
Susan Abbott is a qualitative researcher with a passion for insight-led innovation. Prior to leading Abbott Research + Consulting, Susan was a vice-president of TD Bank Financial Group. She has an MBA from Ivey Business School, holds the CMRP research designation, and frequently speaks and writes on topics related to qualitative research, customer experience, and finding insight. She also publishes the CustomerCrossroads blog. In addition to her work on the Board of Directors of QRCA, Susan is active in the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. In her free time, she paints, canoes, and rides a Dragon Red Vespa. She can be reached at susan@abbottresearch.com.
John Williamson says:
April 13th, 2011 at 12:20 pm
Hi Susan,
Not to worry! Actually the Flip was the pioneer, however the fact is that competitive pressure from countless flip-style manufacturers has made this market a boon for consumers and market researchers alike. In fact we stopped shipping the Cisco version long ago in favor of cams that had better video quality, even easier to use, and a whole lot cheaper. Today we ship hundreds of cams each month and the overall experience just keeps getting better.
To your point, we are also seeing significant increases in mobile phones armed with video. These devices – to the consumer – are even easier to use given their familiarity with their own device – and our app is free and a breeze to use. Plus the video quality is outstanding.
So while Cisco is saying goodbye, the qualitative research is saying a big ol’ HELLO to a new range of very powerful mobile video options, and smartphones are coming on fast. The original Flip, while iconic, was just the beginning.
John
Susan A says:
April 13th, 2011 at 3:06 pm
Hi John -
Okay, I’ll stop my pouting.
What’s YOUR go-to product for consumer video? I see lots online, but I bet readers here would love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for commenting!
Beth Keats says:
July 11th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
Hi John – i am looking for a small handheld video tool to be used by youth at a remote camp with no power in the Canadian north. I was looking at the flip, but wondering about what else is out there with better memory storage (Sd cards?) and battery life (replaceable batteries). Any suggestions?
Thanks
Beth
Susan Abbott says:
July 12th, 2011 at 3:22 pm
Hi Beth -
you might want to post this in the QRCA LinkedIn Group as well, there are a lot of video users in that group that might be able to help. Sounds like a fun project!
The QRCA LinkedIn discussion is here: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2209925&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr
You could also ask this question on Focus.com, you might get some good response there also.