A staple of the Google Workspace suite of apps since 2017, Jamboard has served as an invaluable tool to offices and schools alike. In September 2023, however, Google quietly announced that it would begin to end support for the Jamboard digital whiteboard, the app’s corresponding hardware. The software will be discontinued on October 1, 2024, and all ‘Jam Data’ will be deleted after December 31. Google’s official statement points to advancements in competing products as their motivation for this decision. They will be partnering with these competitors to help consumers transfer Jam files to similar apps. These alternatives include FigJam, Lucidspark, and Miro; although Google notes that exported Jam files “may not be 100% editable” in new technology. While coming as a shock and inconvenience to many users, this is only the most recent development in a larger pattern of Google terminating dependable products before their time.
Launched in 2006 as Google Apps for Your Domain, Google Workspace (also formerly known as G Suite) has been massively successful. The platform has dominated the productivity software market for years. Its various apps have over 3 billion users, a major contrast to the 270 million of Microsoft Office 365. The software central to the success of the online office suite includes Google Drive and its various applications (Docs, Sheets, etc.), Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Meet. Though, over the past 18 years Google has launched and scrapped countless other products. In 2011, Google+ was introduced as a form of social media that could be linked to G Suite accounts. It was the successor of a previous social network attempt called Google Buzz; the successor to Google Wave. After an onslaught of controversies, Google+ was shut down in 2019 while its corresponding (and more popular) IM platform, Google Hangouts, stayed active. This condition lasted until users were transferred to the newer networking apps such as Google Meet and Google Chat between 2020 and 2022. Additionally, there were not one but two ‘Google Currents’ apps: one that provided access to magazine articles before becoming defunct in 2013 and one that acted as a tool for communication within enterprises until its demise in 2023. Google Duo, Grasshopper, Inbox by Gmail; the list goes on. A 2022 Forbes article proposes that the company has repeatedly ‘killed off’ profitable products because they weren’t expected to hold a dominant market position.
Nevertheless, Google’s legal troubles may be to blame for recent instances of app discontinuation. The tech giant is currently facing a whopping four lawsuits for violating both American and European antitrust laws along with allegedly abusing its power over ad displays. This isn’t necessarily unexpected, as the corporation has long faced accusations of holding a monopoly over the search engine industry. It’s possible that by allowing competitor brands to take over a, albeit very niche, portion of the software market, Google is trying to showcase its willingness to foster competition. The company may also be attempting to streamline its offered services and focus on updating the key products of its app suite that hold the largest user bases.
In light of these circumstances, the question remains: will Jamboard be missed? Google cites user feedback as a reason for Jamboard’s discontinuation; while its faithful users favor its 20-slide simplicity, many others prefer alternative platforms with expansive features, easier collaboration with large groups, and infinite templates. It could be that this shut-down signals the downfall of the Google Workspace, but perhaps it is simply time for Jamboard to be laid to rest. Only time, and the future performance of Google’s core products, will tell.
