Smartparts Shutting Down

Written on Mar 30, 2009 by Brian and filed under News, Smartparts

In a somewhat sad move, Smartparts is ceasing operations. Smartparts was definitely a second tier manufacturer of digital picture frames, but they had a lot going for them. We liked their latest wireless offering and thought their large-screen digital frames at CES looked good. But in a statement from the company, “the economy” has taken another victim.

The problem with Smartparts, the way we see it, is their product line was too confusing and they couldn’t get retail penetration. The product line issue is a big problem and could partly be blamed for lack of retail interest. It’s down right confusing for consumers to be comparing products and be presented with a company like Smartparts that offers over 25 current digital picture frames. The differentiation between them is so small in many cases that it’s simply not clear.

While we liked their 8″ wireless model, it’s difficult for something like that to stand out not only in a crowd, but in the Smartparts product lineup. It didn’t help that their website was difficult to navigate and their off product naming scheme probably did some damage too. All in all, we’re sad to see them go, but if maybe some good will come out of it. The industry has to find a way to regroup, simplify and remember how to offer innovative products.

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