Google Jamboard
Google Jamboard was a $4,999 interactive digital whiteboard launched in 2017.[1] In September 2023, Google announced in that Google Jamboard would have its primary features disabled by October 2024 and all user data permanently deleted by December 2024.[2]
| Basic Information | |
|---|---|
| Release Year | 2016 |
| Product Type | Educational Technology(ed-tech) |
| In Production | No |
| Official Website | https://support.google.com/jamboard/answer/14084927 |
Consumer-impact summary edit
Freedom edit
According to the Jamboard hardware agreement, "Google is under no obligation to provide Customer with Hardware, Hardware replacement, Hardware updates, or Hardware support under this Agreement."[3] Users are prohibited from the following actions: "adapt, alter, modify, decompile, translate, disassemble, or reverse engineer the Service and/or the Hardware".[3]
Privacy edit
Jamboard utilized the same privacy policy as all Google services in Google Drive, which states "we will not use a Private document for marketing or promotional campaigns" and "we will not change a Private document into a Public one."[4]
Business model edit
Google received revenue from the upfront sale of the Jamboard whiteboards alongside Workspace (previously G-Suite) subscriptions from educational and business establishments.[5]
Market control edit
Google Jamboard did not occupy a dominant position in the market.[citation needed] Other brands of smart white boards include Microsoft's Surface Hub, and Avocor's Series One Board and Deck.[6] On the software side, there is FigJam, Lucidspark, and Miro.[6]
Incidents edit
Remote deactivation & forced obsolescence edit
Main article: Google Jamboard shutdown
On September 28, 2023, Google announced the complete shutdown of Jamboard. They created a timeline that would disable all cloud features by October 1, 2024 and permanently delete all user data by December 31, 2024.[7] This decision affected many organizations that paid $4,999 per device plus $600 annual management fees. Educational institutions were particularly impacted, as the deactivation affected curriculum they had built around the platform.[8]
The shutdown converted devices into "unlicensed mode" where they could not save content, use Google Meet, or use any cloud-connected functions. After December 31, 2024, the devices lost about 90% of their capabilities, functioning only as basic HDMI displays.[2]
Data loss & forced migration edit
Google's shutdown included permanent deletion of all user-created content ("Jams") on December 31, 2024, forcing organizations to manually export years of collaborative work. The company offered only "best-effort" PDF conversion, with users reporting blank PDFs and loss of interactive elements.[9]
Educational institutions reported losing hundreds of lesson plans integrated into their teaching workflows, with one Change.org petition gathering 498 supporters highlighting the impact on "youngest English language learners" and COVID-era remote learning materials.[10] The forced migration to alternative platforms like FigJam, Miro, or Lucidspark required additional investments of more than $7,000 per replacement when including new hardware, software subscriptions, and implementation costs.
Lack of compensation for hardware purchasers edit
Despite the very large up-front financial investment by customers, Google offered zero hardware compensation for non-educational buyers who purchased the devices. Educational institutions received only vague promises of compensation "on a partner-by-partner basis" without specific details.[6] [more info needed: what, if anything, did schools typically receive?]
The devices cannot run alternative software due to locked bootloaders and proprietary firmware, making them permanently obsolete once Google's servers shut down. A group of tech-savvy individuals on the XDA-developers forum ported lineageOS to the devices to give them increased functionality. [11] Factory resets prompt users to enter activation codes that cannot be obtained.
See also edit
References edit
- ↑ Kastrenakes, Jacob (2017-05-23). "Google made a $5,000 whiteboard — and it's weirdly fun". The Verge. Archived from the original on 2025-04-28. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Google Jamboard is winding down". Google Support. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Jamboard Hardware Agreement". Google Workspace. Archived from the original on 2025-06-15. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
- ↑ "Google Drive Terms of Service". Google Drive. 2020-03-31. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
- ↑ Edwards, Luke (2024-09-09). "Using Google Jamboard Before It Is Shut Down in 2025". Tech Learning. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "The next phase of digital whiteboarding for Google Workspace". Google Workspace Updates. 2023-09-28.
- ↑ "Google shutting down Jamboard, offering transition to other whiteboard apps". 9to5Google. 2023-09-28.
- ↑ BeauHD (2023-09-29). "$5,000 Google Jamboard Dies In 2024 -- Cloud-Based Apps Will Stop Working, Too". Slashdot.
- ↑ "Export your jams". Google Support. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
- ↑ "Petition · Save Jamboard". Change.org.
- ↑ npjohnson (2025-08-21). "[UNOFFICIAL] LineageOS 22 for the Google Jamboard - WIP | XDA Forums". XDA-Forums. Retrieved 2025-09-01.