Streamers and bit rot.

That aside, any company that relies on software for the proper operation of their product - which basically covers almost all technology and consumer electronics manufacturers, would have to be very dumb to just count on the continuity of employment of their software developers to sustain a successful business model.

I'm not exactly sure what you are getting at. I don't mean that you have to be prepared for developers to leave. I mean that from a product development lifecycle, there isn't really enough work to keep developers in all areas fully employed, so as a result anyone who isn't Harman sized has to hire consultants. A change will require a new project.

So, either you are in constant product development, justifying developers or you are on a project by project basis, and have serious fees incurred each time.

Unlike, say, an amplifier, which you pay to design once, and then you pretty much run it for 10 years if you can, or 20.

The OP has a knack of over analyzing things...that’s all I am going to say. 

I use bluOS which is part of Lenbrook Group, which  might not be the size of Harmon I don't  know  but they do a good job of keeping  the app and OS updated.

Kalali 

As for updates, even a $500 Bluesound Node2/2i pushes updates to their devices regularly with no issues.

Yes, I have the 2i and when their is a new update I am notified when I go to the Bluesound OS on my cellphone, a quick download and I have the new software update. For those of us living in the sticks, not near any brick and mortar shops, is this generally how all the streamers work?

@erik_squires,  
Insightful observation.  It seems to me that all forms of digital playback are subject to early obsolescence.  CD players, DACs, and yes, streamers, become outdated much faster than amps, preamps, speakers, etc.   For those of us who are not in the "money is no object" class, it becomes a bit of a dance trying to figure out how and when to buy and sell digital equipment so as not to loose the value of our equipment by holding it too long.  In other words perhaps we should embrace the buy but don't marry mindset advocated by Kalali. 

I bought a Sony HAPZ1-ES in 2014 and promptly sent it to ModWright for modification. The Sony probably was at or near the beginning of streamer/server technology.  I bought it for and used it as a server, rarely using the streaming capability.  At this point, my perception is that it is most certainly obsolete as a streamer.  I have an extensive music library, which is not going away, so I just don't really care about that functionality being obsolete.  However, if I wanted to sell it, I'm not sure I would recover but a fraction of my investment, so I'm left holding one more Dinosaur that is way too good to just give away.  

I am considering purchase of a more up to date streamer/server and external DAC.  If and when I do buy, I will probably buy used, hold for a couple of years, and hopefully resell while there is still a reasonable market.   I expect that digital playback is going to continue to rapidly evolve and mature at a rapid pace for the foreseeable future.  It is just the nature of the beast