This is a good reminder to all of us that any API key is just that: A key. A key to a lock you don't own and a lock that can be changed at any time.

This sort of thing isn't unique to the storage business. In the auto industry, they call it "decontenting":

http://www.autoweek.com/car-shopping/articles/2012/01/decont...

... but it works pretty much the same way: early models of a particular car, the ones that make that car's reputation, come loaded with all sorts of nice touches. Then as time passes the manufacturer slowly strips those touches out, replacing them with cheaper alternatives or just dropping them altogether. The price of the car stays the same, though, so the manufacturer gets to keep the difference as extra profit. (Or the price actually goes up, when the dropped features that used to be standard become optional add-ons instead.)

At least in that case they only make changes in a new model year. In the electronics industry substitutions are often made while retaining the the exact same SKU. So even savvy consumers have no way of knowing exactly what they are going to get. For example sellers of blank optical media will sometimes switch to a different supplier and the only way to tell is to check the MID after you have purchased them. Hard drive manufactures will will also switch to a totally different "cost reduced" design while retaining the same model number. Then there's the infamous panel lottery when buying a monitor from certain unscrupulous companies.

I'm mildly surprised there hasn't been a high profile class action lawsuit over these practices.

I'd be happy to answer any questions if you have any.