Monday, March 30, 2009

Microsoft To Shutter Encarta

Microsoft Corp. is shuttering its encyclopedia service, Encarta, saying in a notice on its web site that it will discontinue its Encarta web sites on October 31, 2009. According to Microsoft, the shutdown of the online services comes in conjunction with the discontinuation of Microsoft Student and Encarta Premium, the firm's two software-based encyclopedias. Microsoft said the shutdown came because "People today seek and consume information in considerably different ways than in years past." Microsoft said it would pull its Encarta products by June of 2009.