Wikipedia brings end of Encarta

 

Gallery

By Stuart Turton

Posted on 31 Mar 2009 at 10:32

Microsoft has confirmed that it's pulling the plug on its Encarta encyclopaedia software, as Wikipedia continues to dominate the online reference market.

In a message on the Encarta website, Microsoft tacitly admits that Wikipedia has pulled the rug on its once popular product: "Encarta has been a popular product around the world for many years. However, the category of traditional encyclopaedias and reference material has changed. People today seek and consume information in considerably different ways than in years past."

This claim is borne out by figures from Hitwise which reveal that Wikipedia currently offers around 2.7 million English language entries. In contrast, Encarta offers only 42,000.

Microsoft says the websites will be closed by 31 October, with the exception of Encarta Japan, which will survive until the end of December.

The Student and Encarta Premium software will disappear from the shelves by June 2009.