Microsoft pulls plug on Encarta

Microsoft has announced that it will discontinue MSN Encarta, its online encyclopedia, as well as its Encarta software package.

In a message posted on the MSN Encarta website, Microsoft acknowledged there had been significant changes since Encarta was launched.

"The category of traditional encyclopedias and reference material has changed. People today seek and consume information in considerably different ways than in years past," Microsoft said.

Although Microsoft didn't specifically mention Wikipedia, Encarta has suffered as free collaborative websites, such as Wikipedia and Google's Knol, have become more popular.

Encarta offered both a subscription model and limited selection of professionally edited content for free. However, the Encarta's offering paled in comparison to Wikipedia, which offers 2.7 million articles in English.

Google's Knol, also a user generated service, has more than 100,000. Encarta has 62,000 entries.

Mathias Schindler, an administrator of German Wikipedia, said he had already sent an email to Microsoft asking the company to release the material from Encarta that it doesn’t plan to use anymore.

Encarta began as pet project of Bill Gates in the mid-eighties. Encarta subscribers are advised to visit the MSN site for any questions they may have regarding subscriptions.