Microsoft abandon Encarta

Microsoft has decided to do away with its Encarta software, which has suffered from competing against Wikipedia.

Microsoft has entered into several different markets since company formation in the mid-Eighties and its attempts with its encyclopaedia were a major part of its focus. However, after 15 years of life, Encarta is being killed off as of October this year.

This is a sign that Microsoft simply could not compete with Wikipedia, the free, user-created online encyclopaedia which receives 97% of online encyclopaedia traffic in the US. Encarta was the second most popular, but with only 1.27% of encyclopaedia visits, it was a distant second.

The statement announcing the discontinuation of Encarta made no reference to Wikipedia, but it would be naive to think that site’s popularity was not greatly influential in the decision. Microsoft instead made reference to people’s changing ways of consuming information, which may refer to the constantly updated nature of Wikipedia versus Encarta’s static and quickly dated content.

Shortly after the company’s formation, Bill Gates approached Encyclopaedia Britannica regarding a project to translate the book into a new media format. They rejected his approach and this inspired him to start Encarta in partnership with Funk and Wagnalls reference books. Now that project is at an end.

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