WebProNews

Microsoft's adCenter Analytics has not yet left beta, and it appears that it will not ever do so. The company announced today that the program will be shut down at the end of the year.

Technically, it's already been closed, but current users will still be able to access it through December 31st. Email support will last until this date as well. Mel Carson at the adCenter Blog offers the following message to users:

Our team would like to sincerely thank you for your participation and your invaluable contributions to the program. Our objectives at the outset were to serve the needs of small and midsize self-service customers, as well as evolve the Microsoft strategy to address the Web analytics space.

The insights you’ve contributed through your feedback and your use of the tool have served an invaluable purpose in shaping Microsoft’s future in this space. You’ve helped us work towards making an informed decision about building a general Web analytics solution, and despite the end of life plan, the beta was very much a success.

Microsoft is good enough to point users to alternative web analytics solutions including even Google and Yahoo in the list. They do, however note that they don't endorse any of the listed alternatives.

Users are directed to save their historical data by using the export to download your reports feature in adCenter Analytics. Again, they have until the end of the year to do so.