Microsoft Closing Books Forever on Encarta

[Guest]

Wikipedia, with a 97% share of the online encyclopedia market, has forced Microsoft to shut down Encarta. How long will it be before Wikipedia claims the prize scalp of Encyclopaedia Britannica?

Encyclopaedia Britannica did not think that an open source product like Wikipedia would significantly challenge the credibility of its brand. They were dead wrong and Encyclopaedia Britannica's staff seriously misread the global market. They are now very concerned about the widespread use of a free Wikipedia vs their paid subscription model. From a corporate and financial perspective, Encyclopaedia Britannica is in significant trouble.

It will be interesting to see if Encyclopaedia Britannica survives, but recent indications do not look good. It is the combination of a) the success of Wikipedia and b) improved search engines that has put financial pressure on Encyclopedia Britannica over recent years. Many libraries, schools & individuals are questioning the need to pay for sets of expensive books, or to subscribe to Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, when the content is free on the internet, and much more comprehensive.

 

[misnad]

I remember having the Encarta '97 discs... It was fun going through that wealth of information with the videos, slideshows, massive descriptions, etc. True there is Wikipedia and it is heavily used, even by me, but the problem there is that the content is up to the public to edit plus it isn't all that rich in detail as Encarta was... Hmmm although I haven't used it in a while, I will be missing Encarta...