Microsoft Kills adAnalytics (a.k.a., Gatineau)

Like the month of March, software vendors will go into markets like a lion and out like a lamb. Such was the case with Microsoft's longtime adAnalytics project (originally codenamed "Gatineau") to deliver hosted Web analytics.

The adAnalytics beta service originally launched with great expectations of duking it out with Google Analytics -- only to be quietly shelved earlier this month. (Current customers will receive support through the end of this year.) While Redmond didn't give an official reason, it's apparent it couldn't find a really big following for the solution. Indeed the lack of response to a feedback request on the adAnalytics blog back in July makes you wonder whether adAnalytics garnered much of a clientele.Given Microsoft's weight and ambition to challenge Google, as well as Yahoo's evident potential in this space, I'm surprised that adAnalytics remained such a non-factor in the Web analytics space. If you have theories, feel free to comment below.

Perhaps adAnalytics will be best remembered for its ability to provide a limited amount of demographic data on about 25% of users based on MS Passport Live IDs -- an intriguing concept, but not complete enough to draw any meaningful conclusions about your site traffic.

While it may be entertaining to speculate on whether Micosoft will pursue the analytics game going forward, I'm not sure there's enough business value for Redmond here. Sure, companies such as Omniture, Coremetrics and WebTrends are all possible acquisition candidates, but if it's data that they want, Redmond can get that through the rest of its Web and PC-based applications and services.

Just goes to show you: big vendors kill products and services just as freely -- if not more frequently -- than small vendors. Plan contingencies accordingly.Like the month of March, software vendors often will go in like a lion and out like a lamb. Such was the case with Microsoft's adAnalytics project (originally codenamed "Gatineau"). The beta launched with great expectations of duking it out with Google Analytics -- only to be quietly shelved earlier this month.