Microsoft to shutter its Ad Monetization platform for Universal Windows Platform apps

Microsoft is continuing to try to clear up its muddled UWP messaging and strategy.

Microsoft is continuing to try to undo its Universal Windows Platform (UWP) missteps. Its latest move on this front is the planned shutdown of the Microsoft Ad Monetization platform for UWP apps as of June 1, 2020. 

Microsoft's Ad Monetization platform is aimed at app developers, game studios, ad networks and marketing agencies who want to include and manage ads in their Windows apps.

Microsoft announced its plan to discontinue the Ad Monetization platform in a brief post on MSDN (which I saw via MSPoweruser.com).

"his decision was made primarily because it is no longer viable for us to continue operating the product at the current levels," says the company's announcement.

Developers using the platform will be paid using the regular payout schedule through May 31. Microsoft is advocating that UWP developers make a transition to another ad platform.

As Microsoft officials acknowledged publicly last year, Microsoft's original plan to try to convince developers to create Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps that would be updatable and distributable solely via the Microsoft Store failed to materialize. Many developers didn't see Windows -- growth of which is slowing -- as a platform for which it would be worth the time and effort to write new UWP apps and/or adapt their existing Win32 ones.

As I reported earlier this year, I have heard from my contacts that Microsoft is planning to close down at least two of its Windows 10 app stores: The Microsoft Store for Business and Microsoft Store for Education. I'm not sure if Microsoft also plans to phase out the Windows Store app for Windows 10, but it's future last I heard was "uncertain."

Microsoft's current positioning is Windows 10 apps don't need to be in the Store only, as the Microsoft Store is just one of many channels for app distribution.