Three months ago, we reported that Microsoft had put up a notice on the Microsoft TechRewards site that the program would be closing today. Sure enough, the developer rewards program to earn badges and complete achievements has officially been shut down.
The program had first launched in 2012 as DVLUP with a focus on Windows Phone developers through Nokia. In 2015, it was redubbed the Microsoft TechRewards with deeper integration and more resources from the tech giant. Members received experience points, took part in challenges, and completed quizzes to redeem for prizes from the catalog. As of today, they can no longer redeem their leftover points.
According to Neowin, an email was released to notify participants of the end of Tech Rewards. Towards the end, they included a list of other programs, intent to still encourage developers for Microsoft related applications.
We believe other Microsoft Programs, listed below, more closely associated with products and services can best support users in their technical journey.
- Channel 9 brings forward the people behind Microsoft Products and connects them with those who use them.
- Microsoft Virtual Academy provides free online IT, Developer, and Data Science training by world-class experts to help you build your skills and advance your career.
- Visual Studio Dev Essentials has everything you need to build and deploy your app on any platform.
- IT Pro Cloud Essentials is a free annual subscription which includes cloud services, education, and support benefits.
Even though Microsoft is still hoping to woo developers towards their products, they haven’t really given any official statement on why they decided to close TechRewards in the first place.