Microsoft has killed off Windows Marketplace. This has also been the case of a variety of Microsoft online services the Windows Marketplace was overlapping with the newly introduced Microsoft Store. In a veritable “out with the old, in with the new” move, the software giant chose to scrape Windows Marketplace altogether in order to breath life into Microsoft Store.

Users visiting the Windows Marketplace website will now be welcomed by a message designed to point them to the Microsoft Store, where they can buy the company's software products. In North America, Microsoft Store is available in the U.S., while in Europe the online retail spot can be accessed from Germany, France, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

“Windows Marketplace has transitioned from an ecommerce site to a reference site. You will find links to sites such as Microsoft Store, Windows Vista Compatibility Center, and other destinations with cool and compatible software, hardware, and devices that support Microsoft platforms,” the company informed.

Along with the Windows Marketplace, Microsoft is also discontinuing the Digital Locker service. However, users will have some time at their disposal in order to find another repository for the contents stored in the this service. According to Microsoft, Digital Locker will remain active and available until August 2009.

By the second half of the next year users will continue to be able to access product keys, as well as download software products they purchased via Windows Marketplace. The Digital Locker will be killed in August 2009, with the Redmond company indicating that it will not transition the service to Microsoft Store.

“During this time we will send emails and web communications to help customers transition from Digital Locker. By the end of August 2009, Digital Locker service will be shut down. Digital locker account holders should retrieve and record elsewhere their software keys from Digital Locker, before this shutdown occurs,” the software giant stated.