A few months ago, Microsoft announced that it was shuttering its TechRewards program in 2017. The project, that was originally started by Nokia under the name DVLUP rewards program, aimed to reward developers with badges, XP, gift cards and other prizes for developing or incorporating new features in their apps. When Microsoft acquired Nokia"s devices and services division back in 2014, the program was rebranded to Microsoft TechRewards.
Today, Microsoft has formally shut down the TechRewards program.
In an email today, the company has informed members of the program that it has been officially closed. In order to aid the affected developers, Microsoft states that:
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.
The reason behind the axing of the program was never officially revealed by Microsoft. The company had already cautioned that any unspent Points received from the program would not be redeemable once the program shuts down. Microsoft has urged members to contact its Support Team in case of any queries.