UDDI prescribes a specification for setting up directories of Web services for both public and within-the-firewall usage. Questions have long been raised about its success, and the move by the three vendors would at face value appear to bear out the negative reviews. But the shutdown is not being positioned this way.

Microsoft notes that the project, announced in September 2000, was intended to prove the interoperability and "robustness" of the UDDI Web services registry specification, according to a Microsoft FAQ about the shutdown. "This goal was met and far exceeded. The UBR ran for five years, demonstrating live, industrial strength UDDI implementations managing over 50,000 replicated entries.

"The practical demonstration provided by the UBR helped in the ratification of UDDI specifications, as OASIS standards and several software vendors now include UDDI support as a key feature in their software products," Microsoft wrote.

Information currently in the registry will be handled "in accordance with the terms of the individual registry to which the information was provided," according to Microsoft.

"Publication to the sites will be disabled as of January 12, 2006, and no new information will be accepted," the company said.