Technology giants are being hit hard by a difficult economy. Companies are reassessing their business strategies and priorities as a result of economic headwinds. This has led to companies closing down or exiting businesses that do not serve their core purpose or achieving the desired results. These companies include Google, Amazon, Facebook-parent Meta, and Microsoft. Some of the services that are closing down include those that were launched as recently as 2020. In the coming months, 7 of the services that will be closing down are Google, Facebook and Microsoft.

Google will shut down IoT Core Service

Google Cloud announced recently that it will be closing down its IoT Core service. This information was shared via Google IoT Core’s web page, and the company sent emails to customers. Google spokesperson stated, “Since launching IoT Core it has become evident that our customers’ requirements could be better served through our network of partners who specialise in IoT apps and services.”

Google IoT Core was launched in 2017 and allows you to connect, manage, ingest, and monitor data from millions. After publishing a set APIs for enterprise applications services, Google announced that the IoT service would be shut down. While the service will be available until 2023, no new users are allowed to join.

Amazon closes Amazon Care

Amazon will close its Amazon Care service at the end of 2012. Amazon Care was initially launched as an internal health-care service for employees. Amazon is the US’s largest private employer. Amazon confirmed the decision. In an email to employees, Neil Lindsay, Amazon’s senior vice president of healthcare, stated that the decision was not taken lightly and took many months of careful consideration. The email states that while Amazon Care is loved by many of its members, it’s not comprehensive enough to meet the needs of large enterprises customers, which was why it wasn’t going long-term.

Facebook will shut down its gaming app standalone

The Facebook Gaming app will be shut down on October 28, 2022 by Facebook, almost two years after it was launched (April 2020). After that date, users will see a banner that informs them that the app is no longer available on Apple iOS or Google Android. The app will also not be available in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

The notice states that “despite this news, our mission is to connect players, creators, and fans with the games they love hasn’t changed.” “We would like to thank you all for your efforts to create a vibrant community for gamers and fans ever since the app was launched.”

Microsoft will close ‘Olympia Corp, Windows Insider version designed for businesses’

Microsoft has notified its “Olympia Corp” test lab for Windows Enterprise users that it is closing down the program. Microsoft created the Olympia program as a “Windows Insider Lab for Enterprise” in 2017. It was intended to encourage Windows 10 Insiders for enterprise testers, to test out its new business-centric features. The lab was renamed “Olympia Corp” in 2018. Microsoft sent an email to participants to inform them of the change.

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“Hi Olympia participants, we are sending you this email to inform you that the Olympia program will be officially closed down in one month. We will not assign Olympia licences to anyone and delete the Olympia feedback track. Users are asked to backup any data they use with the Olympia licenses within the next 30 day, before September 12, 2022.

Microsoft closes Kaizala chat app “made for India”

Microsoft plans to end its group-messaging service Kaizala, which is “made for India”, on August 31, next year. ZDNet reports that access and support for the service will cease after this date. Existing Kaizala customers can continue to use the service until then. However, new Kaizala users won’t be able to log on to Kaizala. Instead, they will be able access Teams to chat, meetings, and calling.

The app was launched in India in 2017 and is designed to facilitate large group communication and work management. The company also launched “Kaizala Pro” in India. This enterprise version allows organizations to take full control of their groups and is available at a price of Rs 130 per month.

Facebook closes down dating app, Tuned

Tuned, the social app for couples by Facebook parent Meta, will be closing on September 19. Users have been receiving notifications about the impending shutdown since it was launched almost two years ago. They were asked to download their data prior to this date.

Meta said on a splash page this week that she was grateful for the community’s creativity and feedback. We have learned so much from your contributions. We hope that this has helped to strengthen your relationships just as much as it did for us with our partners. It’s now time to apply the digital lessons learned to our lives.

Tuned was launched during the 2020 pandemic. It aimed to allow couples to share notes, photos, videos, voice messages and lists via a Spotify integration.

Facebook will close its Live Shopping Service

The Live Shopping service is another Facebook service that will be shutting down. Facebook parent wants to concentrate its efforts on Reels, its short video platform, so it has decided to end its Live Shopping service. Facebook announced that it will not be able “to host any new or scheduled live Shopping Events on Facebook” as per its business help page. It added that “As consumers shift to short-form videos, we are shifting focus to Reels and Instagram, Meta’s short-form product,”