Microsoft is ‘killing’ this product, here’s why – Times of India

Back in 2017, Microsoft announced that it won’t be making Kinect, a device that came with a depth camera and microphone. Two years later, the company introduced Azure Kinect Developer Kit. And now the company has discontinued that as well. According to a company blog post, the Azure Kinect Developer Kit is being ‘killed’. “We have made the decision to end production of Azure Kinect Developer Kit, but this is far from the end of this technology as it will continue to be available through our partner ecosystem,” said company executive Swati Mehta.
While Microsoft is doing away with Kinect, it is offering certain options to developers who want a similar gadget. “If you are an existing user of Azure Kinect Developer Kit or are planning to use it for your application, you can continue to do so without disruption. The Azure Kinect Developer Kit SDK (software development kit) will continue to be available for download,” said Mehta in the blog post.
Buyers can also purchase additional devices until the end of October or until supplies last. “If you are looking for a long-term solution or need to customise the hardware for your specific needs, we encourage you to explore the offerings from our partners,” Mehta said.
What options is Microsoft offering
The Femto Bolt from Orbbec is an option for those interested in a solution like Azure Kinect Developer Kit can consider. Orbbec’s camera offerings use the same depth camera module as Azure Kinect Developer Kit, and developers can migrate their existing applications using Azure Kinect Developer Kit to Orbbec’s cameras using the API bridge provided as part of their SDK, said Microsoft.
“We believe that with these partnerships the community will have access to a broad variety of sensors, camera modules and camera systems built on top of Microsoft iToF technology,” added Mehta in the blog post.