Microsoft today cancelled its UK .Net developer conference amid rumours of a lack of interest and delays to .Net software, especially for web services.

Sources close to Microsoft said that one factor was the poor attendance at its European Tech Ed conference in Barcelona earlier in the year. They added that a lack of .Net web services software in particular had depressed interest.

The software giant confirmed the cancellation of the event, which was due to take place at the NEC in November, but was unable to give clear reasons for its decision.

Cynthia Crossley, head of .Net and developer marketing in the UK, denied that there were delays to the .Net software.

"We have decided to pull the show back to the first half of next year," she said. "It's a big investment [for Microsoft] so we are reassessing the format, perhaps to something more in-depth or offering more value."

Crossley suggested that developers wanted more hands-on activity.

Invitations to the Autumn conference were scheduled to be sent out next month.