Microsoft Store Affiliate team has confirmed that Microsoft will be ditching the old website of online store on March 1^st, 2011 with a newly complete site redesign.

Today, the affiliate team sent an email to let the changes in websites to Linkshare publishers (Linkshare manages affiliate program for Microsoft Store.) Here is expert view of email message:

This notice is to inform you that Microsoft Store is undergoing a complete site redesign as well as a full platform migration on 3/1 at midnight, PST. Linkshare has worked closely with Microsoft Store to adjust the links in the system accordingly so you experience little to no downtime at all. Therefore if you are using the Linkshare links (logos, text links, banners etc..) there is nothing you need to update. However, if you are using deep links, you will need to regenerate those links after the migration date of 3/2. We will have a Master file which will map any and all old links to the new links on the new site. Please let us know if you have been using deep links and would find this mapping spreadsheet helpful.

Thanks for your help and please let us know if you have any issues or questions,

The Microsoft Store Affiliate Team

Microsoft has been hard at work to deliver simple, elegant user experience and as a result of a newly redesigned homepage preview was unveiled in January inspired by Windows Phone 7 Metro UI. It is yet confirm but Microsoft store site may get same Metro look with tiles.