Anderson Analytics boss Tom Anderson broke the news on his blog, having been a user of the sample service. He quotes LinkedIn’s senior director of enterprise solutions Dan Shapero, who explained that while survey sample is no longer “generally available”, the business networking site will continue to offer sample to “a handful of strategic research clients”.

Meanwhile, he said: “We’re deploying research products that help us build larger relationships with our HR and advertising clients.”

LinkedIn launched its b2b sample offering in October 2008 to much fanfare, with the site boasting of its ability to provide researchers with easy access to IT and business decision-makers, who are much in demand for survey purposes.

“Highly promising” it may have been (said Forrester analyst Brad Bortner) but clearly sample provision proved not to be a major money-spinner for the 60-million member community.

Bloggers are split as to why, however. Anderson argues that the margins weren’t there as researchers weren’t “willing to pay for greater quality”. But Kantar’s Tom Ewing advances the case that LinkedIn was overly prescriptive about what could and could not be done with its sample.