Social networking software developer The Nambu Network is discontinuing tr.im, a popular tool that allows users to shorten Internet URLs for posting on character-limited sites like Twitter.

Nambu said it could no longer support the cost of developing tr.im.

"We simply cannot find a way to justify continuing to work on it, or pay its network costs, which are not inconsequential," Nambu officials said in a blog post, noting that the service was used to create "tens of thousands of URLs per day."

The officials added that attempts to sell the product failed, despite the fact that tr.im captures Web browsing data that could be valuable to marketers. "We were a little surprised to learn no one wanted to take it over," said Nambu.

"We quietly contacted a number of people within the Twitter development world, and nobody wanted it in exchange for a token amount of money. No one perceived any value in it, or they wanted to operate a shortener under a differently branded domain name."

Twitter mandates a 140-character limit on postings to ensure brevity. As a result, users wishing to share a Web page with friends or colleagues have turned to third-party tools, like tr.im, that significantly shorten the page's Web address.

Other tools, such as bit.ly and Tiny URL , are also popular.

Nambu officials hinted that tr.im's competitors enjoyed a closer relationship with Twitter, giving them an edge in terms of support and usage.

"Twitter has all but sapped us of any last energy to double-down and develop tr.im further," Nambu said.

"What is the point? With bit.ly the Twitter default, and with us having no inside connection to Twitter, tr.im will lose over the long-run no matter how good it may or may not be at this moment, or in the future," Nambu added.

Nambu said existing tr.im links will continue working until at least Dec. 31.

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