AppleInsider:

Apple is discontinuing its iBooks Author platform in July and plans to do the same for iTunes U in 2021, the company said Wednesday.

In an email to publishers seen by AppleInsider, Apple said that it will no longer update the iBooks Author platform. As part of its switch to publishing with Pages, Apple also said that it will pull the app from the Mac App Store on July 1.

Apple also said that it would discontinue iTunes U, its aging education-aimed ecosystem, toward the end of 2021.

The iTunes U platform will be available for the 2020 to 2021 school year, but will stop being supported in 2021.

I had someone desperately try to convince me to help them build a business around iBooks Author and iTunes U but, having been burned by peripheral Apple tech in the past (anyone remembers QuickTime Broadcaster?) I had zero faith in Apple continuing it for the long term. Glad I made the right call.